Luke 2:10, 11 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
The angel appears to the shepherds on that first Christmas night and announces, “I bring you good news of great joy.” This is Good News for all people, including us. The promise of great joy is meant for us for all time, not just for one holiday season. The good news is that a Savior was born unto you. This is Christ the Lord, who lived for you and all people, died for you and for all, and rose from the dead to give you eternal life.
The Son of God has broken into the stream of historical life on earth to bring joy and gladness in place of sadness and misery, to shine a bright light to push away the darkness, and to give life in the midst of death. When the Bible says, “Rejoice in the Lord always,” it is both a command and a promise. We are commanded to rejoice always, whether we feel the emotion or not. The Gospel of Joy is deeper than the feelings in our soul. It is in the inner man. God’s life resides in the human spirit of believers. He is there, all the time, and He is full of Joy, all the time. We may draw on that wellspring of joy and life to spring up and flood out the negative emotions we may be experiencing at the moment. Remember: “unto you” God proclaims “good tidings of great joy.”