Good Tidings of Great Joy

Good Tidings of Great Joy

by Pastor Bryan Hudson

 

Psalm 16:11 NIV

You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence,

with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

 

Luke 2:8 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. 10 Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” 

13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: 14 “ Glory to God in the highest,  And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” 

Phil 4:4(NLT)  Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! 5 Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus

Nehemiah 8:10 Then he said to them, “Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” 

Joy is the knowledge of God’s grace through Jesus Christ.

Joy is the satisfaction of knowing you are in the will of God.

Luke 2:10 Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people

This is what the coming of Jesus does for people. He brings joy at the prospect on living on purpose and living at a level greater than ourselves.

Saying the words, “The joy of the Lord is your strength” sounds good. However, it is more meaningful when we understand the circumstance surrounding it. 

Nehemiah 1:2 The words of Nehemiah the son of Hachaliah.It came to pass in the month of Chislev, in the twentieth year, as I was in Shushan the citadel,And they said to me, “The survivors who are left from the captivity in the province are there in great distress and reproach. The wall of Jerusalem is also broken down, and its gates are burned with fire.” 4 So it was, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned for many days; I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven.

These words came out of an experience of the fulfillment of a man’s compassion over his city and people. Nehemiah lived in Shushan the citadel. A citadel is a palace. Nehemiah lived in a palace. Shushan or “Susa” was the capital city of Elam and Persia. This word “susa” means “lill.” It is believed that the city was named for the abundance of lilies in the region.

Nehemiah was the kings cupbearer or servant. His family was brought to Babylon after the first captivity of the Jews. Nehemiah lived in blessing, abundance, and privilege---but his joy was not fulfilled because he was not living in the purpose of God.

He was away from his homeland. Some people who have blessing, abundance, and privilege, only want more for themselves. Some people forget where they have come from. Other people who blessing, abundance, and privilege, want to empower others.

This is the danger of a “comfortable captivity”....complacency and forgetting our foundations and higher purpose. 

Nehemiah wanted for others what he possessed for himself: blessing, abundance, and privledge.

This passion and vision led Nehemiah and those who accompanied him back to Jerusalem to rebuild the walls to an adventure, danger, hard work, opposition for haters and enemies, but eventually to the completion of their objective.

Luke 2:11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: 14 “ Glory to God in the highest,  And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”