“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God” (John 1 :1-2).
“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 Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye 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 2:8-14 ).
The greatest event that has ever taken place in the history of the world was the coming into it of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Redeemer of mankind. The first promise of the coming of a Saviour is found in Genesis 3:15, “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” In Isaiah 7:14, we learn that He was to be born of a virgin, “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel”; and in Isaiah 9:6, we are told that ” … his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The MightyGod, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” God honoured Micah and Daniel in allowing them to tell where and when He would be born, (Micah 5; Daniel 9). As we know, the birth of Christ took place as foretold by the Old Testament prophets.
The story of the birth of Jesus is simply told, and it is the “sweetest story ever told.” The angels proclaimed it; the shepherds heard and believed it. They said one to another, ” … Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us” (Luke 2:15). As a result of their trip to Bethlehem, we are told that they ” … returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen,as it was told unto them” (Luke 2:20).
People have been told the story of the birth of Jesus ever since that first Christmas Day. Many have believed it and accepted Christ as Saviour, and they, too, have glorified and praised God continually for
this wonderful Saviour. Down through the ages the saints have sung His praises and have told the glad news of salvation from sin through His atoning work on the cross, and souls have been saved and born again as a result of their testimony.
Oh, let the glad news ring out! “The story of salvation repeat over and over,” for there are countless multitudes who have never heard it. When the angels announced His birth, the humble shepherds hastened to Bethlehem to worship and adore. The wise men saw His star in the East, and they traveled weary miles to behold Him, and to lay their gifts at His feet. Centuries have rolled by since that glad day, and history has repeated itself many times. For the plain people of earth, the unlearned, and the children have sought and found Him, and the wise and learned, many of them, have received the news of salvation with glad hearts, have left all, and followed Him.
The world was steeped in sin; it needed a Saviour. The world today is still steeped in sin, and men still need the redeeming grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. Many are accepting Him, praise God! Jeremiah the prophet said, “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13). It is from the Word of God that men learn of Christ, the Saviour of mankind. How glad and thankful we who love Him and are giving out the Word should be, in doing what we can to tell others “the sweetest story every told.” This story of the One who was to be called ” … JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21 ), is being told to men of every race and country.
Men, alas, are still sinning against God, even as they were when the Saviour came nineteen hundred years ago. But let us keep reminding them of Romans 6:23, which says, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”