“And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.”
My Notes
What Does Luke 2:10 Mean?
The angel speaks to shepherds in the field on the night of Jesus' birth with words that have defined Christmas ever since: Fear not, for I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
The shepherds were the first to hear — not priests, not kings, not scholars. Shepherds — working-class, ritually unclean, socially insignificant. God announced the most important birth in history to the last people the world would have chosen.
"Good tidings of great joy" — the gospel is, at its core, joyful news. Not a threat. Not a demand. Good news that produces great joy. The appropriate response to the gospel is not fear or obligation. It is joy.
"Which shall be to all people" — the joy is not exclusive. Not for Israel alone. Not for the religious elite. For all people — every nation, every class, every generation. The first announcement of the gospel declares its universal scope.
Reflection Questions
- 1.Why did God announce Jesus' birth to shepherds rather than priests or kings?
- 2.How does 'good tidings of great joy' describe your experience of the gospel?
- 3.What does 'to all people' mean for who the gospel reaches?
- 4.Where has the gospel stopped feeling like good news and started feeling like obligation?
Devotional
Fear not. The first word from heaven to earth about the birth of Jesus is: do not be afraid. Before the news is delivered, the fear is addressed. God knows that encounters with the divine are terrifying. So the angel leads with comfort.
I bring you good tidings of great joy. Good news. Not bad news dressed up in religious language. Not a heavy obligation wrapped in spiritual packaging. Good tidings — the kind that produces great joy. That is what the gospel is. If what you have received does not produce joy, it may not be the gospel.
Which shall be to all people. All. The shepherds were the first to hear, but they were not the only intended audience. The joy is for all people — every ethnicity, every social class, every person who has ever lived or ever will.
God chose to tell shepherds first. Not the temple. Not the palace. A field. With sheep. At night. The most important announcement in history went to the least important people in the social order.
That tells you something about God's priorities. And about who the gospel is actually for.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
And the angel said unto them; fear not,.... For he was not a messenger of bad, but of good tidings:
for behold, I…
Behold, I bring you good tidings - I am not come to declare the judgments of the Lord, but his merciful loving-kindness,…
The meanest circumstances of Christ's humiliation were all along attended with some discoveries of his glory, to balance…
good tidings the rendering of the verb euangelizomai(see on Luk 1:19).
of great joy See Isa 52:7; Isa 61:1; Rom 5:11;…
Cross References
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