But what better news is there than the gospel, and what farther country than heaven. The word gospel means good news, and so it is defined by the announcement of God to the shepherds: ‘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 2:10-11)’. This is good news from God when man has least reason to expect any good news, or any message at all, other than the warning that we face immediate judgment. It is only grace that could come with good news after thousands of years of human rebellion, after provocation upon provocation, all urging God to instantly consign mankind to hell. This good news is encapsulated in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ who came to earth, as the shepherds were told, as an unmistakable sign that God had further kind intentions towards men and women, and had come to visit man in peace with unreasonably kind offers of mercy. This news is from heaven, a country so far from us that no one has ever visited it, nor could they ever do so. Heaven’s contracts are completely out of our control, which is a fitting picture of God’s sovereign grace. It is heaven that takes the initiative in our salvation, and we are powerless to influence what takes place there. Thanks be to God for his unspeakable goodness to his people in giving us such unexpected grace from heaven.