Glad Tidings

The sermon revolves around the message of joy and hope that Christianity offers to the human person, especially at the beginning of a new year. His Holiness Pope Shenouda III explains that the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ is good news of great joy and salvation for all people, and that the Gospel, in its essence, is joyful good news that brings salvation, redemption, and peace. Christ came to bind up the brokenhearted, proclaim liberty to the captives, comfort those who mourn, and grant the human person hope in the work and grace of God. Therefore, he calls for welcoming the new year with an outlook filled with hope, not with fear, despair, and anxiety.

Spiritual Message

Christian joy is joy in the Lord, and it is not a joy connected only to external circumstances; therefore, the believer can preserve peace and hope even in the midst of tribulations. God is merciful, compassionate, longsuffering, and abundant in mercy, and He does not leave the human person in weakness, but His grace works within the person and leads him to repentance and salvation. Therefore, a person should not despair because of sins or weakness, because the grace of God is stronger than sin, and God is able to change a person’s life regardless of the past. The sermon presents examples of people whose lives were changed by the power of grace, confirming that the door of hope is open and that God is able to make a new beginning.

Educational Lesson

The sermon teaches us that the mission of the children of God is to be bearers of good news, peace, and hope, and to plant joy in the hearts of others instead of increasing their sadness or discouragement. The correct image of God is that of the compassionate God who cares for the human person, forgives, heals, visits, and supports, and not an image that drives a person to despair. The sermon also emphasizes that joy is one of the fruits of the Spirit, and that knowing God, the way of salvation, and the work of grace are genuine reasons for spiritual joy. The believer is called to recognize God’s present help even when unable to see it with his own eyes, trusting that God’s power is greater than the world, sin, and Satan.

Practical Application

The practical application is to enter the new year with a heart filled with faith and hope, and not to look at the future through the lens of despair or anxiety. We should encourage the weary, give hope to the despairing, remind the sinner of the work of grace and the possibility of repentance, and help others see the doors of assistance that God opens before them. We should also rejoice in the Lord at all times, thank Him in every circumstance, and trust in His work with us and for us. In this spirit, the believer’s life itself becomes a message of joy and peace that bears witness to God’s work and helps others draw closer to Him with hope and confidence.

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