“And in every province and in every city, wherever the king’s command and his edict reached, there was gladness and joy among the Jews, a feast and a holiday.” Esther 8:17a
I’ve got good news and bad news, which do you want first? A two-fer package that when offered gives you a choice. Personally, I always go for the bad news first. My reasoning? Juxtaposition. I believe that the good of God always greatly outweighs the bad and I prefer to see the difference between the two as a grand chasm. I hear the bad news first and then it allows me to rejoice in the difference of the God’s good. As you ponder this, think back to a moment in your life when you heard truly good news. Information that contained a message so glorious that it made you want to leap for joy. Glorious words of good news that filled your heart with joy.
Esther chapter 8 sees our drama continue as evil Haman’s plot to destroy all Jews has been discovered and he has been hanged on the very gallow that he built for his enemy Mordecai. But even after Haman’s death, the king’s decree lives on. You see, any decree stamped by the king’s signet ring cannot be revoked. Esther and Mordecai have a problem. They cannot revoke or alter the decree to destroy all Jews, so they do the next best thing. They write a new one. And because King Xerxes has now given his signet ring to Moredcai, they have carte blanche to write what they will. The new decree allows the Jews to defend themselves and even commandeer the property of anyone who attempts to do them harm. A huge deterrent to all who raise a hand toward a Jew. And as the edict is drawn, we see it distributed with great haste. It is immediately taken by the fastest horses all over the entire kingdom. It is translated into every language. It is distributed in great numbers. And as the news is received, we see that the words bring such joy and gladness to the hearts of the Jews, they rejoice in the goodness of God with praise, worship, a feast, and a holy day.
Folks, today there is good news that makes all other news pale in comparison…the gospel of Jesus Christ. In fact, the word gospel means just that, good news. The good news today is that sinful mankind can be reunited with Almighty God in heaven for eternity. You see, our sin creates a barrier from God. God cannot save us in our perfection because we cannot offer Him perfection, that is, we all have sinned and fallen short of His Glory. And God cannot save us in our current imperfection because He is righteous and Holy, and He cannot lower His perfect standards. So what to do to bridge this sin gap? In order to reunite Himself with His creation in which He loves so much, God made a way. He sent His only Son Jesus Christ here to be born sinless of a virgin, to live a sin free life that is worthy of being the perfect blemish free sacrifice. He then allowed His only Son Jesus to be sacrificed upon a cross by the very sinners that He came to save. But God conquered death when three days later He raised Jesus from the dead, a sign that God has forever conquered the eternal death that our sin will bring without Jesus. And folks, when you put this news all together, you get good news indeed. Today your sin will keep you out of heaven. But there is good news that should bring you great joy, you can have a home in heaven with Almighty God for eternity. And it is all because of Jesus. Call out to Jesus today and ask Him to save you from your sin. Call upon His holy name and He is faithful to save you. And as you do, see that the good news is sent out all over world. With haste, in every language, and in as many copies as possible. For good news, truly good news, will bring joy to the heart that seeks it. And news that good, must be shared.
“How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” Romans 8:14-15
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