Old News and yet still Good News

“Do not be afraid.  I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people

Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you;

He is Christ the Lord!”

Luke 2:10-11

If you look at the top of this blog post you will see a picture of old Christmas trees stacked out by the road.  This morning on my walk with Molly I passed all sorts of stacks like this one – used Christmas trees, out on the sidewalk, waiting to be picked up with the trash tomorrow.   It struck me, only four weeks ago, maybe less than four weeks ago I was at the Carols and Cookies event at church.  We were singing, “O Tannenbaum… O Christmas tree!  O Christmas tree!  Thy leaves are so unchanging…”  Now everywhere I look those supposedly unchanging trees are being thrown out.  The decorations are all down and put away.  We moved on to a new year.  The kids here in Germany are heading back to school.  Christmas like those trees piled out by the road is now yesterday’s “old news.”

That’s what happens to the decorations.  It has to happen. We can’t be in holiday mode all year long.  We have to actually live life. 

There is however one aspect of Christmas we should never pack away or toss aside.  Three short weeks ago we were celebrating the “good news of great joy…” that a “savior has been born…”  Is there a danger that we might take this unchanging message, pack it away with the decorations and forget about it?  That would be the worst thing that could happen. 

Ask yourselves questions like these – Do you find yourself worrying about anything?  Do you ever struggle with depression or fear or stress or anxiety?   Is there any guilt – real or false – weighing on your heart?  Are you grieving?  Are you or is someone you know fighting cancer or some other illness?  How are things between you and your spouse?  Between you and your parents?   Between you and your kids?  Do you have any decisions you are struggling over?  Are you struggling with an addiction, with alcoholism or with some other temptation?  Do you daily find yourself doing things you shouldn’t or failing to do things you should?  Is there anything in your life you feel hopeless about?   If you answer any one of these questions with a yes, then you dare not pack away the message of Christmas!

While the Christmas decorations aren't needed any more, the Christmas message is needed every day from now until eternity.  Whether worry or fear or depression or guilt or some temptation or illness or grief or whatever is your struggle you need the message of the angels.  That message may be old news but it is still good news… good news of great joy that God loves you so much that He gave His one and only Son to be your Savior – savior from sin, and death, worry and fear, grief and all the pains sin brings to life… This is a message we dare not forget… dare not pack away… a message we need to hear again and again every day.  So it may be the middle of January… the decorations may be packed away… and the tree thrown out, but I am going to say it anyway… “Fear Not, for behold I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people, for today in the city of David a Savior has been born for you.”  That message still applies… we still need Him… every day.  Merry Christmas!