(Recorded by Day of Destiny, 2017)

The word Noel is such a beautiful word and there is so much bad news in the world that we need some good news from time to time. Noel  means “a shout of joy or Christmas song.” (from Webster’s 1828 Dictionary) and it was used to designate the calendar period from December 24 – January 6. The word is not found in the Bible but it celebrates the central event found in the Bible, the coming of Messiah. The hymn THE FIRST NOEL would mean the first birthday. It is an English Carol arraigned in 1871 by John Stainer.

I love it’s meaning – ‘a shout of joy’! In the midst of all the wickedness in this world; governments oppressing their own people and threatening others to gain their own power, political parties lying and plotting against their rivals for the sake of control, religious leaders more interested in money and control than they are for the Truth of God’s word, – in the midst of all this, there is something to be joyous about – the birthday of the Messiah. Think about what Isaiah prophesied about Him –

“Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.” – Isa. 53:4, 5

We think He paid for our sins and through Him we can be forgiven, and that is true but, He did much more – he has ‘borne our griefs’. According to Strong’s Concordance the word ‘grief’ means sickness, disease, grief  and ‘borne’ means to lift off or take away. He suffered in our place and was beaten and whipped even though He had done nothing wrong. The whip used on Him had many leather strips with pieces of iron embedded in them so they literally ripped the flesh away from the victim when whipped. Those are the ‘stripes’ by which we are healed – past tense!

For those who repent and receive Jesus as Messiah, not only are they forgiven, made clean, but they are also healed. The same faith that forgives you also heals you. It all comes in the same package! You only have to believe it and give Noel for it – ‘the shout of joy”.

Most of us are living in a fallen world as captives; captives to our unbelief and doubt, captives to the enslavement of the devil’s lies, or captives to our ignorance of the truth. But, Jesus declares “the truth will set you free”

“And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” – John 8:32

Now, this is good news that is worthy of the declaration NOEL!

Many think the season of Noel is from December 24 – January 6 but, what it celebrates is for all year long and for every  year until the Messiah returns. Don’t be cheated out of your blessings it promises.