How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.” The voice of your watchmen—they lift up their voice; together they sing for joy; for eye to eye they see the return of the Lord to Zion. Break forth together into singing, you waste places of Jerusalem, for the Lord has comforted his people; he has redeemed Jerusalem. The Lord has bared his holy arm before the eyes of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God. Isaiah 52:7-10
All he has to say is, “I have great news!” Even before the details are shared, the mere arrival of someone announcing good news is gladsome. We have a hunger for it, for really good news, because that which so often passes as news in our 24-7 information age isn't really good.
There may be interesting news. For example, NASA has reported that Voyager 1, launched 33 years ago, has now reached the edge of our solar system. Interesting.
There is alarming news in reports which reveal the magnitude of WikiLeaks sabotage. Such news is disturbing.
There is meaningless news such as the story about the end of Brett Favre’s streak as a starting quarterback. Boo-hoo.
There is funny news. My mother-in-law just got an I-Pad. In our family, that’s hilarious.
There is inside news which often is gossip or corruption – hardly good news.
But there is not a whole lot of truly good news. Yet, when genuinely good news is made known, it has transformative power. It will make the stupidest office boy look like a genius or even the tattooed lady Miss America. If you have good news and share it, you are the most beautiful person on earth.
The same is true of a church. The really beautiful church is not the newest, the most polished, or the comfiest. Handsome isn't through its architecture or the design of its program. The beauty is in the Gospel, in the kerugma, the proclamation of Jesus Christ and his mercies.
The Lord and Redeemer brings us peace because the chaos of our sin has been stilled. The price of our freedom from guilt and shame has been paid. The reign of death is broken. The threat of an ambush from the evil one is no more. Our nightmare of sin and disgrace is ended finally and forever.
I love how the Bible’s description of the harbinger of such good news is not a declarative sentence. The Gospel is not a wooden fact.
This is an exclamatory sentence! “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news!” It’s a song of acclamation because of the substance of that news! The good news of God's arrival as our advocate and defender is not some monochrome information. It is brilliant, heart-pounding, vibrant news emanating with joy. O, happy day! Our Savior has come!
The watchmen who have longed to see the morning can announce with singing, “Behold, the Lord has come to Zion. Our God has come to his people, and all the earth will see the Lord’s salvation.”
Oh, it’s a beautiful thing when someone arrives with good news. It is good news when a doctor can announce, “The fever is broken; the crisis is past!” It is great news when the authorities can broadcast, “The child has been found alive and well.” It is glorious news when lookouts cry, “The enemy is in wholesale retreat. The victory is won.”
But the Gospel of Jesus Christ is splendid beyond even these. The news about our redemption by God has been confirmed by the incarnation, life, suffering, death, resurrection and ascension of God's own Son, Himself.
It isn't just good news for one sick patient, one desperate family, or one particular country. The Gospel of Christ is a global, macro-announcement which began with the racing, beautiful footsteps of the Lord to the waste places of Jerusalem, where the spiritually shamefaced, shattered, and scared are shown they need never fear again.
From there the song goes out. News about the Lord Jesus Christ and the comfort of his Gospel is heard across the mountaintops and to the ears of nations even at the far ends of the earth.
This glorious, wonderful, and life-giving news is preached relentlessly in beautiful churches where Christ’s Word and Sacraments are the crown jewels. The News is never about anything or anyone other than our Lord Jesus Christ. The exquisite News is that peace has been won through the sacrifice and salvation of God's Son for us. Sing for joy!
We have great news! Now, go share everywhere the particulars of this Gospel of our beautiful savior … and know you go with a light step because you have His beautiful feet.
