THE MOST WONDERFUL MESSAGE IN THE WORLD

When our Lord Jesus was born in Bethlehem, over 2,000 years ago, a host of angels appeared on the hillside to some lowly shepherds who were watching their flocks by night. The glory and splendor surrounding these heavenly messengers caused great fear in the hearts of these shepherds, as indeed it would cause anyone of us. Thus, the very first words of the angel delivering this wonderful message were to reassure them that there was no danger and no reason for them to be afraid.

“Fear not,” said he, and then told why God had sent him and the other angels to the shepherds, “For behold, I bring you Good tidings of Great Joy, which shall be to all the people!” - Luke 2:8-14.

Let’s stop for a moment and think about the words of the angel; here he is telling these shepherds that he has come to bring them a message so good and one bringing great joy, not for a few but for all the people! Just what was this Good News? The angel went on to say that “in the city of David (Bethlehem), that night was born the Savior, Christ (Messiah), the Lord.”

We have become so familiar with this message that perhaps we pay little attention to its full meaning, so let us ask, “Has God ever sent better news than this to oppressed, sinful, dying mankind?” Assuredly not! In the past, He had sent His prophets to His Jewish people, but none had such a message to give; they could only relate the promise of such a coming in the future.

Just think of it! Thousands of years had passed since Adam’s disobedience, bringing sin and death to the human family; there were long years of patient waiting and now, finally, the promised ‘seed of the woman’ (Gen. 3:15) and promised seed of Abraham (Gen. 12:3; Gal. 3:16), the promised Messiah, had been born; He had finally come to save the people from their slavery to sin and death (Matt. 1:21; 1 Tim. 2:4). This was indeed a world-shaking message, for this salvation included not only the Jewish nation, but also, just think of it, ALL the people in the world, both living and dead! Good News indeed!

Well, someone may say, all civilized people in Europe, North and South America, Australia and parts of Asia and Africa have heard this message preached to them, so what is so extraordinary about it? We reply that its full scope and importance has escaped most Christians, for today few really understand or appreciate the extent of God’s glorious message of Great Joy to ALL people!

Both our Lord Jesus and His Apostles have given us light to fully understand these things. While salvation is the principal theme of preaching today, and properly so, (for Jesus declared He had come to seek and to save what had been lost (Luke 19;10), so He is the Savior of the world), something important has been largely lost.

Due to Adam’s sin of disobedience, we are told, “in Adam all die.” (1 Corinthians 15:22), so all his descendents have been born under the sentence of sin and death and have lost the original harmonious relationship with their Creator; instead of beloved children, mankind has become enemies of God and fallen subject to diseases, accidents, wars, greed, hatred, cruelty, unhappiness, old age with its infirmities and finally death. What Adam experienced before his disobedience, i.e., peace, joy, good health, a loving relationship with God, selfless love, brotherhood and eternal life, have all been lost. Jesus declared that He had come to seek and to save (restore to mankind) all these lost blessings by first giving His perfect life as a ransom sacrifice for all mankind, and eventually by destroying all evil, sin and even death from the earth, which He will soon do. (See 1 Corinthians 15:25, 26.)

2,000 years have passed since that glorious message was proclaimed, and conditions have not changed, in fact generally speaking, the world today is in worse shape than it was when the angels gave their message to the shepherds. Was that miraculous birth and wonderful message all in vain? Not at all!

While almost all Christians today believe in the Second Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is a biblical truth, the purpose and effects of His return for mankind are not well understood. Generally, it is thought that at our Lord’s Return, all good Christians will be taken to heaven to join those already there, and the rest of mankind will be lost, either in an eternal hell-fire or in eternal separation from God. What a horrible fate this would be for already oppressed and suffering humanity! No wonder so many dread the Return of Christ and the so-called, “end of the world!”

If these things were true, God’s Message would surely not be the most wonderful message the world has ever heard, but rather one of doom for the billions of mankind, and the Return of our Lord would be a terrible calamity for most. However, is this what the Bible teaches?

The Lord did foretell that before His Return, there would be a great time of trouble on the face of the earth; one such as never has been seen before because it would be so world-wide; there would be “great distress” followed by a Day of Wrath of the Lord God Almighty, which will tear down and destroy this present selfish civilization (Rev. 16:1; Dan. 2: 35, 44, 45). But when this work is accomplished, something new and beautiful will take place, and this is what makes God’s message the most blessed one ever given.

With the return of Christ along with His glorified Church (those disciple whose faith has been tried, tested and have been found faithful under very adverse conditions) the world will have new Rulers, bringing a period of restoration to mankind, which also includes the resurrection of the dead. This Kingdom, for which our Lord told us to pray, “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven…” will be a period of 1,000 years. Jesus will reign as King with His Bride, the Church, ruling the world “with a rod of iron” i.e., in true Righteousness (Revelation 20:11-13).

We are told that Jerusalem will be the capital of the world. “And it shall come to pass in the last day, that the mountain (kingdom) of the Lord’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains (kingdoms or nations), and shall be exalted above the hills (lesser kingdoms); and ALL nations shall flow unto it, and many people shall go and say, ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and He will teach us of His ways, and we will walk in His paths; for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. And He shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more” (Isaiah 2:2-4). Please also read Isaiah 11:9; 25:6-9; 35:1-10; Luke. 3:5, 6; Rev. 21:1-4.

God’s purpose is to instruct all mankind, when the veil or covering of ignorance and superstition, cast by Satan over all the people, will be removed (Isaiah 25:7). Satan will no longer “blind the minds of those who do not believe” (2 Cor. 4:4) because he will be bound at that time (Rev. 20:2) to deceive the nations no longer. Christ will restore all that man has lost during his Kingdom on earth and the effects will be worldwide, just as sin and death are at present.

Is not this the most wonderful message in the world? A time when the prophetic song of the angels will become a reality; when all men will give glory to God in the Highest, and on earth there will be true peace and good-will among men (Luke 2:14). At that time God’s promise to Abraham will be fulfilled; “ALL THE FAMILIES of the earth shall be blessed” (Gen. 22:15-18). This is truly a message of wonder and blessing such as the world has never known! PRAISE GOD!

G. Boccaccio