Go Tell It On the Mountain
“But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.” Luke 2: 10-11
I love Christmas carols so much, and one that always takes me back to childhood is “Go Tell It On the Mountain”. The song tells the story of the shepherds, who tend their sheep at night. Suddenly a whole heavenly host of angels comes to them, praising God and singing.
I don’t know about you, but if I was doing my normal job and all the sudden real angels showed up, I would be terrified!!! The shepherds were too! But the angel says to them: “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.”
This experience changes the shepherds’ lives. They leave to go find baby Jesus and his parents, and after seeing that what they angels said was true, Luke tells us “The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told” (Luke 2:20).
After encountering Jesus, the shepherds couldn’t help but tell others about him. Likewise, after we encounter the love and person of Christ, we should be the same! Theologian Henri Nouwen says it so well in his daily devotional Bread for the Journey:
“[We] are called to announce the Good News of Jesus to all people and all nations […] we must also joyfully announce the great mystery of God’s salvation through the life, suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus. The story of Jesus is to be proclaimed and celebrated. Some will hear and rejoice, some will remain indifferent, and come will become hostile. The story of Jesus will not always be accepted, but it must be told.
We who know the story and try to live it out have the joyful task of telling it to others. When our words rise from hearts full of love and gratitude, they will bear fruit, whether we can see this or not.”
Christmastime is the perfect time to tell the world of the good news of Jesus, that Christ came, took on flesh, lived out a normal human existence, gave himself up for us and died on a cross, and miraculously rose again in order for us to be cleansed of our sins and free to have relationship with God.
What beautiful news. The angels in the story were correct: it brings great joy, indeed.