MONTHLY INSPIRATION – December, 2020

THE GOOD NEWS
Copyright © 2020 by Abia Friday Abia
and Trinity Discipleship Fellowship

More than two thousand years ago today, God sent His angel to bring to a group of Shepherds what the angel calls good news(Lk. 2:11). What is it that is the good news? The angel himself tells what the good news is(Lk. 2:11). According to him, the good news is that a Saviour has been born(Lk. 2:11).

This is good news indeed. This world has been in need of a Saviour since the events in Eden(Gen. 3). And God made a promise to this effect(Gen.3:15).

The angel gives details of the good news He brings.With these details, we now know specific facts about his good news. The angel is most specific about the day of the Saviour’s birth(Lk. 2:11). He calls the day today, obviously referring to a specific day(Lk. 2:11). As far as the angel and the Shepherds are concerned, there is no question or dispute about the day that is meant. We may disagree about this day today, but we can agree that it is an actual day in the Roman calendar, undisputed to those to whom the news first come as well as other eyewitnesses of the event of which the angel speaks.

The angel is also most specific about the place of the Saviour’s birth(Lk. 2:11). According to him, He is born in the town of David, which means Bethlehem(see Matt. 2:3-6; cf. Mic. 5:2). It is commonly held that David was born and made King here. The angel is most specific about the Saviour Himself(Lk. 2:11). He is Christ the Lord(Lk. 2:11). What the angel means is that this individual who is born on this said day, at the said place, is the Christ or Messiah(Lk. 2:11). The angel has no one else in mind than Jesus, the son of Joseph and Mary. With the facts he gives concerning Him, we can not be mistaken about who it is that he is talking about.

The mention of a specific day, place, and person makes the news the angel brings unique and exclusive. This means that the one who is born is the only Saviour of the world(see Acts 4:12; Jn. 14:6; 10:7-13). The angel himself makes this quite clear that the good news is for all the people(Lk. 2:10; cf. Jn. 3:16; 1:29).

Therefore, whatever your nationality or tribe or language, this is your Saviour as well. He is given for the whole world(Jn. 3:16; Matt. 28:18-20). His salvation is not available on the basis of one’s nationality or tribe or language(cf. Gal. 3:28-29). On the contrary, it is available to anyone on the basis of faith(Jn. 1:12-13). In fact, whoever believes in Him will be saved, his nationality, tribe or language notwithstanding(Mk. 16:16; cf. Jn. 3:18).

The world does indeed have a Saviour, Jesus the Christ. He alone is everyone’s Saviour, for whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life(Jn. 3:16). This is good news indeed. As the angel tells the good news to the Shepherds, the Saviour Himself commissions us His followers to tell this good news to the whole world(see Matt. 28:18-20; Mk. 16:15-18).