Joy is Found in the Heart of Christmas

This morning, we are going to look once again at a passage that we looked at last week. This passage will reveal the topic we are going to cover in our message today… and I believe it is something this world is in desperate need of.

There they were… minding their own business… doing what they had always done… taking care of the sheep. The shepherds were in the fields and it was a night like all other nights… until… it wasn’t.

Last week we talked about how incredible it would have been to see what the shepherds saw! But as amazing as the sight must have been… I want us to look at the announcement they made to these guys one more time! Before disclosing the news of Jesus’ birth to the shepherds, the angel sets it up by talking about the nature of the news to come.

Luke 2:10 NIV

10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.

Good news… that will bring great what for all the people? GREAT JOY for all the people. The news the shepherds would receive was joyous news!

This sermon series is designed to remind us of the great things that came with the arrival of our Savior.

We talked about the hope that is found in Jesus.

We talked about the peace that is found in Jesus.

Today, we will talk about the joy that is found in Jesus.

And on Christmas Eve, we will talk about God’s love found in Jesus.

We know today that Jesus IS the heart of Christmas… He IS the reason for this season. His arrival changed everything! In a world that was surrounded by darkness and chaos… God’s light shone through AND THE WORLD HAS NEVER BEEN THE SAME SINCE.

This morning, we are going to be talking about the joy that comes with knowing Jesus… and church… it is a joy like no other.

In the old hymn, this joy is described as “joy unspeakable and full of glory… the half has never yet been told!” This kind of joy can only be found in Jesus.

1 Peter 1:8 speaks of this kind of joy… a joy that we can hardly understand… but we know and experience because we know Jesus as Lord!

1 Peter 1:8 NIV

8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy,

And… have you ever stopped and thought about why “inexpressible and glorious joy” accompanies our relationship with Jesus Christ? Well, 1 Peter 1:9 gives us the answer

1 Peter 1:9 NIV

9 for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

Salvation. Redemption. Deliverance from sin. We know all the words but most importantly… those who have called on the name of Jesus have experienced the transformation of their souls. Where death once reigned - new life has come. And with that new life comes a joy like no other.

Why is this joy like no other? Because Jesus has done something for us that NO ONE else could have done. We couldn’t do it, nothing else in this world could have done it, Jesus is the ONLY ONE who could have done what He did!

And He did it in love. He gave His life that we might be set free from sin and all of its destructive consequences.

So first off… what is joy?

Joy is FAR more than a simple emotion. Joy goes way beyond happiness or a sense of being glad.

Webster defines joy as the emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one desires… but I do not believe this definition quite captures the kind of joy we are talking about.

Remember when we talked about hope… the world best knows hope as a wish, a dream or a desire… but in Christ, hope becomes a promise or guarantee. In Christ… HOPE TAKES ON NEW MEANING.

Remember as we talked about peace. The world knows peace as a time of no conflict or stress. Yet in Christ, peace goes way beyond that. In Christ, peace is not the absence of conflict, it is the presence of Jesus. In Christ… PEACE TAKES ON NEW MEANING.

This morning, as we talk about joy, the world knows it to be a simple emotion that is conditional based on our current circumstance yet in Christ, joy becomes something completely different. In Christ, our joy is not conditional. Joy found in Christ rises above circumstances and focuses on the very character of God. In Christ… JOY TAKES ON NEW MEANING.

For instance, in Psalms, we see joy expressed because of:

God’s righteousness - Psalm 71:14-16

Salvation - Psalm 21:1

Mercy - Psalm 31:7

God’s creation - Psalm 148:5

His Word - Psalm 119:14

His faithfulness - Psalm 33:1-6

In other words, our joy is not found in what the world has to offer… our joy is found in WHO GOD IS and what He has done for us.

This is hugely significant to consider today! Why? Because circumstances… change. Situations… change. Emotions are largely based off what a person is experiencing in any given moment. HOWEVER… God… DOES NOT CHANGE. His characteristics DO NOT CHANGE. His attributes DO NOT CHANGE.

Consider this: we have the opportunity to experience the same joy the Psalmist wrote about because our God is the same yesterday, today and forever!

And the amazing things is… we can KNOW Him! We can have fellowship with Him. We can truly be filled with inexpressible joy because of who God is and what He has done for us!

What is it… that brings you joy? What causes you to rejoice on a regular basis?

I want us to do a simple exercise today for fun as we talk about joy.

I want to share a few different scenarios, and tell me which ones would bring you the most joy. Are you ready? If this would make you joyful, stand up. If not, stay seated.

For all you coffee drinkers out there… you go through the drive thru of your favorite coffee shop, order your favorite drink, and discover the car in front of you paid for it. Joy? Stand up or stay seated.

Ok, next scenario. You wake up Christmas morning and find that it snowed six inches overnight. Joy? Or maybe pain because you now have to shovel it. Stand up or stay seated.

You sit down in your easy chair and your dog/cat jumps up in your lap to take a nap. You know they are going to shed but… Joy or no joy?

Last one: You run some errands in town and and no one has what you are looking for or needing, but your son/daughter came along for the ride. Joy or no joy?

Maybe some of you saw these situations as reasons for joy - and maybe you saw them as absent of joy. This week’s sermon is so important because, for many of us, our joy is reflective of this illustration. Our joy in life is largely connected to the circumstances in our lives. When things are going well, we feel good. When things are going poorly, we feel bad. Our joy ebbs and flows.

But this Christmas season, I believe God is wanting to remind us of the joy that can be found in the arrival of His Son. The news that the angel shared with the shepherds was truly GOOD NEWS… news that brought joy to all who would receive it! Joy that was not conditional or linked to our circumstance… but joy that set us free from our circumstance because of Who God is and what He came to do!

God Came to the World.

John 1:14 NIV

14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

The God whom the Psalmist wrote about had broke through the darkness of this world. Jesus truly is Immanuel which means… God WITH us.

As John began his gospel letter, he gave a different perspective on the birth of Jesus. Rather than tell us his iteration with the shepherds, magi, and manger, he gave us a big-picture explanation of what took place in Bethlehem. What John wrote is a cause for joy no matter what we face in life.

What is being described here is known as the incarnation. Coming from the Latin word carne, which means flesh, the incarnation was God putting skin on and becoming one of us.

Verse 14 says the Word became flesh. (Word is capitalized because it is the person of Jesus.) He is called the Word because he perfectly embodies all of scripture in human flesh by the way he lived here on earth.

When Jesus was born in the manger, he was God coming to live among us—as one of us—with skin and bone, flesh and blood.

When the Word became flesh, He brought with Him the God’s righteousness, salvation, mercy, and faithfulness with Him… and such news SHOULD bring us great joy today! Because as John 1:1 makes clear… the Word IS God and He was now with us!

So let’s consider the world’s definition of joy again for a moment.

For the world, joy is often experienced when all the right ingredients are present in the circumstance. But the joy that comes in knowing that God is with us extends into ANY circumstance we might experience.

And I get it… we might find ourselves in a place where our emotions are down… what we feel is not what we would call joy.

Life brings with it many challenges and obstacles and it seems like we are living in a time where the challenges are just stacking up on each other.

Our physical bodies will react to our physical surroundings and we may not feel joyful.

That’s where FAITH starts to kick in.

Our feelings may forget that God is with us… but I pray our faith will never lose sight of His presence.

The inexpressible joy that 1 Peter speaks of was not a joy rooted in anything of this world… it is found ONLY in our salvation. It is found ONLY in the One who has overcome this world.

Jesus promised His disciples that they would have trouble in this world. This is not a promise anyone likes to hear or receive. Anyone excited about knowing we will face challenges in life? Not me!

HOWEVER… knowing the truth that God will be with me no matter what challenge may come my way brings me GREAT JOY! I don’t have to do this on my own!

And… consider this in regards to what I just said… Jesus came to this world to do what we COULDN’T DO ON OUR OWN.

Think about this: Joy is at the heart of Christmas because knowing that we could never make it to him, God came to us. It is the only religion in the world where the deity does what is necessary to unite with humanity. Paul emphatically makes this statement in the book of Romans as he insists we can be saved through Jesus.

Romans 5:8 NIV

8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

For Paul, there is not a naughty list and a good list that we have to work hard to escape or earn. The gift of God’s grace is offered to us generously without price because we could never afford it on our own. While we were sinners, Christ died for us. This is why the characters in the Christmas story are so overjoyed—from the shepherds in the field to Simeon at the temple—because the long-awaited arrival of the Messiah meant God had finally come to rescue us.

Those who need rescued… are those who could not escape their current circumstance on their own.

The truth is… NONE of us could make it to God on our own… so God came to us… He came to you… to offer you something that cannot be found in anyone else. God is offering you life to the full through His Son, Jesus. And this life… is not conditional to the circumstance you might find yourself in.

By the world’s standards, you might have it all… or have nothing at all… but if you have Jesus… you will know a joy that is greater than all!

He came to do what we could not do… and the reason He came… is another reason for us to have joy… and that reason was love!

God so Loved the World...

We can be joyful today because God DID NOT abandon us in our sin… but rather He made a way for sinners to be set free!

In our last sermon series, I had us repeat a line at the beginning of every message. Do you remember what that line was? If the Son has set you free… YOU ARE FREE INDEED! And why is it that God offers us freedom today through the gift of His Son? Because of His never ending love for this world!

Looking further in John we find the author telling his readers that it is through Jesus that we see the glory and fullness of God. His arrival among us should fill us with joy because not only did God come close to us, but He came because he loves us.

John 3:16 NIV

16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Now, I realize today that there is a lot going in on in our lives, in our culture, in our society, and in our daily routines. And with all that is going on, we experience a wide variety of emotions and feelings. But through it all, as believers, there is joy - joy in knowing that God loves us.

This might seem like a crazy question today but… do you realize that you are loved by God? Not just tolerated or put up with but loved! Deeply loved. In fact, John says this love that God has for us is like that of a father for his children. Jesus came from the Father full of grace and truth. And Jesus came… because God so loved…

Knowing that God loves you is key to understanding our second reason for abiding joy. When Jesus came to us, he came full of grace.

This grace that John writes about is the Greek word charis, which means favor, kindness, or a gift of blessing. Like a wrapped gift shared from one to another can bring joy to our hearts, so this gift of Jesus is grace from God. We haven’t earned it. We don’t deserve it. But God offers it to us, and when we recognize it, it fills us with joy.

God’s love for us is UNCONDITIONAL!

Jesus also came full of truth. The word John uses here is the word aletheia, which means divine reality revealed to man or a straightforwardness. Jesus holds grace in one hand that allows us to be accepted into his family, and in the other hand he holds truth that shows us the areas of our lives that must be transformed to live the fullest life possible.

God’s love for us is TRANSFORMATIONAL!

Look at how this truth is conveyed in 1 John 4:9

1 John 4:9 NIV

9 This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.

That we might LIVE through Him - living THROUGH Christ becomes possible as we turn from sin and place our faith in Him.

God loves us no matter what, but He loves us too much to leave us where we are! That is why Jesus did what He did - to make a way where there was no way for freedom and forgiveness!

Can you remember… the first time when God’s love for you became real? Can you remember when that truth hit your heart… and you received it?

Maybe that memory has been buried underneath all that life in this world has thrown at you. But I believe the Spirit is wanting to remind all of us of the Father’s love.

I can remember that moment… and I can also remember the new sense of joy that overwhelmed me. My surrounding circumstances had not changed… but the condition and position of my heart had completely changed. My flight from God had turned into a pursuit of God as I fully realized that God’s love for me was real no matter what!

And in that moment also came a deep awareness… and thankfulness for the last point for our message this morning…

God Offers Grace to the World

Grace is a word that shows up in the church a lot. We sing about it. We give God thanks for it. We live in it daily. But sometimes I think we forget about just how amazing God’s grace truly is.

When Jesus came to this world, He came FULL of grace and truth. And He didn’t come to keep it all to Himself… look at what John says next

John 1:16–17 NIV

16 Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

Our heavenly Father sent Jesus to a manger in Bethlehem because He wanted to dwell among us to demonstrate his amazing grace and life-changing truth. We can experience joy in our lives no matter the circumstances because we can be confident in knowing that God is with us, and God is for us.

I asked a question a moment ago - do you realize you are loved by God? I want to follow that question up by asking - do you realize that in Christ, that love is followed by grace for all who believe?

Here’s the deal - no one is perfect in this world… except Jesus. Every one one of us fall short. Every one of has been tainted by sin. There is no way we can gain righteousness on our own. It is something that is simply beyond our reach and capability.

That is why it is so important for us to understand that the blood of Jesus is sufficient to cover ALL sin… and with that covering comes the grace of God.

We don’t deserve it, but all in Christ have recieved it. We did not earn it, but it has been given beyond measure.

God’s grace is something that has brought joy to the souls of believers ever since sin entered into this world. God could have left us to face our own destruction, but instead, He offered grace. He did it then… and He does it now.

As Joseph and Mary welcomed Jesus into this world, they were holding in their arms God’s greatest gift of love and grace the world has ever recieved… I cannot imagine the level of joy they experienced in their hearts.

Today, as we draw closer to Christmas day… I pray we would begin to experience, or re-experience that same joy in our lives.

The joy that comes in knowing that God IS with us.

The joy that comes in knowing that God LOVES us.

The joy that comes in knowing that God’s Grace is FOR us.

And maybe your joy levels have been off a bit. Maybe you’ve allowed feelings to override your faith. Maybe with all that is going on, you’ve looked to your circumstances instead of standing on God’s truth - He is FOR you and He has great things in store for you.

The good news that brought great joy to all the people that first Christmas was… Jesus was here. God’s light had broken through the darkness of this world.

Are you in need of some joy today?

Receiving God’s Joy comes by placing faith in His Son.

That joy becomes reality as we remember who God is… and what He has done for us.

PRAYER