LISTEN TO “GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST”
And the angel said to them, “Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign to you; You shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, 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, good will toward men.” – Luke 2:10-14
“Fear not!” is the most repeated command in the Bible. In fact, it’s been said that there are 365 “Fear nots” in the Bible – one “Fear not” for every day of the year! Lloyd Ogilvie in Facing the Future Without Fear, even said there are 366 “Fear nots” in the Bible, one for every day of the year, including Leap Year! God doesn’t want us to go a single day without hearing his word of comfort: “Fear not!”*
An antagonist to our faith once asked me, “How many of your angels can dance on the head of a pin?” My reply was equally as sarcastic and I said, “More than your small-sized brain could ever comprehend!” Needless to say, I didn’t win a hearing for the gospel that day!
I believe a better question to ask however, would be “How many angels in heaven sang “Glory to God in the highest,” on the day that Christ was born? I can answer that one with confidence – “all of them!”
Shepherds were common in Israel. There were groups all over the hillsides around Jerusalem. The raising of sheep was an important part of their economy. An angel of the Lord appeared to a group of these shepherds as they were watching over their flocks at night. They were just a few miles outside Bethlehem. They were terrified, of course, as you and I would have been, as the glory of the Lord lit up the sky around them and they learned that the promised Messiah had been born.
I have tried to imagine what that must have been like. The extreme darkness of the Judean night and then suddenly a bright light that must have lit up the whole sky and countryside for an instant or two – or more.
The angel called this proclamation, “glad tidings of great joy.” What’s your level of joy today as you are reminded of this truth as we approach Christmas day when our Savior was born?
Is that what this day means to you? I hope so. For the reason for our celebration of Christmas, is the celebration of the birth of our Savior. Merry Christmas!
*Bill Gaultiere, “Fear Not” 365 Days a Year
