Rejoicing In Redemption

Rediscovering the Joy of Redemption This Christmas
In the rush of holiday preparations—the gift hunting, the decorating, the endless to-do lists—it's remarkably easy to lose sight of what makes Christmas truly extraordinary. We've added layers upon layers to the celebration: elves on shelves, elaborate traditions, and commercial expectations that can leave us exhausted rather than exhilarated. But what if we stripped away the extras and returned to the simple, earth-shattering reality that started it all?
The Humble Beginning
The Christmas story begins not in a palace or temple, but in the most ordinary of circumstances. Caesar Augustus issued a decree for a census, setting in motion a divine appointment that would forever change human history. Joseph and Mary, a young couple navigating an impossible situation—a pregnancy explained only by faith in God's miraculous intervention—traveled to Bethlehem. There, in a stable because there was no room elsewhere, the Savior of the world entered human existence.
The simplicity is staggering. No fanfare. No red carpets. No media coverage. Just a baby, wrapped in cloths, lying in a feeding trough.
God's ways consistently defy human expectations. While we look for the impressive, the educated, the powerful, God often chooses the overlooked, the simple, the humble. This pattern runs throughout Scripture and continues today. Those whom the world dismisses as insignificant are often the very ones God uses to accomplish His greatest purposes.
The First Worship Service
The first people to receive the birth announcement weren't religious leaders or political figures. They were shepherds—working-class men doing a night shift, watching over their flocks in the fields outside Bethlehem. These weren't influential people. They wouldn't make anyone's guest list for an important event. They were simple laborers with basic tools: a staff, a slingshot, and a handful of rocks to ward off predators.
Yet heaven chose them.
Suddenly, an angel appeared, and the glory of the Lord blazed around them. Understandably terrified, they heard words that would echo through millennia: "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people. For today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord."
Then came the moment that defies imagination—the heavens opened, and a multitude of angels appeared, praising God and declaring: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased."
The Gospel in a Single Phrase
Hidden within that angelic proclamation is the entire gospel message. "Peace among men with whom He is pleased"—this isn't a general statement about world peace. It's a specific promise about reconciliation between God and humanity. Through Christ, those who were once enemies of God find peace with Him. Not because of their own merit, but because God is pleased with His Son, and those who trust in Christ possess that same acceptance.
This is redemption language. This is the announcement that the war between holy God and sinful humanity can finally end. A peace treaty has been made available through the birth of this child in Bethlehem.
The shepherds didn't miss the significance. They responded immediately: "Let us go straight to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened." They found Mary, Joseph, and the baby, just as the angel had described. And then—here's the crucial part—"the shepherds went back glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen."
Learning to Praise from Shepherds
These shepherds established the pattern for all believers who would follow. They became the first worship leaders of the New Testament era, showing us what the appropriate response looks like when we encounter the reality of God's redemption. For two thousand years, the church has been following their example: glorifying God, praising His name, and declaring the good news.
Notice the repetition in Luke 2. Three times we see references to glory and praise: the angel's announcement (verse 10), the angelic host's worship (verses 13-14), and the shepherds' response (verse 20). This isn't accidental. The text is emphasizing what matters most—giving God the honor He deserves for the gift of salvation.
The Call to Praise
Psalm 150 provides the soundtrack for this response. It's an explosion of worship: "Praise the Lord! Praise God in His sanctuary! Praise Him for His mighty deeds! Praise Him according to His excellent greatness!"
The psalmist doesn't hold back. Trumpets, harps, lyres, tambourines, dancing, stringed instruments, pipes, cymbals—every instrument and every form of expression gets enlisted in the cause of praising God. And then comes the universal call: "Let everything that has breath praise the Lord."
If you're breathing, you're on the list. There are no exemptions, no excuses, no acceptable reasons for withholding praise from the One who created you and redeemed you.
When Praise Grows Cold
Yet many believers find themselves going through the motions, their worship becoming robotic rather than authentic. The excitement of redemption fades into routine. The wonder of forgiveness becomes something taken for granted. The revolutionary reality that we have peace with God through Christ gets buried under the ordinary concerns of daily life.
There are only two reasons for this loss of joy. Either someone has never truly encountered Christ as Savior—never experienced that life-changing moment of redemption—or they've drifted away from close fellowship with God, allowing the world's concerns to drown out the voice of the Spirit.
The remedy is clear. For those who have never trusted Christ, today is the day to believe the gospel, to accept by faith the gift of salvation. For those who have wandered, the invitation is to return—to pray as David did, "Restore to me the joy of my salvation."
A Christmas Above Christmas
This Christmas season, what if we had a Christmas above Christmas? What if Christ actually became the central focus rather than a supporting character in our celebrations? What if we took our cues from those shepherds, allowing the reality of redemption to fill us with genuine excitement and gratitude?
Your abilities, your blessings, your very breath—none of it belongs to you. It's all from God, all for His glory. The greatest need you'll ever have has already been met at the cross of Jesus Christ. That truth alone is worth celebrating with every ounce of energy you possess.
So praise Him. Praise Him for His mighty deeds. Praise Him for His excellent greatness. Praise Him because you have peace with God. Praise Him because He is pleased with you through His Son. Praise Him with instruments, with dancing, with shouting, with quiet reverence—however the Spirit moves you. But whatever you do, don't let this Christmas pass without truly rejoicing in your redemption.
The shepherds showed us the way. The angels taught them. And now, two thousand years later, we carry on the tradition, glorifying God in the highest and proclaiming peace on earth among those with whom He is pleased.