The Good News
Angelic announcement of joy for all people.
The phrase 'good tidings' appears in the angelic announcement to the shepherds in Luke 2:10, where the angel declares, 'I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.' This concept of bringing good news is also echoed in Isaiah 52:7, which speaks of 'him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation.' In the Genesis passages, the word 'good' repeatedly describes God's creation: God saw the light, the dry land and seas, the vegetation, the celestial lights, the sea creatures and birds, the land animals, and finally 'every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good' (Genesis 1:4, 1:10, 1:12, 1:18, 1:21, 1:25, 1:31). The tree of knowledge of good and evil appears in Genesis 2:9, 2:17, 3:5, 3:6, and 3:22, introducing a moral dimension to 'good.'
Lore & Background
The 'good news' motif in these passages centers on the angelic proclamation in Luke 2:10, which explicitly calls itself 'good tidings of great joy' intended for 'all people.' This is directly linked to the prophetic vision in Isaiah 52:7, which celebrates the feet of one who brings good tidings, publishes peace, and announces salvation, saying 'Thy God reigneth!' The Genesis creation account repeatedly uses 'good' to describe God's assessment of his works—light, land, vegetation, lights, sea creatures, birds, and land animals are each called 'good' (Genesis 1:4, 1:10, 1:12, 1:18, 1:21, 1:25), culminating in 'very good' for the entirety of creation (Genesis 1:31).
Reader's Guide
The passages portray 'the good news' primarily through the angelic announcement in Luke 2:10, which is presented as a direct, joyful message for all people, without qualification. This is foreshadowed in Isaiah 52:7, which describes the messenger's feet as 'beautiful' and the tidings as including peace and salvation. The Genesis passages use 'good' in two distinct ways: first, as God's repeated affirmation of creation's quality (Genesis 1:4, 1:10, 1:12, 1:18, 1:21, 1:25, 1:31), establishing a baseline of divine approval. Second, 'good' becomes a moral category through the tree of knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:9, 2:17, 3:5, 3:6, 3:22), where human disobedience introduces a distinction between good and evil that was not previously emphasized. The term 'goods' appears in Genesis 14:11, 14:12, 14:16, 14:21, and 24:10, referring to material possessions, which is a separate usage. The angelic 'good tidings' in Luke 2:10 stands apart as the only explicit announcement of good news in these passages, connecting to the prophetic tradition of Isaiah 52:7.
Did You Know?
- The angel in Luke 2:10 specifies that the good tidings are 'to all people,' not just a select group.
- Isaiah 52:7 describes the messenger's feet as 'beautiful upon the mountains,' linking physical beauty to the act of bringing good news.
- In Genesis 1:31, God declares the entire creation 'very good,' the only time 'very' modifies 'good' in these passages.
- The tree of knowledge of good and evil is first mentioned in Genesis 2:9, but the phrase 'good and evil' appears in four separate Genesis passages (2:9, 2:17, 3:5, 3:22).