For to us a child is born, to us a son is given. What wonderful news. The best of all news. The most beautiful news the world has ever known. Our Old Testament reading talks about the beauty of this news in terms of the very first glimmer of good news coming to us: “How beautiful upon the mountain are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says “Your God reigns”
In today’s world we have many ways to watch for the coming of good news. I have seen people check their phones for updates on a Colts or a Packers game in the minutes before an Installation to pastoral ministry, or at wedding receptions, graduations and recitals.
People find themselves in situations waiting eagerly for an email or phone call with a high sense of urgency to find out news. Maybe a notice of employment, or admission to a school, or perhaps to verify a paycheck has posted to a bank account in time.
Think of hospital waiting room as place to wait for surgery results or the news of the birth of a child. We wait for news with anticipation and the first indication that the news is coming can throw your stomach into butterflies.
In Isaiah’s time there was no instant means of transmitting messages. “How beautiful the feet of him who brings good news”: The messenger is not really who is beautiful. Just his feet. Just the sign of him coming, the first spotting of the messenger running in the distance as he ascends past the peak of the mountain beyond the horizon and is now visible, moving ever closer to deliver the message.
In Isaiah’s time the message of good news was about the restoration of Israel, the end of their captivity in Babylon. The message was clear, “Your God reigns!” Not Babylon reigns or the gods of the many nations reign.
This message of victory foreshadowed the reign of God in Jesus, where the captivity to sin of all people would be delivered with an eternal reign of Christ. Jesus’s birth brought an end to the bondage to sin where people had no hope because they were separated from God in thought word and deed.
Jesus brought a freedom that was more than a matter of which king or court ruled over the people. He brought a freedom to experience everyday of life here- with life and life to the fullest- connected with God’s purposes and entirely grounded in the future destiny of eternal life with Him in heaven.
The Lord Jesus reigns, and through faith in him we share in an everlasting kingdom! That is the good news of Christmas, that is the meaning for us of the Word Made Flesh who dwelt among us and showed us his glory.
How beautiful are the feet of those who bring this message to us! The other details of what the person looks like does not matter. Whether elaborately dressed or dressed in tattered clothing – the message is going to be the same. We do not want to get distracted by the details of the messenger himself- lest we lose sight of the message we are waiting for.
We are all in captivity to sin, living in a fallen world. That is why more than ever, we watch for the message of good news, the message that Jesus is here for us. The message that Jesus frees from our captivity to sin, giving us forgiveness, peace, wholeness.
In recent years we have as a nation been enticed to follow news more than ever before. News comes in from countless avenues, leading many to look forward to catching up each day on what is going on, what there is to keep track of. And of course these updates to our lives do not fulfill us, they only serve to give us reason for isolation from one another, and worry.
Far more important than watching for the latest news and updates in the faced pace world we live in, we wait and watch for Jesus’ message of forgiveness for us found in God’s Word- even as we watch for Jesus to return. With this message of God’s Word we know for sure that God reigns in our lives, and what good news that is!
Sometimes at Christmas we struggle with comparing present situations with the past. How does this Christmas compare with years back when the church was more full? We think of family members who are not there anymore at Christmas.
Family gatherings at Christmas may change over time, yet the reality is that nothing changes about Christmas from one year to another. Every year we celebrate the same hope, the same beautiful good news delivered to us: Jesus is born.
The Word became Flesh and dwelt among us and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. That is a message that is worth incomparably more than the message of instant gratifications of the news.
This is the message of the perfect grace of God’s unfailing love to us and the perfect truth of the unity of the Trinity.
Jesus is Full of grace and truth. This truth is only properly understood when we see God’s hand in all of creation and ongoing role in upholding our existence. Colossians 1:15-20 describes such truth:
5 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.
That is beautiful news worth coming together as God’s people to hear. How beautiful it has been to see our congregation come together in recent months despite the losses in size compared to many years ago. How beautiful to see feet walking into church after overcoming many obstacles, how beautiful to see steady steps to the Communion rail, even with an imperfect gait.
How beautiful to be the church and remain as the church no matter the challenges our culture throws at us. How beautiful to be the body of Christ and know we are not going anywhere because we have ‘seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.’ Amen.