This Christmas Season, Pacific Church is going to be putting together a musical show called “That’s the Good News!” The show talks a lot about the struggles of an older gentleman who hosts a news radio show by the name “That’s the Good News!” However, the host is going through a huge emotional struggle as he faces his first Christmas without his wife of 40 years.
Holidays can be complicated. There is a good side to getting with family members that we don’t see as often as we would like, but there can be a dark side as well. There can be a lot of joy and laughter and “catching up” around the dinner table, but there can also be hurt feelings, struggles with relational damage, misunderstandings, or even outright anger toward people we don’t see eye-to-eye with.
The very origin of the word “holiday” comes from the Old English halig which means holy, consecrated, sacred or godly. It was meant both as a form of religious anniversary and a “day exempt from labor and recreation” (according to etymonline.com). Further, the “Good News!” of Christmas is present in both the Old and the New Testaments. Isaiah says, “For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Song is given…And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Is. 9;6) AND Luke recounts that “the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people! For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:11-11)
This Christmas, lean into the “Good News!” that Christ has come, and that He is coming again! That when we put our faith in Christ, we are grafted into his family, and that our salvation, by grace through faith, is sufficient to meet all the needs of our desperate hearts, despite whatever circumstances may come. Blessings!