December 17 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

Devotional

The tidings of the birth of Jesus is called the "good news" or "gospel." This expression comes from Isaiah's vision of the messenger of good news who approaches over the mountains to bring joy to Zion. Beginning with New Testament times, telling about Jesus is always "proclaiming good news."

The first good news was brought by a heavenly messenger who said: "I bring you good news of great joy" (Luke 2:10). That was the night Jesus was born.

Some of us have heard so often and so much about Jesus that we get accustomed to the gospel. That's dangerous. When the gospel becomes an old tale and the sermon a piece of information, we are in deadly danger, for the story about Jesus is, first and last, good news of great joy.

What is good news? Here's an example from The Netherlands, 1945. It was spring, following the most fearful winter Europe had ever known. Sons were murdered, fathers were powerless, daughters were insecure, and mothers could no longer give daily food to their children. People died of starvation. They cried to God under the heel of the Nazi oppressor. They met in churches. And in the long, dark nights—there was no electricity—they prayed fervently for freedom, for help, for a way out.

Then, on the evening of May 4, a rumor went throughout the country—an electrifying rumor that spread faster than a prairie fire: "It's over! The war is over! Peace!"

Not one healthy person sat still. Crowds poured into the dark streets. Someone started to sing a song of liberty. All were filled with joy.

This comes closest to what happened at Christmas. That night the heavens were opened and a voice said: "It's over! It's all over! Now the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God."

REFLECTIONS

To what joyous event in your life would you compare the good news of what happened at Christmas?

Andrew Kuyvenhoven's Daylight, a modern devotional classic, was originally published by Paideia Press in 1977. This updated edition is copyright 2009 by Faith Alive Christian Resources. You can order a copy of this revised version of the book directly from the publisher.

A man of many accomplishments, Andrew Kuyvenhoven is probably best known for his contributions to Today (formerly The Family Altar), a widely-used monthly devotional booklet associated with the Back to God Hour. Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations for this updated edition of Daylight are from the Holy Bible: Today's New International Version copyright 2001, 2005 by the International Bible Society.