Joy Born at Bethlehem || BibleHub
Day 1 - Joy Born at Bethlehem || BibleHub
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Joy Born at Bethlehem
by C. H. Spurgeon
Part 1
"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.'" -- Luke 2:10-12.
The key-note of this angelic gospel is joy -- "I bring unto you good tidings of great joy." Nature fears in the presence of God -- the shepherds were sore afraid. The law itself served to deepen this natural feeling of dismay; seeing men were sinful, and the law came into the world to reveal sin, its tendency was to make men fear and tremble under any and every divine revelation. The Jews unanimously believed that if any man beheld supernatural appearances, he would be sure to die, so that what nature dictated, the law and the general beliefs of those under it also abetted. But the first word of the gospel ended all this, for the angelic evangelist said, "Fear not, behold I bring you good tidings." Henceforth, it is to be no dreadful thing for man to approach his Maker; redeemed man is not to fear when God unveils the splendor of his majesty, since he appears no more a judge upon his throne of terror, but a Father unbending in sacred familiarity before his own beloved children.
The joy which this first gospel preacher spoke of was no mean one, for he said, "I bring you good tidings" -- that alone were joy: and not good tidings of joy only, but "good tidings of great joy." Every word is emphatic, as if to show that the gospel is above all things intended to promote, and will most abundantly create the greatest possible joy in the human heart wherever it is received. Man is like a harp unstrung, and the music of his soul's living strings is discordant, his whole nature wails with sorrow; but the son of David, that mighty harper, has come to restore the harmony of humanity, and where his gracious fingers move among the strings, the touch of the fingers of an incarnate God brings forth music sweet as that of the spheres, and melody rich as a seraph's canticle. Would God that all men felt that divine hand.
We have already said it is a "great joy" -- "good tidings of great joy." Earth's joy is small, her mirth is trivial, but heaven has sent us joy immeasurable, fit for immortal minds. Inasmuch as no note of time is appended, and no intimation is given that the message will ever be reversed, we may say that it is a lasting joy, a joy which will ring all down the ages, the echoes of which shall be heard until the trumpet brings the resurrection; aye, and onward for ever and for ever. For when God sent forth the angel in his brightness to say, "I bring you good tidings of great joy, which be to all people," he did as much as say, "From this time forth it shall be joy to the sons of men; there shall be peace to the human race, and goodwill towards men for ever and for ever, as long as there is glory to God in the highest." O blessed thought! the Star of Bethlehem shall never set. Jesus, the fairest among ten thousand, the most lovely among the beautiful, is a joy for ever.
Yet is there cause enough for holy joy in the Lord himself, and reasons for ecstasy in his birth among men. It is to be feared that most men imagine that in Christ there is only seriousness and solemnity, and to them consequently weariness, gloom, and discontent; therefore, they look out of and beyond what Christ allows, to snatch from the tables of Satan the delicacies with which to adorn the banquet held in honor of a Saviour. Let it not be so among you. The joy which the gospel brings is not borrowed but blooms in its own garden.
Let our joy be living water from those sacred wells which the Lord himself has digged; may his joy abide in us, that our joy may be full.
Go Deeper
Click here to find other uses of the word 'joy' in the Bible.
Dig deeper in Luke 2:10 at BibleHub.com.
Reflect
"It is to be feared that most men imagine that in Christ there is only seriousness and solemnity, and to them consequently weariness, gloom, and discontent; therefore, they look out of and beyond what Christ allows, to snatch from the tables of Satan the delicacies with which to adorn the banquet held in honor of a Saviour."
Respond
What other statements stood out to you? Share them in the comments.
What are some ways you can reintroduce joy into your life?
We look forward to your comments and questions below!
If you want to share this Bible reading plan with friends and family, here is the link:
https://bttb.org/Joy-Born-At-Bethlehem
by C. H. Spurgeon
Part 1
"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.'" -- Luke 2:10-12.
The key-note of this angelic gospel is joy -- "I bring unto you good tidings of great joy." Nature fears in the presence of God -- the shepherds were sore afraid. The law itself served to deepen this natural feeling of dismay; seeing men were sinful, and the law came into the world to reveal sin, its tendency was to make men fear and tremble under any and every divine revelation. The Jews unanimously believed that if any man beheld supernatural appearances, he would be sure to die, so that what nature dictated, the law and the general beliefs of those under it also abetted. But the first word of the gospel ended all this, for the angelic evangelist said, "Fear not, behold I bring you good tidings." Henceforth, it is to be no dreadful thing for man to approach his Maker; redeemed man is not to fear when God unveils the splendor of his majesty, since he appears no more a judge upon his throne of terror, but a Father unbending in sacred familiarity before his own beloved children.
The joy which this first gospel preacher spoke of was no mean one, for he said, "I bring you good tidings" -- that alone were joy: and not good tidings of joy only, but "good tidings of great joy." Every word is emphatic, as if to show that the gospel is above all things intended to promote, and will most abundantly create the greatest possible joy in the human heart wherever it is received. Man is like a harp unstrung, and the music of his soul's living strings is discordant, his whole nature wails with sorrow; but the son of David, that mighty harper, has come to restore the harmony of humanity, and where his gracious fingers move among the strings, the touch of the fingers of an incarnate God brings forth music sweet as that of the spheres, and melody rich as a seraph's canticle. Would God that all men felt that divine hand.
We have already said it is a "great joy" -- "good tidings of great joy." Earth's joy is small, her mirth is trivial, but heaven has sent us joy immeasurable, fit for immortal minds. Inasmuch as no note of time is appended, and no intimation is given that the message will ever be reversed, we may say that it is a lasting joy, a joy which will ring all down the ages, the echoes of which shall be heard until the trumpet brings the resurrection; aye, and onward for ever and for ever. For when God sent forth the angel in his brightness to say, "I bring you good tidings of great joy, which be to all people," he did as much as say, "From this time forth it shall be joy to the sons of men; there shall be peace to the human race, and goodwill towards men for ever and for ever, as long as there is glory to God in the highest." O blessed thought! the Star of Bethlehem shall never set. Jesus, the fairest among ten thousand, the most lovely among the beautiful, is a joy for ever.
Yet is there cause enough for holy joy in the Lord himself, and reasons for ecstasy in his birth among men. It is to be feared that most men imagine that in Christ there is only seriousness and solemnity, and to them consequently weariness, gloom, and discontent; therefore, they look out of and beyond what Christ allows, to snatch from the tables of Satan the delicacies with which to adorn the banquet held in honor of a Saviour. Let it not be so among you. The joy which the gospel brings is not borrowed but blooms in its own garden.
Let our joy be living water from those sacred wells which the Lord himself has digged; may his joy abide in us, that our joy may be full.
Go Deeper
Click here to find other uses of the word 'joy' in the Bible.
Dig deeper in Luke 2:10 at BibleHub.com.
Reflect
"It is to be feared that most men imagine that in Christ there is only seriousness and solemnity, and to them consequently weariness, gloom, and discontent; therefore, they look out of and beyond what Christ allows, to snatch from the tables of Satan the delicacies with which to adorn the banquet held in honor of a Saviour."
Respond
What other statements stood out to you? Share them in the comments.
What are some ways you can reintroduce joy into your life?
We look forward to your comments and questions below!
If you want to share this Bible reading plan with friends and family, here is the link:
https://bttb.org/Joy-Born-At-Bethlehem
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Joy is a keyword in the Christian life. J-Jesus, O-Others, Y-Yourself for starters. To me the scripture that sums up JOY in it's entirety is found in Hebrews 12:2-3... Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith, who for the JOY set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
None of the intended hyperlinks in this article work in GoTandem. Please help!
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Hi V. In this particular Devotional we are linking to the Bible Hub. Enjoy!
I am so grateful that our Father Abba gave me Jesus.
My most favorite Psalm 139, He knows me, yet He loves me!
My life verse is John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes on Him will not perish but have everlasting life.
Jesus loves me, this I know for the Bible tells me so!
I love You right back precious Lord.
My most favorite Psalm 139, He knows me, yet He loves me!
My life verse is John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes on Him will not perish but have everlasting life.
Jesus loves me, this I know for the Bible tells me so!
I love You right back precious Lord.
I find reading all that bible hub has is so much easier than reading the bible. I understand much better how everything is explained. Loving it❤
As a new believer, His joy brought me up out of the gloom that shrouded my entire life. I was unable to see, feel or experience any true joy before I came to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He is my joy, my all in all! I lean on Him for EVERYTHING :) I cannot imagine my life without Him in it. He is the greatest joy, forever and ever.
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