“Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”
Dear church that first Christmas in Bethlehem the angels declared that it was “good news of great joy!” I know that for many of us, this Christmas has been a season of the loss of our nearest and dearest, according to the Lord’s sovereign will. To name two dear ones are Mary Metzger and Patricia Morton. But I want you to know, dear church, that for our families, and I am closely acquainted with both, we are living in the “good news of great joy.” For our mothers and for ourselves there has been born to us a Savior and He has made this Christmas a time full of joy in the midst of mourning! In both ladies, I saw something that impressed me; they were at times anxious and fearful for their children and at times for the future. But near their death I saw no such fear. They both said they were ready to meet the Lord. The Lord gave these precious women the “Joy” that He promises. It is a joy that He gives at our death. The Lord at the end of this mortal life gives His children ending joy as Thomas Watson states; “ending joy as sugar in the bottom of the cup, to make their death sweet. At the last hour when all other comforts are gone, God sends the Comforter; and when their own physical bread fails, He feeds them hidden manna, so the godly have some foretaste of God’s everlasting favor.”
Dear Church, its Christmas and it is truly “good news of great joy for all the people!” It is true the Lord is near and is a Savior who was born in Bethlehem! He is alive, dear church, and still gives us this kind of grace to have joy in the midst of sorrow. I write this in tears, not of depressed humanity, but of the hope and joy in my very own heart that I am experiencing the day after my dear mother’s parting from this world to glory!
I trust, no matter the situation, that if you have Jesus living in your heart that the joy you have will carry you all the way to the arms of our Savior. This joy can turn mourning to melody and swallow up trouble; it carries our hearts above them! “I will fear not, for Thou are with me, thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.” Ps. 23:4 “Merry Christmas dear church, I love you!” Pastor Mark Morton