Hope of Universal Joy

Luke 2:842; Hebrews 1:1-4; I John 1:1-4

GOLDEN TEXT: “Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.”—Luke 2:10

THE birth of Jesus and the miraculous circumstances associated therewith still captivate the minds of millions despite the fact that the message of good tidings for all is as yet little more than an empty promise to the masses. While the angelic prophecy to the shepherds is still unfulfilled, it does constitute the basis of hope that universal joy and peace shall yet be the common heritage of all mankind. This, in itself, should give joy at this time to all who have faith in the inspired Word.

The thing of immediate importance to the Jewish shepherds who were watching their flocks that first holy night was the angel’s assurance to them that the Christ of promise had been born. This marked a definite step forward in the outworking of the divine plan. For many long centuries God had been promising the birth of the Messiah. Devout Jews thoroughly believed that some day this holy “seed” would be born, that thus God would fulfill His promise to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob—the promise that was consistently repeated by one after another of God’s prophets from Moses onward.

But now that “seed” was born! And this meant more than anything which had ever occurred in the past. It meant that God’s promise had been translated into reality. The Messiah was born! It was befitting the importance of the occasion that the Messiah’s birth should be announced by an angel. We might wonder why such an important announcement should be restricted to a few humble shepherds. Surely the importance of the event would well have warranted the summoning of all the great ones of earth, and at the banquet of such regal splendor have the angels appear to deliver their royal message concerning the birth of earth’s greatest King.

Divine wisdom ruled against such a procedure. Having decreed that the Royal Majesty of heaven should be born in a manger, it was also deemed best by God to limit the announcement of His birth to humble shepherds. Jesus’ greatness was later to be demonstrated in what He was to do for the world. The symbol of His right to rule was to be that of the cross. No “build-up” was necessary in order to impress the world with His greatness.

Nineteen centuries have passed since Jesus was born, and still the nations turn their backs upon Him as their ruler, and His teachings of brotherly love are almost universally ignored. But God’s plan which centers in Jesus has not failed. There has been no miscarriage whatever of the divine arrangements. The good tiding of the angels are yet to become a reality in the lives of all the peoples of earth. The birth of Jesus was a step forward in God’s plan for the salvation of a dying race, but it was not the final step. The plan has been progressing since and will continue to progress until all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.

A new age began with the first advent of Jesus; not that God’s purpose up until that time had failed and He had started all over again, but rather a new phase of His plan was due for development. As the apostle declares, it was the same God who spoke to the fathers through the prophets, who now, in the new age, was speaking through His Son. It was the same God and the same plan which continued to be developed in keeping with the original divine promises.

The “seed” of promise had come in the person of Jesus. But as Jesus and the apostles further unfold the divine arrangements, it is found that the complete Christ is to include the church over which Jesus is the Head. “For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ,” writes Paul “and if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”—Gal. 3:27-29

It requires an entire age for the call and preparation of these additional members of the “seed” class. This means another long wait before the world’s blessings can be realized. The Jews of old must have often wondered why God did not fulfill His promises, even as the professed Christian world today wonders why there is so little peace on earth after the many centuries since the angelic proclamation of peace. But just as Jesus finally was born, so in God’s due time His Kingdom will take control over the affairs of men. Unquestionably that time is now near.

The position of the true followers of the Master in the plan of God is unique. John declares of these that their fellowship is with the Father and with the Son. The Greek word translated “fellowship” means partnership; so the apostle is saying that our partnership is with the Father and with the Son. This is the fullness of meaning attached to our glorious privilege of being joint-heirs with Christ as the promised “seed” of blessing. May we walk worthy of this high calling!

QUESTIONS:

Why was the announcement of the birth of Jesus limited to the shepherds?

What has been God’s work during the present Gospel age?

In what sense do we have fellowship with the Father and with the Son?

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