(6) Christ Is Born

Most of our celebrations are half-hearted; joy is muted by sorrow. We celebrate the life of a loved one. But we still grieve their passing. There's a reason we ask people if they would like to hear the good news or the bad news first. Most announcements are mixed.

But the coming of Jesus is straight news. The angel of the Lord who appeared to the Shepherds put it this way: "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord" (Luke 2:10, 11).

Psalm 98 is like this announcement in its exuberance. And, although the psalm doesn't explicitly name the event it celebrates, it is perfect for calling us to celebrate the birth of our Savior.