By Dr. Robert C Crowde
Reading:
Psalm 98:2-4 The LORD hath made known his salvation: his righteousness hath he openly shewed in the sight of the heathen. He hath remembered his mercy and his truth toward the house of Israel: all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise.
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. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
Reflection:
The psalmist sang of a day when “all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God” and commanded, “Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth.” What the psalmist prophesied, the angels announced on the hills of Bethlehem. The angel’s announcement to the shepherds contains one of the most sweeping statements in all of Scripture: “Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.” This is not a localized message for a select few. This is not good news restricted to one nation, one tribe, or one social class. The joy proclaimed that night is universal in its scope and cosmic in its significance. The salvation God promised to reveal to all nations was born in Bethlehem. The joy the psalmist called all earth to express, was proclaimed by heaven’s messengers. What Israel hoped for, the world received. God’s salvation has come, and its reach extends to the ends of the earth. The Savior is not for one nation alone; He is Christ the Lord, and His good news is for all people.
The context makes this declaration even more remarkable. The shepherds were among the lowest social classes in first-century Judea; ritually unclean by religious standards, marginalized by society, excluded from polite company. Nevertheless, they were chosen to witness the birth of the Messiah first. God bypassed the priests, the scribes, the Pharisees, and the powerful. He announced the Savior’s arrival to simple men watching sheep in the darkness. This is the gospel in miniature: God does not show partiality. He does not regard the person.[1] The good news is for the outsider, the overlooked, and the outcast just as much as for the insider.
But the phrase “all people” reaches far beyond social class. The Greek word laos in this context refers not just to Israel but to humanity, people groups, nations, the whole human race. The angel is declaring that the child born in Bethlehem is not merely the Jewish Messiah, though He is that. He is the Savior of the world. Isaiah prophesied, “It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.”[2] (Isaiah 49:6). The salvation God planned from eternity past would extend to every tribe, tongue, and nation.
This universal scope was embedded in God’s covenant with Abraham: “In thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.”[3] The promise made to one man and his descendants was always intended to bless the whole world. Jesus Christ, the seed of Abraham,[4] is the fulfillment of that promise. Through Him, the blessing of justification by faith flows to all nations. The dividing wall between Jew and Gentile has been broken down.[5] There is neither Jew nor Greek, bond nor free, male nor female; all are one in Christ Jesus.[6] The gospel creates one new humanity from every corner of the earth.
The content of the good news is specific and saving: “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” The angel did not announce the birth of a teacher, a philosopher, or a moral reformer. He announced a Savior; one who rescues, delivers, and redeems. Humanity’s greatest need is not education, though we need wisdom. It is not better laws, though justice matters. It is not social reform, though mercy is vital. Our deepest, most desperate need is salvation from the guilt, power, and ultimately the presence of sin. And that is exactly what Christ came to provide.
This joy is not fleeting happiness dependent on circumstances. Joy is profound, lasting, and unshakable gladness rooted in the objective reality of what God has done. The Savior has come. Sin’s dominion is broken. Death’s sting is removed. Hell’s gates cannot prevail against the church. Satan’s head has been crushed. This is not wishful thinking or religious sentiment; this is historical, accomplished fact. Christ was born, lived without sin, died as a substitute, rose victorious, and ascended to the right hand of the Father. Because of what He has done, we can rejoice with great joy.
The message of Christ’s birth is the foundation of all evangelism and missions. If the gospel were only for one people group, we would have no mandate to take it to the nations. But because the angel declared “good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people,” the Great Commission logically follows: “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.”[7] The same universal scope announced at the incarnation is commanded in the church’s mission. Every person in every place needs to hear that a Savior has been born.
This joy is also intensely personal. Though the message is “to all people,” it must be received individually. The gospel is proclaimed universally, but it is applied particularly; to those who believe. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”[8] The offer is genuine to all. Salvation is effective for those who trust. The joy announced is available to anyone, but it is possessed only by believers.
Revelation 7:9 gives us a glimpse of the ultimate fulfillment of this promise: “After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands.” The universal scope of the angel’s announcement will be fully realized when the redeemed from every nation gather around the throne to worship the Lamb who was slain. The joy proclaimed in Bethlehem will reach its crescendo in the new heavens and the new earth, where God dwells with His people forever.
This Advent, let the scope of God’s salvation expand your vision. The gospel is not small, tribal, or exclusive in a sinful sense. It is as wide as the world and as deep as the human heart’s need. And because it is for “all people,” it is for you. No matter your background, your failures, your social status, or your past, the good news of great joy is for you. A Savior has been born, and His name is Jesus.
Prayer:
- Thank God for a joy that reaches to the ends of the earth and includes even you.
- Ask Him to give you a heart for the nations and a passion to see His name glorified among all people, letting the joy of salvation overflow to those who have not yet heard.
Consider:
This week, share the gospel or an encouraging verse with one person who needs to hear that the joy of Christ is for them. This could be a neighbor, a coworker, a family member, or even someone across the world through a mission organization. If you cannot share directly, pray by name for one unreached people group and ask God to send laborers into that harvest field.
[1] Romans 2:11
[2] Isaiah 49:6
[3] Genesis 12:3
[4] Galatians 3:16
[5] Ephesians 2:14
[6] Galatians 3:28
[7] Matthew 28:19
[8] John 3:16
Robert C. Crowder Ministries 
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