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Good Tidings of Great Joy: Christ's Incarnation the Foundation of Christianity
176 pages, Hardcover
Published October 1, 2023
13 people are currently reading
89 people want to read
About the author
Charles Haddon Spurgeon
5,687 books1,634 followersCharles Haddon Spurgeon (1834-1892) was England's best-known preacher for most of the second half of the nineteenth century. In 1854, just four years after his conversion, Spurgeon, then only 20, became pastor of London's famed New Park Street Church (formerly pastored by the famous Baptist theologian, John Gill). The congregation quickly outgrew their building, moved to Exeter Hall, then to Surrey Music Hall. In these venues, Spurgeon frequently preached to audiences numbering more than 10,000—all in the days before electronic amplification. In 1861, the congregation moved permanently to the newly constructed Metropolitan Tabernacle.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
January 28, 2024
Great book of ruminations from Spurgeon on the incarnation. I especially love that it contains sections applicable to both the believer and unbeliever. Very convicting to the saints, and evangelizing to the lost.
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December 12, 2024sooooo rich with wisdom. refraining from rating for now bc i’m still thinking thru whether i agree w some of the things spurgeon says here. the only complaint i will voice for now is that i wish that each topic he covers in the book (the angels’ song, the name of Jesus, Christ’s incarnation, God with us, Christ incarnate, the incarnation, Christ’s humanity, Christ’s deity, and Christ’s return) had each been a single, separate chapter—the super short chapters were hard to settle into and also made this collection of meditations feel less cohesive than it really was. i also would have restructured it a little bit: Christ’s incarnation/the incarnation in a single chapter ➡️ the angels’ song ➡️ the name of Jesus ➡️ God with us ➡️ Christ’s humanity ➡️ Christ’s deity ➡️ Christ’s return. might toy around w the order and read again before christmas 🥹 def more than worth a re-read.
“Our Lord Jesus Christ is, in some senses, more completely man than Adam ever was. Adam was not born; he was created as a man. Adam never had to struggle through the risks and weaknesses of infancy; he knew not the littlenesses of child-hood,—he was full-grown at once. Father Adam could not sympathize with me as a babe and a child. But how manlike is Jesus! He does not begin with us in mid-life, as Adam did; but he is cradled with us, he accompanies us in the pains, and feebleness, and infirmities of infancy, and he continues with us even to the grave.”
“Were you once in the cradle? He was there. Were you a child under parental authority? Christ also was a boy in the home at Nazareth. Have you entered upon life's battle? Your Lord and Master did the same… Are you alone? So was he, in the wilderness, and on the mountain's side, and in the garden's gloom. Do you mix in public society? So did he labour in the thickest press. Where can you find yourself, on the hill-top, or in the valley, on the land or on the sea, in the daylight or in darkness, without discovering that Jesus has been there before you?”
“See here again another instance of the sovereignty of God. Both in shepherds and in Eastern Magi gathering
around the young child, I see God dispensing his favours as he wills; and, as I see it, I exclaim, 'Even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight’... It was great mercy that regarded the low estate of the shepherds, and it was far-reaching mercy which gathered from lands which lay in darkness a company of men made wise unto salvation. Mercy, wearing her resplendent jewels, was present with divine sovereignty in the lowly abode of Bethlehem. Is it not a delightful thought that, around the cradle of the Saviour, as well as around his throne in heaven, these two attributes meet? He makes himself known,—and herein is mercy; but it is to those whom he has chosen—and herein he shows that he will have mercy on whom he will have mercy, and he will have compassion on whom he will have compassion.”
“Though our Lord does say, 'Come unto me,' he has preceded it with this other word, 'Lo, I come.' Poor cripple, if you cannot come to Jesus, ask him to come to you; and he will. Here you lie, and you have been for years in this case; you have no man to put you into the pool, and it would do you no good if he did; but Jesus can make you whole, and he is here… leaping over the mountains of division. I know that my Lord came to me, or I should never have come to him; then, why should he not come to you? I came to him because he came to me.”
“In Jesus Christ, all the attributes of God are seen; veiled, but yet verily there. You have only to read the Gospels, and to look with willing eyes, and you shall behold in Christ all that can possibly be seen of God.”
“Our Lord Jesus Christ is, in some senses, more completely man than Adam ever was. Adam was not born; he was created as a man. Adam never had to struggle through the risks and weaknesses of infancy; he knew not the littlenesses of child-hood,—he was full-grown at once. Father Adam could not sympathize with me as a babe and a child. But how manlike is Jesus! He does not begin with us in mid-life, as Adam did; but he is cradled with us, he accompanies us in the pains, and feebleness, and infirmities of infancy, and he continues with us even to the grave.”
“Were you once in the cradle? He was there. Were you a child under parental authority? Christ also was a boy in the home at Nazareth. Have you entered upon life's battle? Your Lord and Master did the same… Are you alone? So was he, in the wilderness, and on the mountain's side, and in the garden's gloom. Do you mix in public society? So did he labour in the thickest press. Where can you find yourself, on the hill-top, or in the valley, on the land or on the sea, in the daylight or in darkness, without discovering that Jesus has been there before you?”
“See here again another instance of the sovereignty of God. Both in shepherds and in Eastern Magi gathering
around the young child, I see God dispensing his favours as he wills; and, as I see it, I exclaim, 'Even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight’... It was great mercy that regarded the low estate of the shepherds, and it was far-reaching mercy which gathered from lands which lay in darkness a company of men made wise unto salvation. Mercy, wearing her resplendent jewels, was present with divine sovereignty in the lowly abode of Bethlehem. Is it not a delightful thought that, around the cradle of the Saviour, as well as around his throne in heaven, these two attributes meet? He makes himself known,—and herein is mercy; but it is to those whom he has chosen—and herein he shows that he will have mercy on whom he will have mercy, and he will have compassion on whom he will have compassion.”
“Though our Lord does say, 'Come unto me,' he has preceded it with this other word, 'Lo, I come.' Poor cripple, if you cannot come to Jesus, ask him to come to you; and he will. Here you lie, and you have been for years in this case; you have no man to put you into the pool, and it would do you no good if he did; but Jesus can make you whole, and he is here… leaping over the mountains of division. I know that my Lord came to me, or I should never have come to him; then, why should he not come to you? I came to him because he came to me.”
“In Jesus Christ, all the attributes of God are seen; veiled, but yet verily there. You have only to read the Gospels, and to look with willing eyes, and you shall behold in Christ all that can possibly be seen of God.”
January 28, 2024
Spurgeon is always great, and this is an encouraging and evangelizing little book for around Christmas time. highly recommended.
December 17, 2025
Spurgeon is the one of the best. “But tell me that God is born, that God himself has espoused our nature, and taken it into union with himself, then the bells of my heart ring merry peals, for now I may come to God since God has come to me.”
January 28, 2024
Great little book of Charles Spurgeons writings and sermons.
December 25, 2025
“My Master wants room; and I, as his herald, cry aloud, 'Room for the Saviour! Room! Here is my royal Master, have you room for him? Here is the Son of God made flesh, have you room for him? Here is he who can forgive all sin, have you room for him? Here is he who can take you up out of the horrible pit, and out of the miry clay, have you room for him? Here is he who, when he cometh in to your soul, will never go out again; but will abide with you for ever, to make your heart a heaven of joy and bliss through his presence. Have you not room for him?' That is all he asks, room. Your emptiness, your nothingness, your want of feeling, your want of goodness, your want of grace,—all these will be but room for him.”
January 14, 2025
Excellent for family Christmas devotions, even with tiny kids! Would definitely re-read.
January 29, 2024
The contents of this volume would seem to be excerpted from longer writings (perhaps sermons?). All of them center on the meaning of Christmas and why Christ's coming is so important to our salvation. The last chapters -- which are the longest -- seemed to me to be the best ones: how perfect grace and perfect truth in perfect balance are to be found in Jesus and the imperative of making room in our hearts for Him. Spurgeon's style is highly readable, and his pastor's heart is evident throughout: these truths are vital to him and he strives to communicate their importance to his readers, since -- quite literally -- their eternal salvation rests upon accepting the gospel. Recommended!
December 24, 2024
A fantastic little book pointing us to the beauty and wondrous truth that is the incarnation of Christ. A book I've been looking forward to reading for some time, I decided it was a perfect "Christmas read". And so it has turned out to be. Reading this these last few weeks leading up to Christmas (and writing this now on Christmas Eve!) has been delightfully encouraging and soul-enlivening. Oh how good it is to consider the foundation of our salvation - the very person and work of Christ! This book is an ideal devotional book, with each "chapter" being only 3-4 pages long and each full of rich truths and passionate declarations of God's mercies towards us. As always with Spurgeon, his writings are both pastoral in nature and exceedingly glorifying of God, full of rich metaphors and heartfelt pleading for us to consider Jesus. I found my heart stirred as I read this book. It definitely helped to give myself time to sit and be quiet in both body and soul as I read, as we are oh so harried these days by all the stresses of modern life and it is easy to let ourselves be distracted by all the troubles that surround us. But as I took a deep breath and read and meditated on the truths of God expounded by Spurgeon in this little book, I found my heart exceedingly blessed and I enjoyed true rest. We ought to spend more time meditating on the truths of God and our salvation and letting our minds soar to think of things above as we muse on the salvation that is ours in Jesus Christ our Lord - and this book mightily assists with that.
January 1, 2024
“This Jesus of Nazareth, the King of kings, and Lord of lords, is the one and only Saviour. He, and none but he, shall save his people. He, and not another, shall save them by his own act and deed. Singly and unaided, he shall save his people. Personally, and not by another, in his own name, and on his own behalf, he shall, by himself, purge away his people’s sins.
He shall do all the work, and leave none of it undone; he shall begin it, carry it on, and complete it; and therefore is his name called Jesus, because he shall fully, entirely, and perfectly, save his people from their sins.”
He shall do all the work, and leave none of it undone; he shall begin it, carry it on, and complete it; and therefore is his name called Jesus, because he shall fully, entirely, and perfectly, save his people from their sins.”
January 28, 2025
Consistent with his reputation, Spurgeon writes of glorious truths in a concise but powerfully punching fashion and is eminently applicable, gracious, and clear. This is a beautiful work that will help the Christian value the incarnation of Christ and also compel the unbeliever to confront his or her need for a Savior, even One born in Bethlehem.
December 13, 2024
An excellent read during this Advent season by the "Prince of Preachers" that focuses on the reality and the centrality of the Incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ.
December 25, 2024
Absolutely beautiful!
December 28, 2024
Spurgeon is pure gold 🥰 and this is a lovely little volume of pieces selected from his sermons, all about Jesus.
January 18, 2025
Best Christmas devotional yet
January 11, 2025
This is going to be in my top 5 reads for 2025. So encouraging and rich. Highly recommend!
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews