Good News or Fake News?

Angels, or angelic beings, are scattered throughout the Christmas story.

During my cancer journey, and the many days of driving to and from Philadelphia for treatment, Carolyn and I were treated to a heavenly display one day. It was what I could only describe as an enormous, ginormous angel wing in the sky. And we were bedazzled because it was translucent. It was incredible. Carolyn was driving—I was incapacitated, or we would have had a picture for you.

Its significance, though, wasn't the wing per se, but the fact that God had given Carolyn a scripture verse. And it was good news.

Malachi 4, verse 2: "For you who respect my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings, and you will skip about like calves released from the stall."

Now that brings a picture to your mind. Not that I'm skipping like a calf, but that was good news that day.

In the beginning of Luke's gospel, an angel comes to speak to Zechariah, who is a Levitical priest serving in the Holy of Holies, interceding and praying for the people of Israel. This angel interrupts his calendar event, saying, "I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news."

We're not talking about Fox or CNN. What we are saying is Christmas is good news, and we've got a slew of fake news on the go these days—that's about the only options we have.

Here is an angel, a messenger, saying that he's standing in the presence of God and he's a messenger to bring good news. It's the opposite of fake news. He is doing this in person. Fake news is when people put words into a person's mouth where there's been no communication—it's fake.

Don't forget: "I bring you good tidings of great joy for all people."

Yes. For all people.

So let's have some more good news. Let's look for good news, less fake news.

Jesus is the embodiment of good news, full of grace and truth.