The Gift of Good News

Matthew 1:18-25

Christmas Has Some Special Gifts for Us

Have you heard about the college football coach who was having a tough time on a Saturday afternoon? His team was up against their long-time archrival, and they were playing for the league championship. Injuries were taking their toll, which was making the coach more and more upset. In the first half, his first-string quarterback got hurt. Early in the second half, his second-string quarterback went down and had to be carried off the field. Then in the last quarter, his third-string quarterback was knocked out. There were two minutes left in the game, and the score was tied 14 to 14. With no other options left at quarterback, the coach called for McTavish. Now, McTavish was a freshman, the fourth-string quarterback ... and the team's punter: When McTavish ran up to the coach to be put into the game, this is the conversation that took place:

COACH: "McTavish, are you listening to me?"

McTAVISH: "Yes, sir."

COACH: "Can you follow my instructions?"

McTAVISH: "Yes, sir!"

COACH: "Can you do exactly what I tell you to do?"

McTAVISH: "Yes, sir!"

COACH: "OK. ... Listen closely. There are two minutes left in the game, the score is tied 14 to 14, and we have the ball on our own ten yard line. There's no way we can win, so we are going to settle for a tie. In order to do that, we need to try to run as much time off the clock as we can. Now here's what I want you to do. Get in there and follow my plan exactly, or you'll never play for this team again. Don't think. Just follow this plan:

On the first play, run a quarterback sneak. On the second play, run a quarterback sneak. On the third play, run a quarterback sneak. And then on the fourth play, you drop back and punt the ball out of the stadium; kick it as far as you can!"

With those instructions, McTavish took the field. On the first play, he ran the quarterback sneak just as his coach had instructed him. And believe it or not, the line opened up, and he ran straight up the field for a thirty-yard gain! On the second play, the same thing happened. He ran the quarterback sneak and again, amazingly, he gained thirty yards. On the third play, McTavish ran the quarterback sneak again. Incredibly, once more there was a big hole in the center of the line. He dashed through it and then cut to the outside and he went twenty-nine yards. A defender knocked him out of bounds just inches short of the goal line, inches short of the winning touchdown. Then on the fourth play, McTavish dropped back — and punted the ball out of the stadium! The gun sounded ending the game.

The crowd could not believe what they had just seen. The coach threw down his hat in disgust and stomped it. And then he ran onto the field in search of McTavish.

"McTavish!" the coach shouted. "What in the world were you doing?"

"Just what you told me to do," the young quarterback answered.

"Oh, no," said the coach. "What on earth were you thinking?"

McTavish answered, "I was thinking that we have got to have the dumbest coach in America."

McTavish's problem was that he had a closed mind. He was so focused on following the coach's instructions to the letter that he lost sight of the big picture of the football game and the incredible chance he had to win it. Sometimes that is precisely our problem at Christmas. We get so caught up in the hectic excitement and busyness of the season that we close our minds to the real truth of Christmas. We concentrate so much on the gifts we want to give each other and receive from each other that we miss the special gifts Christmas has for us. Christmas has some wonderful gifts for us.

The first Christmas gift I want to share with you is the gift of good news. Christmas gives us the gift of good news of Jesus' birth, the good news that God is with us! This gift of good news truly is a gift that keeps on giving, because it inspires our faith, grounds our hope, and leads us to love. Through the good news of Jesus, Christmas gives us the gifts of faith, and hope, and love. I'm sure you will think of others as well.

Christmas Gives Us the Gift of Faith

At Christmas, our faith gets a shot in the arm. At Christmas, we renew our faith by remembering afresh the real priorities of life. A few years ago, one of our missionaries in Kenya was given a Jeep to help him in his missionary rounds. He used the Jeep as he went from village to village to preach, to teach the Scriptures, and to help the people. However, after he had the Jeep for a few months, all of a sudden it refused to start. He looked under the hood, but not knowing anything about automobile engines, he just presumed the battery was worn out. He found that he could get the Jeep started by getting some folks to give him a push. Or he could park it headed down a hill and roll it off, engaging the clutch. For two years, the missionary started the Jeep like that. When time came for his furlough, his replacement arrived and the missionary showed his replacement how to start the Jeep by pushing it off or rolling it down a hill. The new missionary looked under the hood for a moment and then he said: "Doctor, I think I see the problem: The battery cable has come loose from the starter." The new missionary reached in, reconnected the loose cable, got in the driver's seat, turned the key — and the engine roared to life.

In like manner, Christmas reconnects us to our power source. As we look forward to the birth of Jesus, we feel God come close and recognize that nothing else can fulfill our longing for a better world. The reminder of God's presence ignites our faith and reinvigorates our life in Christ. One key word, more than any other, captures how Christmas reconnects us and inspires faith. Found in the Scripture lesson in Matthew 1, the word is Emmanuel. When the angel appears to Joseph and tells him about Mary's pregnancy and Jesus' conception by the Holy Spirit (Matthew 1:18-21), the Scripture tells us that this happened to fulfill the words of "the prophet," meaning Isaiah (verse 22). "Look!" the author writes in verse 23, "A virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son,

And they will call him Emmanuel."

Emmanuel means God with us. The Christmas gift of good news is the knowledge and assurance that God is with us! Christ came to underscore this good, joyful news that God is with us ... and nothing can separate us from God. Did you catch that? Nothing can separate us from God's love and care. Not even death! If that doesn't inspire faith, I don't know what would. That is God's promise. That is the message, the good news, of Christmas. "Emmanuel" ... God is with us! That is our faith. What a fantastic and amazing Christmas gift that is!

Christmas Gives Us the Gift of Hope

For many years, the poem "Footprints in the Sand" has been well known and much beloved. It's usually attributed to an unknown author, though several people have claimed to have written it. It's readily found in books, posters, or other written works meant to comfort and inspire. Sometimes when I feel down, or a little blue, or just need some reassurance, I go back and read it again. It restores my strength and gives me confident hope.

Do you know the poem? It describes a dream in which someone walked on a beach talking with God, who walked alongside the dreamer. The dreamer sees visions of her life in the sky, always with two sets of footprints symbolizing how God has walked with her. She notices, however, that during the most difficult times of life, there is only one set of footprints. She asks God why he left her alone during the bad times, when she needed him the most. God replies that he did not leave her ... there is only one set of footprints during those times because that is when God carried her.

This is the message of Christmas, isn't it? Even during life's worst times, when we think we are alone, God is with us. And that gives us a powerful hope that strengthens us no matter what happens. Again, the word is "Emmanuel." God realizes that we need help, and God sends us a Savior. And in so doing God gives us hope.

Many years ago, a submarine sank, powerless, off the New England coast. Ships were rushed to the scene, and divers went down to see if anything could be done. The crew members in the submarine clung desperately to life as their oxygen supply was slowly exhausted. The divers communicated with the crew members inside the sub by tapping out the dots and dashes of Morse code. Time was running out, and after a long pause a question was slowly tapped out from inside the submarine: "Is....... there....... any....... hope?"

The answer of Christmas is a resounding "Yes!" because God is with us. That is the gift of good news that stands at the foundation of our hope. God will not desert us. In the gift of good news, Christmas gives us Faith and Hope.

Christmas Gives Us the Gift of Love

The good news of Emmanuel inspires faith, and hope ... and above all, love. God comes to be with us for the simple reason that God loves us. God sends Jesus to save his people from their sins (Matthew 1:21) because God loves us. And in being with us, God shows us the way of love so that we might love others. Faith, hope, and love all remain, writes Paul in 1 Corinthians 13:13. "And the greatest of these is love."

In his book Who Switched the Price Tags (Royal Publishers, 1986), Tony Campolo tells a beautiful story about a schoolteacher named Miss Thompson, which underscores the power of love (pages 69–72). Miss Thompson was a conscientious fifth-grade teacher who tried to treat all her students the same. But there was one little boy who was impossible, and it was very difficult for her even to like him. His name was Teddy Stallard. Teddy didn't seem to be interested in school. His schoolwork was horrendous, and his attitude was even worse. He was so difficult that Miss Thompson became very resentful of him. She disliked him so much that she almost enjoyed giving him Fs.

Then Christmas time came, and the boys and girls in Miss Thompson's room brought her some gifts. Teddy brought her a crudely wrapped present, a brown crushed paper sack with an old, frayed red ribbon around it. Inside Miss Thompson discovered a gaudy rhinestone bracelet with half the stones missing and a half-full bottle of perfume. The children began to smirk and giggle at the simple gifts. But the spirit of Christmas, the spirit of love, bubbled up in Miss Thompson. She put the bracelet on and opened the perfume. She dabbed some on her wrist and invited the children to smell. "Isn't this bracelet beautiful?" she asked the children. "Doesn't this perfume smell lovely?" Taking their cue from her, the children responded with "oohs" and "aahs."

At the end of school, little Teddy came to Miss Thompson's desk and said: "Miss Thompson, Miss Thompson ... you smell just like my mother used to smell ... and her bracelet looks real pretty on you too. I'm glad you liked my presents." As they talked, Miss Thompson learned that Teddy's mother had died when he was in second grade and that this father, unable to cope, had turned to alcohol. Miss Thompson's heart went out to little Teddy. She saw him in a new light, and for the first time she saw him with the eyes of love.

When Teddy left, Miss Thompson said a prayer. She asked God for forgiveness for the attitude she had held toward Teddy. To make a long story short, from that day forward Miss Thompson became a new teacher, and Teddy became a new student. Both Teddy's attitude and his grades dramatically improved.

Teddy kept up with Miss Thompson through the years, and he eventually became a doctor. Some years later, Miss Thompson received a letter from Teddy asking if she'd come to his wedding and sit in his mother's place of honor. "You are all the family I have left now," he said.

That moment of Christmas love, many years before, had been good news for Teddy Stallard. It changed his life. It turns out it was also a gift of good news for Miss Thompson, because it changed her life too!

Emmanuel, God with us, is the Christmas gift of good news. And this gift of good news inspires our faith, nurtures our hope, and empowers us to love. In a very special way, faith, hope, and love come down at Christmas!

Questions for Reflection and Discussion

1. How did Joseph react when he first heard the news of Mary's pregnancy? How hard do you think it was for him eventually to receive this message as "good news"?

2. Describe a time in your life when you have felt especially close to God, as if God were very near to you. How does the memory of that moment inspire faith or hope for you?

3. Where do you see faith, hope, and love in the account of Mary's pregnancy and Jesus' birth in Matthew 1:18-25? What is the relationship between these three virtues in that story?

4. At the beginning of this season of Advent, what reasons do you see for hope in your life or in our world? How do these circumstances point to the presence of God with us?

5. Does it require faith to recognize these reasons for hope? Why, or why not?

6. Where do you see evidence of God's love for you? How can you show someone else that God loves them?

Prayer

God, you are with us. May this word from you give us reassurance and hope for the presence and the future. Give us eyes to see you and ears to hear you. And give us hearts to receive the good news of Emmanuel. Grant us faith, hope, and love that are grounded in your presence. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

Focus for the Week

God is with us. God is with you. This week, pay close attention to God's presence. Spend some purposeful, set-apart time with God in prayer or in Scripture reading, reminding yourself that God is always near. Look for ways to recognize the presence of God in silence, in nature, in other people, and in the circumstances of your life. Give thanks to God for the faith, hope, and love that God's presence inspires.

Daily Devotions

Read the Scriptures for the daily devotions and reflect on what they say to you about the gift of good news. Record your insights in the space provided, using the questions at the top of each page as a guide.

Day 1

Isaiah 52:1-12

A Message of Good News

"How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of a messenger who proclaims peace, who brings good news!" (Isaiah 52:7). The author of Isaiah 52 speaks a message of good news to the people of Judah. Many years before, their holy city of Jerusalem had been conquered and they had been sent into exile in Babylon. But now, Isaiah says, God has redeemed them and will bring them back home. To the people living in exile, this message of God's redemption was surely good news that they received with joy and gratitude.

This good news is grounded in God's strength and love for the people. God rules, and the whole world has witnessed the victory of the Lord. This victory is made known in the redemption of God's people and their return to their ancestral land. They can rest assured that God goes before them to lead the way and behind them to keep them safe. It is the prophet's joy and blessing to be the one who proclaims this good news to God's people.

What message of good news do you and the people around you need to hear?

How does God's love and strength bring a message of hope into your world? How is God calling you to bear this good news?

Day 2

Isaiah 7:1-17

God With Us

"The young woman is pregnant and is about to give birth to a son, and she will name him Immanuel" (Isaiah 7:14). The Gospel of Matthew tells us that this word from Isaiah is fulfilled in the birth of Jesus: The virgin Mary is the "young woman," and Jesus is the son called Emmanuel, which means "God with us" (Matthew 1:22-23). But in Isaiah's own day, the prophet spoke these words with a different situation in mind. The kingdom of Judah was under attack from two kings, Rezin of Aram and Pekah of Israel, and the people of Judah and Jerusalem were terrified (Isaiah 7:1-2). Their hearts "shook as the trees of a forest shake when there is a wind" (Isaiah 7:2). But in the midst of this threat and resulting fear, Isaiah offers a profound word of hope to Judah's king. "Don't fear, and don't lose heart," Isaiah says (Isaiah 7:4). God is with the people of Judah, and the birth of Immanuel is a sign of God's presence and protection.

God's people can trust in God's presence and protection. No matter what happens, God is with us and we need not be afraid.

What sign of God's presence and protection do you see around you? How do you experience the promise of "God with us" during this Advent season?

How will trust in God's presence shape your life in the days and weeks ahead?

Day 3

Hebrews 11:1-40

The Faith of the Faithful

"Faith is the reality of what we hope for, the proof of what we don't see. The elders in the past were approved because they showed faith" (Hebrews 11:1–2). Faith is a gift that we receive anew during Advent and Christmas. And we are not alone in receiving it. The author of Hebrews recalls the great history of God's people, naming many of our spiritual ancestors and reminding us how they lived by faith. From Abel through David, Samuel, and the prophets, faith characterized their lives. And we who know Christ have received the promise for which they hoped in faith. In Hebrews Chapter 12, the author calls these people "a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us" (12:1). The witness of their faith is an example to encourage and challenge us to have faith of our own.