DR. PHILLIP BRASSFIELD
Luke 2: 9-14, “And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. 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. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”
During the Christmas season, my mind often races back in time over two thousand years ago to the famous night when an angel appeared to the humble shepherds keeping watch over the temple flock in the fields near Bethlehem by night. And, of course, it’s not difficult to imagine; it is a scene captured and replayed for us again and again, and in a myriad of different ways, from paintings and films to greeting cards. But it’s always the same for me. As I imagine that night, it’s as if I take my place under the starry sky with that bewildered group of shepherds as they were amazed by the angelic host and Heaven’s herald announcing the birth of the long awaited, much anticipated Messiah. What a moment in history!
It was totally fitting for the announcement to be made among these shepherds. Indeed, it was a fulfillment of Bible prophecy. In the announcement that specific night and to those specific people, we see the hinge upon which the message of the Gospel (as we have come to know it) would swing. Every mention of it before, both, direct and indirect, and every act and word that would proclaim it after, would have as its axis this incredible moment in time. It was the moment when the Gospel arrived! It had been prophesied over hundreds of years and in dozens of different ways and places in Scripture, and after this night, would certainly develop and mature in and through the lives of believers, but its arrival was announced first by an angel, a supernatural visitor from Heaven’s court and the first proclamation was conveyed from the King of the Universe Himself, and it was decreed by Him as, “Good Tidings of great joy which shall be to all people!”
“Good news,” that’s what the word Gospel actually means, but the Gospel is more than just an announcement or proclamation. It is more than a story, or a strategic plan of redemption. The Gospel is a Person and has a Name. The Gospel’s name is Jesus Christ. Good news can come in many different forms and from many different areas of life. For example, your accountant can inform you about an increase in your investment portfolio or your doctor can give you a favorable report from a medical examination, and these are certainly examples of good news, but there is only one Gospel! The magnitude of its deliverance and the magnificence of the person of Jesus set it apart in the arena of Good News and makes it a completely exclusive idea.
When the Gospel arrived that special night and mankind began to experience it, it lived up to its billing. As fallen humanity interacted and engaged with the Gospel, amazing things began to happen. Lepers were cleansed; the sick and blind were found, healed and made whole again. Demon possessed people were set free, being restored and given hope – being reborn in a way. People were raised from the dead. In each instance and in their own way, each was given life again, even in the midst of the most negative, desolate situations life could produce. The Gospel has proven itself to be transcendent, irresistible and unstoppable. Situations and circumstances could not hold it back, lock it up, or keep it down. One would think it so powerful that it should have been the product of the high thinkers of some philosophical movement or the enlightened and powerful who dwelt in the halls of prestige. But, that was not the case. The Gospel first appeared to everyday people in ordinary places, even horrible places.
The Gospel (Good News) of Jesus Christ was first presented, not in the lofty lecture halls of the élite thinkers and philosophers of the Greco-Roman world, but in the trash dumps of humanity where common people lived. A place filled with human slavery, racial bigotry, sexual depravity of every manner, economic poverty, unfair taxation, corrupt politics and crooked religion – that was the milieu of the world of the first century. Yet, the Good News of Jesus Christ and the sacred mission of His Church penetrated the global culture, touched the world, and turned it upside down in a single generation.
As everyday people experienced Him, they came to realize that He was infectious and that as they trusted Him, He had moved inside of them. They became carriers. Through their witness, the same miracles that accompanied Him accompanied them. All this proving that a depraved world is no match for a glorified Christ demonstrated in the lives of the redeemed! The Gospel tells us that God can make the greatest things out of the worst situations!
During this holiday season, remember that the Gospel is more than a story. It is a Person who transforms, delivers and brings hope, even in the most deplorable situations you can imagine. Make up your mind that you’re going to take that Gospel to someone new, unexpected, outside your normal sphere of influence, and engage them with love and kindness. Find someone to love who is unlovable. Reach toward someone who is unreachable. Share the Gospel in a hospital or nursing home. Find those living in the margin, and fill their space with the love of Christ. The Gospel has a Name, Jesus Christ!
