Faith & Insight: Good news

You’ve probably heard this phrase before: “I have some good news and some bad news…” What most of us do when we hear this is we think about which one there is more of. Is there more bad news or more good news?

Then there’s how it’s said to you. Depending on how someone says it, what inflection they use with their voice, or where they pause, it could communicate all sorts of things right? And that’s not even to mention the order. In fact, the order in which someone is told or receives good and bad news matters more than the news itself, according to a psychology survey. It discovered that people who give the news believe what’s best for someone is to lead with good news, and end with bad news; while people who receive the news prefer to receive the bad news first and end with the good news.

The problem is always the same though, it doesn’t start with good news, and end with good news. Wouldn’t it be great to hear: “I have some good news and some good news… which would you like first?” There is a notable exception to this however, and it’s what we celebrate each year on the 25th day of the last month in our calendars. Christmas is when God saved the best news for last, and all of it was good news.

As the story goes in chapter two of the Gospel of Luke: “And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.’” The king, the Christ, the savior of the world would soon be born in humble circumstances in a small town nearby. This great news was for “all the people,” but not all of the people had yet heard it. God chose instead to alert nearby shepherds who no doubt had the sheep scared out of them last night.

The good news was for the shepherds first, for they later returned “glorifying and praising God” after seeing the child. Their lives had been changed, for they had seen, and heard, and been told more wonderful things than they could ever have imagined on their own. But this good news was also for “all the people,” which the shepherds glad told to whomever they came into contact with.

This Christmas we hope you’ll receive the good news of Jesus, and like the shepherds of the fields, that you’ll share him with everyone you come into contact with. If you’d like to hear his story, the good news, and how you can tell others about him, feel free to join us at LifePoint.

We hope you’ll join us, after all, everyone could use some good news.

Kile Baker is co-lead pastor at LifePoint Church.