“Good Tidings of Great
Joy”
“And the angel said
unto them, ‘Fear not! For, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which
shall be to all people.”
Luke 2:10
The great sea of
human history has been divided into two parts, B.C. and A.D., and this division
was marked off by the appearance of a great star at the time of Jesus’ birth.
What has the Bible to say concerning this stupendous event? What really
occurred in this humble nativity scene? What do we find so clearly defined that
all men were in expectation of the Messiah?
Examining the record of the Prophets, we note a long line of prophetic
utterances of such import that they stand out in bold relief against an
otherwise dark background, in very much the same way that the literal stars
stand out in the night sky against the background of the measureless heavens.
Star of Hope -- These prophecies
have their beginning at the very dawn of human history, when the violation of
God’s command had brought upon our first parents the inescapable penalty of
death. However, God’s mercy, which is
ever at work in keeping with His other attributes, extended a flickering ray of
hope in the vague but meaningful words, “The
seed of the woman shall bruise the serpent’s head.” Not a very bright star is this one, but a
twinkle of light in an otherwise darkened sky.
From this moment forward, the seed
was to become a most important development of God’s great Plan, around which
all other events would revolve. All of God’s dealings with men during Old
Testament times were in preparation for that promised seed. The purpose of God in sending into the world
His Only Begotten Son is continually kept in view, by means of His own
choosing. Even the line of descent from
father to son is clearly
traced from Adam, until its end is found in the “Babe in the manger.”
In the
generations of Adam, it is recorded of each individual that he lived so many
years and then died, but of the promised seed, the Second Adam, the Lord from
heaven, it is said, “I am He that lives,
and was dead; and, behold, I am alive forevermore...” (Revelation
1:18). Thus, we see how great a light
was lit at
Star of Promise - The next star we observe on the horizon
is associated with the life of Abraham. Here the light shines with a clearer,
steadier ray, when in rewarding Abraham’s faithfulness the promise becomes
clear, strong, and definite: “Because you have not withheld your son,
your only son; in blessing I will bless you, and in multiplying I will multiply
your seed as the stars of heaven, and as the sand which is on the seashore; and
your seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; and in your seed shall all the
nations of the earth be blessed; because you have obeyed my voice” (Genesis
22:16-18).
We are all aware of
the life of faith and obedience, which eventuated in this far-reaching promise
to Abraham. How closely it touches the
life of every Christian when we read concerning its fulfillment that “if you are Christ’s, then are you Abraham’s
seed, and heirs according to the promise” (Galatians
The Gospel was
indeed preached before unto Abraham, when to him was said: “In you
and in your seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed,” a
comprehensive but positive statement as to what God’s purpose is with respect
to the human family.
Star of Jacob - We come now to a third
Messianic Star, which appears in connection with the closing days of Jacob’s
life. Aware that his life was drawing to
a close, Jacob calls for a gathering of his sons. “...that
I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days...The scepter shall
not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come;
and unto him shall the gathering of the people be” (Gen. 49:1,10). We are
not left to human speculation as to the identity of the One to whom it
refers. Our Lord sprang from the tribe
of
A
Star in the Typical Heavens - Another prophecy was given in the days of
Moses. Deut.
We see in Moses,
to whom these words were spoken, a type of the Prophet to come. Moses, in his office as mediator, then leader
and judge of his people, found it his duty to direct the minds of his people to
the one true God, and to obedience to Him.
Jesus, the antitype, performed a far greater and more effectual work
than did Moses. His Kingdom will be to
the ends of the earth, which will be “filled
with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.”
Star of First Magnitude - “I will declare the decree...‘You
are my Son; this day have I begotten thee.
Ask of me, and I shall give you the heathen for your inheritance, and
the uttermost parts of the earth for your possession” (Psalm 2:7, 8). This Psalm, written by David out of his own
experience, portrays the great struggle, which shall attend the ushering in of
the Lord’s Kingdom, against the opposition of the entrenched powers of
evil. The Psalm also refers to certain
aspects of our Lord’s first advent. Its
language is so vivid and comprehensive that it takes its place among the major
prophecies respecting the coming of the Lord to take control of earth’s
affairs. We might therefore consider it
one of the brighter Messianic Stars--a prophetic star of first magnitude.
Star of
Here we might
also consider another aspect of this most wonderful story. “Now when Jesus was born in
Royal Star - “For unto us a
child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his
shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, The mighty God, The
everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace
there shall be no end, upon the throne of David and upon his kingdom, to order
it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even
forever. The zeal of the Lord of Hosts
will perform this” (Isaiah 9:6, 7).
How wonderfully
significant then, are the words announced to those trembling shepherds on that
Judean hillside so long ago: “Behold, I bring you good tidings of great
joy, which shall be to all people. For
unto you is born this day in the city of
J.
B. Webster