◄ Luke 2:10 ►
But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid! For behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people:
Study Bible
But the angel said to them,

In the biblical narrative, angels often serve as messengers of God, delivering divine revelations to humans. Here, the angel appears to shepherds, a group considered lowly and humble in society, symbolizing God's message reaching all levels of humanity. This encounter occurs in the fields near Bethlehem, a town with significant biblical history as the birthplace of King David, linking Jesus to the Davidic line.

Mat 28:5 But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid,…
Luk 1:13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah,…

“Do not be afraid!

Fear is a common reaction to angelic appearances in the Bible, as seen in encounters with Zechariah (Luke 1:12) and Mary (Luke 1:30). The angel's reassurance reflects God's desire to comfort and bring peace, emphasizing that the message is one of hope rather than judgment. This phrase echoes the frequent biblical theme of God calming fears, as seen in Isaiah 41:10.

Gen 15:1 After these events, the word of the LORD came to Abram…
Isa 41:10 Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid…

For behold,

The word "behold" is used to draw attention to the importance and immediacy of the message. It signals a divine revelation that requires the listener's full attention and signifies the beginning of a significant announcement.

Mat 1:23 “Behold, the virgin will be with child”…
Luk 1:31 Behold, you will conceive and give birth to a son,…

I bring you good news

The term "good news" is synonymous with the Gospel, which means "good news" in Greek. This announcement is the first proclamation of the Gospel, heralding the birth of Jesus Christ, the Savior. The concept of good news is rooted in Isaiah 52:7, which speaks of the herald bringing good tidings of peace and salvation.

Isa 61:1 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is on Me, because the LORD…
Isa 52:7 How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those…

of great joy

The joy mentioned here is profound and spiritual, transcending mere happiness. It is the joy of salvation and the fulfillment of God's promises. This joy is a recurring theme in the New Testament, as seen in Philippians 4:4, where believers are encouraged to rejoice in the Lord always.

Luk 1:14 He will be a joy and delight to you, and many…
Jhn 15:11 I have told you these things so that My joy may be in you…

that will be for all the people:

The message of Jesus' birth is universal, intended for all humanity, not just the Jewish people. This inclusivity fulfills the Abrahamic covenant in Genesis 12:3, where God promises that all peoples on earth will be blessed through Abraham's offspring. The phrase foreshadows the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19, where Jesus commands His disciples to make disciples of all nations.

Tit 2:11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation…
1Ti 2:4 who wants everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge…

Persons / Places / Events
1. The Angel
A messenger from God, likely Gabriel, who delivers divine messages. In this context, the angel brings the announcement of Jesus' birth to the shepherds.

2. The Shepherds
Ordinary men tending their flocks by night. They represent the humble and lowly, chosen by God to receive the first announcement of the Messiah's birth.

3. The Fields near Bethlehem
The location where the shepherds were watching over their sheep. Bethlehem is significant as the prophesied birthplace of the Messiah.

4. The Good News
The message of Jesus' birth, which is the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies and the beginning of the New Covenant.

5. All the People
This phrase emphasizes the universal nature of the gospel, indicating that the message of salvation through Jesus is for everyone, not just the Jewish people.
Teaching Points
Fear Not
The angel's first words are a command to not be afraid. In our lives, we can trust God and not fear because He is with us and His plans are for our good.

Good News of Great Joy
The birth of Jesus is the ultimate good news. As Christians, we are called to share this joy with others, living as witnesses to the hope we have in Christ.

Universal Message
The gospel is for all people, regardless of background or status. We should strive to reach out to everyone with the love and message of Jesus.

Divine Timing
God's announcement to the shepherds shows His perfect timing and choice. We can trust that God’s plans unfold in His perfect timing in our lives as well.

Humility and Grace
The shepherds' humble status reminds us that God often chooses the lowly and humble to accomplish His purposes. We should remain humble and open to God's calling.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the angel's message of "Do not be afraid" apply to situations in your life where you experience fear or anxiety?

2. In what ways can you share the "good news of great joy" with those around you, especially during the Christmas season?

3. Reflect on the universal nature of the gospel. How can you be more inclusive in sharing the message of Jesus with people from different backgrounds?

4. Consider the role of the shepherds in this account. How does their response to the angel's message inspire you in your walk with God?

5. How can you cultivate a heart of humility and openness to God's plans, as demonstrated by the shepherds' willingness to receive and act on the angel's message?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Isaiah 9:6
This prophecy speaks of a child born to us, a son given, who will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. It connects to the announcement of Jesus' birth as the fulfillment of this prophecy.

Matthew 28:19-20
The Great Commission, where Jesus commands His disciples to make disciples of all nations, echoes the universal message of "good news for all the people."

Philippians 4:4
Paul encourages believers to rejoice in the Lord always, which ties into the "great joy" mentioned in Luke 2:10.
Sermons
All Creatures Interested in the Incarnation of ChristBishop Hacker.Luke 2:10
BeholdBishop Hacker.Luke 2:10
Christian JoyfulnessW. H. Murray.Luke 2:10
Christianity a Cheerful ReligionT. Dale, M. A.Luke 2:10
Christmas Day the Turning PointH. W. Beecher.Luke 2:10
Christmas-Day LessonsDean Stanley.Luke 2:10
Christ's NativityTheological Sketch-bookLuke 2:10
Fear NotBishop Hacket., Bishop Hacket., Bishop Hacket., Bishop Hacket., Bishop Hacket., Bishop Hacket.Luke 2:10
Glad NewsW. H. Murray.Luke 2:10
Glad NewsW. H. Aitken.Luke 2:10
God Incarnate, the End of FearC. H. Spurgeon.Luke 2:10
Good News to All PeopleBishop Hacker.Luke 2:10
Good TidingsG. Brooks.Luke 2:10
Good Tidings of Great JoyBishop Hacket.Luke 2:10
Good Tidings of Great JoyS. D. Hillman, B. A.Luke 2:10
Gospel Joy ContinuousBishop Hacket.Luke 2:10
Great Joy is OftenVan Doren.Luke 2:10
Heathen Religions and ChristianityH. W. Beecher.Luke 2:10
Joy At the Birth of JesusM. Faber.Luke 2:10
Joy Born At BethlehemC. H. Spurgeon.Luke 2:10
Joy Follows SorrowBp. E. Steere.Luke 2:10
Religious JoyJ. H. Newman, D. D.Luke 2:10
The Angel's Message to the ShepherdsH. Venn, M. A.Luke 2:10
The Birth of JesusJabez Burns, D. D.Luke 2:10
The Christmas Festival Festival for the Whole WorldJ. J. Van Oosterzee, D. D.Luke 2:10
The Duty of Christian JoyJ. Vaughan.Luke 2:10
The First ChristmasDr. Talmage.Luke 2:10
The First Christmas MorningD. W. Lusk.Luke 2:10
The Gospel to be Presented as Great JoyJ. Vaughan.Luke 2:10
The Great BirthdayC. H. Spurgeon.Luke 2:10
The Joy of ChristmasAnon.Luke 2:10
The Joyful Tidings of ChristmasC. H. Spurgeon.Luke 2:10
The Joy-Producing Power of ChristianityH. W. Beecher.Luke 2:10
The Message to the ShepherdsW. S. Bruce, M. A.Luke 2:10
The Nativity of Our Lord, Tidings of Great JoyJ. Barrow, D. D.Luke 2:10
The Savior's Birth and Type Angel's SermonR.M. Edgar Luke 2:1-20
Welcome News from HeavenW. Clarkson Luke 2:8-11
People
Anna, Aser, Asher, Augustus, Cyrenius, David, Jesus, Joseph, Mary, Phanuel, Simeon
Places
Bethlehem, Galilee, Jerusalem, Judea, Nazareth, Rome, Syria
Topics
Afraid, Angel, Announce, Behold, Bring, Bringing, Fear, Glad, Joy, Messenger, News, Tidings, Truly
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Luke 2:10

     5335   herald
     8283   joy
     8425   evangelism, nature of

Luke 2:1-20

     2515   Christ, birth of

Luke 2:1-40

     5652   babies

Luke 2:4-16

     5099   Mary, mother of Christ

Luke 2:8-11

     8289   joy, of church

Luke 2:8-12

     5426   news

Luke 2:8-15

     4170   host of heaven

Luke 2:8-18

     5433   occupations

Luke 2:8-20

     4112   angels, messengers

Luke 2:9-10

     5408   messenger
     8754   fear

Luke 2:9-11

     4140   angel of the Lord

Luke 2:10-11

     2039   Christ, joy of
     2428   gospel, descriptions
     7725   evangelists, identity

Luke 2:10-12

     2421   gospel, historical foundation
     6650   finding

Luke 2:10-14

     6704   peace, divine NT
     8665   praise, reasons

Library
December 25. "I Bring You Glad Tidings" (Luke ii. 10).
"I bring you glad tidings" (Luke ii. 10). A Christmas spirit should be a spirit of humanity. Beside that beautiful object lesson on the Manger, the Cradle, and the lowly little child, what Christian heart can ever wish to be proud? It is a spirit of joy. It is right that these should be glad tidings, for, "Behold, I bring you glad tidings of great joy which shall be to all people." It is a spirit of love. It should be the joy that comes from giving joy to others. The central fact of Christmas is …
Rev. A. B. Simpson—Days of Heaven Upon Earth

Was, Is, is to Come
'... The babe lying in a manger...'--LUKE ii. 16. '... While He blessed them, He was parted from them, and carried up into heaven...'--LUKE xxiv. 51. 'This same Jesus... shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go...'--ACTS I. 11. These three fragments, which I have ventured to isolate and bring together, are all found in one author's writings. Luke's biography of Jesus stretches from the cradle in Bethlehem to the Ascension from Olivet. He narrates the Ascension twice, because it has two …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions Of Holy Scripture

The Boy in the Temple
'And He said unto them, How is it that ye sought Me! wist ye not that I must be about My Father's business?' --LUKE ii. 49. A number of spurious gospels have come down to us, which are full of stories, most of them absurd and some of them worse, about the infancy of Jesus Christ. Their puerilities bring out more distinctly the simplicity, the nobleness, the worthiness of this one solitary incident of His early days, which has been preserved for us. How has it been preserved? If you will look over …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions Of Holy Scripture

Simeon's Swan-Song
'Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace, according to Thy word: 30. For mine eyes have seen Thy salvation.'--LUKE ii. 29,30. That scene, when the old man took the Infant in his withered arms, is one of the most picturesque and striking in the Gospel narrative. Simeon's whole life appears, in its later years, to have been under the immediate direction of the Spirit of God. It is very remarkable to notice how, in the course of three consecutive verses, the operation of that divine Spirit …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions Of Holy Scripture

Shepherds and Angels
'And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them; and they were sore afraid. 10. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 11. For unto you is born this day, in the city of David, a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. 12. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions Of Holy Scripture

The Angel's Message and Song
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the LORD came upon them, and the glory of the LORD shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. 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 . And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe …
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 1

December the Nineteenth the Sun of Righteousness
"A light to lighten the Gentiles." --LUKE ii. 25-40. That was the wonder of wonders. Hitherto the light had been supposed to be for Israel alone; and now a heavenly splendour was to fall upon the Gentiles. Hitherto the light had been thought of as a lamp, illuming a single place; now it was to be a sun, shedding its glory upon a world. The "people that sat in darkness" are now to see "a great light." New regions are to be occupied; there is to be daybreak everywhere! "The Sun of Righteousness …
John Henry Jowett—My Daily Meditation for the Circling Year

December the Twenty-Fifth Christmas Cheer
"Good will toward men!" --LUKE ii. 8-20. The heavens are not filled with hostility. The sky does not express a frown. When I look up I do not contemplate a face of brass, but the face of infinite good will. Yet when I was a child, many a picture has made me think of God as suspicious, inhumanly watchful, always looking round the corner to catch me at the fall. That "eye," placed in the sky of many a picture, and placed there to represent God, filled my heart with a chilling fear. That God was …
John Henry Jowett—My Daily Meditation for the Circling Year

Religious Joy.
"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 ii. 10, 11. There are two principal lessons which we are taught on the great Festival which we this day celebrate, lowliness and joy. This surely is a day, of all others, in which is set before us the heavenly excellence and the acceptableness in God's sight of that state which …
John Henry Newman—Parochial and Plain Sermons, Vol. VIII

The Wilderness: Temptation. Matthew 4:1-11. Mark 1:12, 13. Luke 4:1-13.
The University of Arabia: Jesus' naturalness--the Spirit's presence--intensity, Luke 2:45-51.--a true perspective--- the temptation's path--sin's path--John's grouping, 1 John 2:16.--the Spirit's plan--why--the devil's weakness--the Spirit's leading--a wilderness for every God-used man, Moses, Elijah, Paul. Earth's Ugliest, Deepest Scar: Jesus the only one led up to be tempted--the wilderness--its history, Genesis 13:10-13. 18:16-19:38.--Jesus really tempted--no wrong here in inner response--every …
S. D. Gordon—Quiet Talks about Jesus

Joy Born at Bethlehem
In our text we have before us the sermon of the first evangelist under the gospel dispensation. The preacher was an angel, and it was meet it should be so, for the grandest and last of all evangels will be proclaimed by an angel when he shall sound the trumpet of the resurrection, and the children of the regeneration shall rise into the fullness of their joy. The key-note of this angelic gospel is joy--"I bring unto you good tidings of great joy." Nature fears in the presence of God--the shepherds …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 17: 1871

"Nunc Dimittis"
We shall note, this morning, first, that every believer may be assured of departing in peace; but that, secondly, some believers feel a special readiness to depart now: "Now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace;" and, thirdly, that there are words of encouragement to produce in us the like readiness: "according to thy word." There are words of Holy Writ which afford richest consolation in prospect of departure. I. First, then, let us start with the great general principle, which is full of comfort; …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 17: 1871

Christ About his Father's Business
But now I shall invite your attention, first, to the spirit of the Saviour, as breathed in these words, "Wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?" and then, secondly, I shall exhort the children of God, with all the earnestness which I can command, with all the intensity of power which I can summon to the point, to labour after the same spirit, that they too may unfeignedly say, "Wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business? " I. First, then note THE SPIRIT OF CHRIST. It was …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 3: 1857

The First Christmas Carol
Let us turn aside, having just thought of angels for a moment, to think rather of this song, than of the angels themselves. Their song was brief, but as Kitto excellently remarks, it was "well worthy of angels expressing the greatest and most blessed truths, in words so few, that they become to an acute apprehension, almost oppressive by the pregnant fulness of their meaning"--"Glory to God in the highest, on earth peace, good will toward men." We shall, hoping to be assisted by the Holy Spirit, …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 4: 1858

Christ's Boyhood
LUKE ii. 52. And Jesus increased in wisdom, and in stature, and in favour both with God and man. I do not pretend to understand these words. I preach on them because the Church has appointed them for this day. And most fitly. At Christmas we think of our Lord's birth. What more reasonable, than that we should go on to think of our Lord's boyhood? To think of this aright, even if we do not altogether understand it, ought to help us to understand rightly the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ; …
Charles Kingsley—The Good News of God

The Christ Child (Christmas Day. )
LUKE ii. 7. And she brought forth her first-born Son, and wrapt him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger. Mother and child.--Think of it, my friends, on Christmas day. What more beautiful sight is there in the world? What more beautiful sight, and what more wonderful sight? What more beautiful? That man must be very far from the kingdom of God--he is not worthy to be called a man at all--whose heart has not been touched by the sight of his first child in its mother's bosom. The greatest …
Charles Kingsley—The Good News of God

Music (Christmas Day. )
LUKE ii. 13, 14. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. You have been just singing Christmas hymns; and my text speaks of the first Christmas hymn. Now what the words of that hymn meant; what Peace on earth and good-will towards man meant, I have often told you. To-day I want you, for once, to think of this--that it was a hymn; that these angels were singing, even as …
Charles Kingsley—The Good News of God

Of Having Confidence in God when Evil Words are Cast at Us
"My Son, stand fast and believe in Me. For what are words but words? They fly through the air, but they bruise no stone. If thou are guilty, think how thou wouldst gladly amend thyself; if thou knowest nothing against thyself, consider that thou wilt gladly bear this for God's sake. It is little enough that thou sometimes hast to bear hard words, for thou art not yet able to bear hard blows. And wherefore do such trivial matters go to thine heart, except that thou art yet carnal, and regardest …
Thomas A Kempis—Imitation of Christ

The Birth of Jesus.
(at Bethlehem of Judæa, b.c. 5.) ^C Luke II. 1-7. ^c 1 Now it came to pass in those days [the days of the birth of John the Baptist], there went out a decree [a law] from Cæsar Augustus [Octavius, or Augustus, Cæsar was the nephew of and successor to Julius Cæsar. He took the name Augustus in compliment to his own greatness; and our month August is named for him; its old name being Sextilis], that all the world should be enrolled. [This enrollment or census was the first step …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Circumcision, Temple Service, and Naming of Jesus.
(the Temple at Jerusalem, b.c. 4) ^C Luke II. 21-39. ^c 21 And when eight days [Gen. xvii. 12] were fulfilled for circumcising him [The rite was doubtless performed by Joseph. By this rite Jesus was "made like unto his brethren" (Heb. ii. 16, 17); that is, he became a member of the covenant nation, and became a debtor to the law--Gal. v. 3] , his name was called JESUS [see Luke i. 59], which was so called by the angel before he was conceived in the womb. [Luke i. 31.] 22 And when the days of their …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

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