^“And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, 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 David a savior, which is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:8-11 KJV).

The news that a Savior had been born and will deliver all who receive Him is truly “good news of a great joy. The true joy of Christmas is the abiding joy of knowing for certain that things are right between you and God. It is the contentment that comes from knowing that you have a hope that holds beyond the uncertainties of this life. This kind of lasting joy comes only to the one who has personally received God’s gift of His Son Jesus Christ. Believers are not dependent upon circumstances to give them joy. Their joy does not come from what they have, but from who they are and from whose they are.

The news about a Savior brings great joy because it is news of Jesus Christ the Lord. He is a unique Person. Consider the uniqueness of Jesus the Son of God.

He is the Christ. The word Christ in Greek means the “anointed one,” In the Hebrew language it is the word “Messiah.” The title of Christ identifies Him as the long awaited Messiah of the Jews. It was God the Father who sent Jesus and anointed Him for His mission of salvation into the world. He was anointed as prophet to preach the gospel, as priest to offer sacrifice for sins, and as king to reign. He is the only One who is able to reconcile sinful people to God through His sacrificial death, burial and resurrection.

He is Savior – The angel’s announcement about Jesus’ birth and purpose emphasizes His role as our Savior. The name Jesus means “the Lord saves.” This reflects His mission, He came to “save His people from their sins (Matthew 1:21). Jesus came into this world to lay down His life on a cross so that lost sinners might be saved from their sins. He came to rescue us, to set us free from the power of sin. Jesus Christ came to save sinners. The Bible is clear in Romans 3:23, it tells us, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

He is the Lord – A lord is someone with authority, control, or power over others; to call someone “lord” is to acknowledge that person as a master or ruler of some kind. The word “Lord” in this verse refers to God. The Savior born in Bethlehem is God in human flesh (John 1:14). If He had been only a man, He could not have saved us, because His death would not have had merit beyond Himself.  If He had been an angel, He could not have borne human sins. But He was Christ the Lord, God. God the only one who is great enough to deal with the problem of our sins.

The angel said, “Great joy, which shall be to all people.” The news was good-news about a Savior bringing joy because it is for all people. This means black and brown people; white and yellow people; Jews and gentiles; rich and poor; old and young. Jesus does not discriminate when He gives the joy of salvation, it is for all who believes.