Good News for Ordinary People
- Baptist Daily Devotional
- Dec 24, 2025
- 3 min read
Rev. Charles Oppong-Poku | December 24 2025 | Luke 2:8-12
KEY VERSE: “… 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.” (Luke 2:10-11, NIV)
MESSAGE:
God entered our world quietly, wrapped in humility and laid in a manger. Yet heaven could not remain silent. What began unnoticed in Bethlehem is now announced openly in the fields nearby. Advent moves us from the manger to the message - from God’s humble arrival to heaven’s joyful proclamation. In Luke 2:8-12, God chooses shepherds—ordinary, working men on night duty—as the first recipients of the birth announcement of Jesus Christ. This passage reveals the heart of God: the good news of salvation is not reserved for the powerful or privileged, but offered freely to humble and open hearts. Today’s devotional has the following lessons for us:
God Reveals Himself to the Humble (verses 8-9). Shepherds were socially overlooked, yet God chose them first. Advent teaches us that humility positions us to receive divine revelation. The shepherds were not in the temple or palace; they were in the fields, doing ordinary work. God met them right where they were. The angel of the Lord appeared, and the glory of the Lord shone around them. God’s glory broke into their routine, reminding us that divine encounters often come unexpectedly. Advent assures us that God enters ordinary life with divine purpose.
The Gospel Is for Everyone (verses 10-11): “Good news of great joy for all the people” reminds us that salvation is universally offered, though personally received. “Do not be afraid.” Their fear was met with grace. The angel’s announcement shows that the gospel confronts fear and awakens joy.
Jesus Christ is the Heart of the Gospel Message (verses 11-12). The angel’s announcement centred on who Jesus is and why He came. The message is clear and Christ-centred: a Saviour, Christ the Lord, has been born. Advent proclaims salvation, not merely information about God. Advent keeps Jesus Christ - not tradition or celebration - at the centre.
FEET AND HANDS FOR THE MESSAGE:
What does God’s choice of shepherds teach you about His heart for people? How have fear and uncertainty affected your response to God’s good news? How will you respond to the good news with faith and share the hope of Christ’s coming with others this Advent?
PRAYER:
Lord God, thank You for the good news of great joy found in Jesus Christ. Help me to hear Your voice amid ordinary life, to release my fears, and to rejoice in the Saviour who has come for all people. Make my heart a field where Your glory may shine. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
THERE SHALL BE SHOWERS OF BLESSING.
SHOWERS! BLESSINGS!!
The 365 DAILY BIBLE READING
DAILY word study: GOOD NEWS The phrase “good news” derives from the Greek εὐαγγελίζομαι (euangelizomai), meaning “to announce joyful news,” a message of victory or deliverance.
In the ancient world, euangelion was used to announce royal victories or the birth of an emperor. Here, heaven uses the same word to announce the birth of a Saviour. This indicates that Christmas is not merely comforting news, but decisive news. God has acted to save.
Reflect on this:
The gospel does not wait for people to rise to God. It comes to people in the fields, in the dark, in ordinary places, and invites them into joy.
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