Key Verse: “But the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people: 11 Today in the city of David a Savior was born for you, who is the Messiah, the Lord.” (Luke 2:10-11 CSB)
Have you ever met someone who is always happy? No matter what is happening in their life, they are always smiling. They are always glad to see you. They always have something positive to say, no matter what. I’m totally not that person.
When the Bible talks about joy, this isn’t necessarily what it is talking about. Being filled with joy doesn’t mean having an attitude of unending cheerfulness because everything in your life is going well. The truth is that sometimes life gets hard, and we experience pain and sorrow.
Real joy though isn’t rooted in our circumstances. The joy that we can experience is a joy that is rooted in knowing Jesus Christ and encountering His Spirit’s presence in our lives. It’s a gift that God gives to us in our hearts through His Spirit that isn’t dependent on what is happening around us.
In Luke 2, when the angel suddenly appeared to the shepherds in the fields, the angel proclaimed to them a message of “great joy”. Why was this good news filled with so much joy? According to the angel, “Today in the city of David a Savior was born.” The good news of great joy is that Jesus has come to be a Savior for us.
The word “Savior” means rescuer. Why do we need to be rescued? According to the Scriptures, all of us have rebelled against God and fallen short of His glory. Because of our sin, we are like a drowning swimmer who is facing death, an eternal death separated from God forever. There is nothing that we can do to save ourselves. We are in serious trouble!
But Jesus Christ has come to be our Saviour and Rescuer. Through faith in Him, we once were dead in our sin, but He has made us alive. We once were far off from God, but by His blood shed on the Cross, He has brought us near. God has “rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son he loves. In him we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:13-14).
In Psalm 32:1, David wrote, “How joyful is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin in covered!” Part of the good news of great joy that comes from encountering and knowing Jesus is that we have a Saviour. Through faith in Him our sins have been forgiven. Every act of rebellion, every thought, every word has been covered by Him. He has saved us!
Have you come to know Jesus Christ as your Savior? If so, then no matter what else is going on around you, this is a reason for joy. Rejoice today knowing that your sin has been covered. Rejoice today knowing that your name has been written in heaven. Rejoice that the Christ-child, Jesus Christ, has come to save his people from their sins.
Prayer: Jesus, I thank you for the joy of knowing you. Because of what you have done for me, I can rejoice today that my sin has been forgiven. Fill me today with joy, as I consider all that you have done. Restore to me today the joy of your salvation. Amen.
Author: Jonathan Miller has served in pastoral roles for more than 13 years in churches in Barrie, Oakville and Burlington, Ontario. He currently serves as the Chief Operating Officer at Prison Fellowship Canada, a ministry that mobilizes and equips local churches to engage in the restorative work of prisoners, ex-prisoners, their families, and victims across Canada. Jon holds degrees from McMaster University and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He and his wife Adrienne have been married since 2004, and live in Burlington, Ontario with their 4 children. Jon’s greatest passion is to know Jesus and to see lives transformed by Him and for Him.
