Hidden in Plain View

A passage of scripture quoted every year in Christmas programs and in the text of Christmas sermons all over the world contains a startling message. It is quoted by Linus Van Pelt in A Charlie Brown Christmas, and by Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol. It has been printed in billions of Christmas cards given to billions of people over more than a thousand years.

It is a startling message if you, like me, have been only giving it a cursory read when revisiting the Christmas story each year. It has been right under my nose the whole time and I never saw it. Can we read it again with the attention it deserves?

And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

Luke 2:10-11

The angel told the shepherds, in plain English (if you are reading an English translation), that they brought good news and that that news would bring great joy to all people – a savior is born, which is Christ the Lord.

I realize the distinction is a slight one, but important. It is the joy and not the news specifically that is to all people.

Consider these other English translations of Luke 2:10:

…I proclaim to you good news that brings great joy to all the people. (NET)

…Do not ye dread; for lo! I preach to you a great joy [lo! soothly I evangelize to you a great joy], that shall be to all people. (WYC)

…I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. (NIV)

…I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. (NLT)

…I proclaim Good News to you, which will be great joy to all the people. (TLV)

…I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people (NASB)

…I bring you good news of great joy, that shall be to all the people (YLT)

Most of the 61 English translations I looked at read substantially as the King James does – certainly a wonderful reading, but not quite as clear as these other translations. While the good news is certainly meant for all people, in this passage, it is specifically the joy which is for all people. So, what does that mean?

This blog post has one point and it is this:

1. If the good news of a savior brings joy to all people, in the end all people must be saved. How can the news mean joy to someone who is in torment forever in Hell? To them, the Gospel would have been bad news and brought no joy.