Luke 2:10-11 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.”

Reading this enormously familiar passage, the particular turn of phrase in the Japanese struck me: “I declare great joy.” Prepositions aren’t much of a thing in Japanese, so writing it out the way the English does would get very cumbersome, but it still struck me. It should be great joy to hear that we have a Savior! Sadly, that response isn’t universal. Far too many people don’t want to acknowledge that they need a Savior in the first place. Yesterday’s passage prompted meditation on just what salvation is, but by any definition, pride is the greatest hinderance to people admitting they need salvation. Men in particular are bad about this. One of the surest ways to make a man angry is to persistently offer him help when he’s doing something he thinks he can do on his own. With some things that can even be amusing, but when it comes to saving your soul, it’s tragic! The Jews at the time were under the thumb of the Romans, so they were more than ready for a Savior from Rome, but when Jesus turned out not to be that kind of Savior, many turned against Him. However, the angel’s pronouncement was for all the people, whether they received it or not. Even today, God’s offer of salvation by grace through faith is extended to all mankind, but only a fraction receive it. That is the greatest tragedy. There are many tragedies in the world, just as Jesus warned us there would be, (John 16:33) but they are temporal, and thus momentary on the scale of eternity. Accepting or refusing God’s offer of salvation through Jesus Christ is a matter of eternal consequence, so hearing it should be one of the greatest joys.

I grew up knowing of God’s salvation, so it wasn’t “news” to me. I think that blunted my appreciation of it, but whether that was a factor or not, I certainly descended into pride, even after I committed myself to Christ at seven. Human pride is so stupid! God very graciously led me to repentance, and now I am committed to sharing essentially the same news the angel did: a Savior is available. That’s not an easily understood message in Japan, particularly since Buddhism doesn’t even have the concept of “salvation,” but some indeed do receive the message, and that makes it all worth the effort. I am never to give up, but keep sharing, in all humility, that God loved each of us so much that He sent His Son to die for us, so that by faith in Him we might have eternal life.

Father, thank You for Your salvation. Help me never be satisfied with having received it myself, but always keep sharing with everyone who will listen, so that as many as possible may come from death to life for all eternity, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!