Good News of Great Joy! Luke 2:8-14

As we begin this morning, please turn in your copies of God’s Word to Luke 2 v 8-14. If you are using one of the pew Bibles, you will find this on page 725. We will be reading these verses shortly, so please have them marked and ready for that time.

This morning marks Sunday #3 in this years Christmas Advent Sundays. As we mentioned on the first Sunday of Advent, our desire in celebrating Advent is to both look back, remembering the birth of our Savior, Jesus. Who became that spotless Lamb of God Who’s shed blood on the cross paid the penalty for our sins, that we might, based on our faith in Him and the price He paid, experience redemption. It is also a time to look forward, to His 2nd coming. This looking back and remembering, and looking forward are a fitting part of each of the advents we celebrate together.

The first Sunday of Advent was the Advent of Hope. We discussed how our hope is a confident expectation based on the sovereign, all powerful God. Hope that we were able to take hold of as we looked at the many prophecies He fulfilled in His first coming. As well as those we can confidently expect Him to fulfill in the second coming.

Last Sunday we looked at the Advent of Peace. For the believer, we can have peace that passes all understanding, knowing He is in complete control of all things. We saw that in His first coming, and rest assured, we will see it in His second coming as well. But that peace is not something we come by naturally. According to Isaiah 26 vs 3-4, it comes as our minds focus, not on the cares of this world, but on the God of the universe.

The first Sunday of Advent, Simon Goldner assisted me in lighting the Candle of Hope. Last Sunday Heidi Goldner joined me in lighting the Candle of Peace, this Sunday I would like to invite Isaac Goldner to join me as we light the Candle of Joy.

As we prepare to dive into God’s Word, let’s take a moment and bow our heads before the throne of the Almighty.

Heavenly Father, It is with joyful hearts that we approach Your throne on this Advent of Joy Sunday. We celebrate the joy that dawned on our world that first Christmas Day. Knowing it was promised from creation, that Your salvation would be unfurled, in the birth of our Savior, the hope for every nation. That the very One Who set each star in place, that shaped the earth, breathed life into mankind. You, the Prince of Peace, enable us to have unspeakable joy, no matter the circumstances we are surrounded by, because You have reconciled us to Yourself, through Christ, our mighty champion, our Savior, our Friend. Our Redeemer, Who by His blood, won the victory over sin and death, and decreed that victory from the cross when He proclaimed, “It Is Finished!”

Father God, we take joy in that victory won, and we take hold of the joy set before us, as we anticipate the day You return and establish Your kingdom. Because of the cross, we will stand before the judgement seat, not clothed in our own righteousness, which leaves us woefully short, but clothed in the righteousness of Jesus, our Redeemer.

These things we pray, in the Name of that Redeemer, Jesus Christ, Amen

Now, would you please stand, in honor of the reading of God’s Word?

Luke 2:8–14 (ESV)

8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear.

10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.

11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, Who is Christ the Lord.

12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a Baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”

13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom He is pleased!”

May the Lord add His blessing to the reading of His Word, please be seated.

According to David Mathis of Desiring God Ministries, the word “joy” appears more than 200 times in the English Bible. It is one of the great themes of Scripture and the constant pursuit of all mankind. But what exactly is this thing that we all pursue?

According to Websters Dictionary joy is both a noun and a verb. As a noun it is: “the emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one desires; the expression or exhibition of such emotion; a state of happiness; a source or cause of delight”. As a verb it’s “to experience great pleasure or delight”. As for the synonyms for both the noun and verb forms of joy we see “blissfulness, felicity, gladness, happiness, warm fuzzies, blessedness, exult, glory, jubilate, rejoice, triumph, delight, exuberant”.

That is the worlds definition of joy, and it is a joy that does not last. But how does Scripture define joy?

So how is joy defined in Scripture?

The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary defines joy in Scripture in this way: The experience of deliverance and the anticipation of salvation provide the most significant occasions for rejoicing among the people of God in the OT. The coming of the Messiah, who delivers His people and brings salvation becomes the basis for rejoicing in the NT. The response of joy, gladness, or happiness is not only a deep inward feeling, but is expressed in celebration when God’s people gather together. Clinton E. Arnold, “Joy,” ed. David Noel Freedman, The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary (New York: Doubleday, 1992), 1022.

Similarly, The Holman Treasury of Key Bible Words states the following;

(In the Old Testament)The source of Israel’s joy was the Lord Himself along with His Words and deeds performed on behalf of His people (Pss. 4:7; 16:11).Eugene E. Carpenter and Philip W. Comfort, Holman Treasury of Key Bible Words: 200 Greek and 200 Hebrew Words Defined and Explained (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2000), 98.

The 2 Scripture passages that Holman Treasury of Key Bible Words points out paint a beautiful picture of Scriptural joy. Let’s take a moment and look at them.

Psalm 4:7 (ESV)

7 You have put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abound.

Historians believe that David wrote Psalm 4 when he was in great distress. His son, Absalom was in the process of taking the kingdom away from David. Yet he writes of having “Joy in his heart”.

Psalm 16:11 (ESV)

11 You make known to me the path of life; in Your presence there is fullness of joy; at Your Right Hand are pleasures forevermore.

Did you notice what is missing in the joy that these 2 passages of Scripture highlight? Worldly success, possessions, wealth.

But what about what it was that brought joy to the heart of the psalmist? The presence of God. “You (God) have put... joy in my heart”. “In Your presence there is fullness of joy; at Your right Hand are pleasures forever more.”

Yes, there may be temporary joy in what the world calls joy, but if you want unending joy, “pleasures forevermore”, this joy is found elsewhere.

The joy of the Lord was God’s goal for His people, and they were to find in Him the subject, the source, and the object of their joy. God’s people were never supposed to find their joy in anything that in any way opposed the Lord. (Eugene E. Carpenter and Philip W. Comfort, Holman Treasury of Key Bible Words: 200 Greek and 200 Hebrew Words Defined and Explained (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2000), 98.)

Holman goes on in the discussion of joy and points out that joy is very much the same on the pages of the New Testament.

In the New Testament, the theme of the joy of the Lord continues even more strongly. The one who finds the kingdom of heaven “joyfully” sells all that he or she owns in order to obtain it (Matt. 13:44). The joy of Jesus’ followers was a joy that superseded fear (Matt. 28:8).... The inexpressible joy of believers is possible because even in the (physical) absence of the Lord, we know that we have received the salvation of our souls (1 Pet. 1:9). (Eugene E. Carpenter and Philip W. Comfort, Holman Treasury of Key Bible Words: 200 Greek and 200 Hebrew Words Defined and Explained (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2000), 98.)

As you can see, there is a significant difference to how the world defines joy and how Scripture defines joy.

If you have been watching much TV during the Christmas season, the advertisers do there best to make it very clear what it takes to have a life of joy and want you to understand that you are not there yet. One commercial I’ve seen features a young couple in their early 30’s, living in a home that is likely worth 3/4 of a million dollars. He surprises her with his & her watches worth about $500 each. Not to be outdone, she takes him out to the driveway where she surprises him with his & her vehicles, a pickup and an SUV. Each worth $50,000 plus. No doubt there is great joy in their home, until the end of January when the payments begin.

In the world today, especially for us living in America, much of the time joy, like the definitions I read to you earlier from Websters Dictionary, is tied to things, or what’s in the bank, maybe the size of the retirement plan, it could be how well my favorite team is doing, or whether or not my favorite political party is currently in power. For many, it’s tied to what your Dr. tells you after an unplanned appointment. Sometimes, especially around Christmas, joy is tied to who we get to spend time with during the Christmas season. And while none of those things is inherently wrong, Many of them are almost completely beyond our ability to control. Yet our joy is tied to them.

Leading up to our communion time this morning, Marc read to us from Hebrews 12:1-2

Hebrews 12:1–2 (ESV)

1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,

2 looking to Jesus, the Founder and Perfecter of our faith, Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

I have yet to see a commercial picturing this type of joy, which is not at all surprising, it doesn’t sell. Unfortunately, much of the times we rarely see joy, as defined in Scripture, declared from the pulpits of our world. Again, it doesn’t sell, doesn’t attract people to the pews, which means less money in the offering plates. Honestly, it’s a catch 22 for many pastors. Oftentimes mainline denominations gage the success of their pastors by the growth of the church, both numerically as well as giving increases from one year to the next. This puts undue pressure on pastors to soften the message to attract more people. This isn’t a new struggle for God’s chosen leaders. It has been around for thousands of years. That leads us to a very important question on this Advent of Joy Sunday.

What is not the source of the lasting joy we see in Scripture. Ecclesiastes. 2:1-2

When Ecclesiastes chapter 2:1-2, was written, the Nation of Israel had reached the zenith of it’s power and wealth during the reign of King Solomon. The early days of King Solomon’s reign, displayed a great leader who only asked of God that he would be given wisdom to lead God’s people in a way that was pleasing to God. God not only grated him that wisdom, He also granted Solomon great wealth and power. Unfortunately, Solomon allowed the wealth and power to rule his heart in such a way that it overruled the great wisdom God had given him. His pursuit of joy through wealth, possessions and power became his god. Towards the end of his life he began to recognize what had happened and it was during that time, probably somewhere between 935-930 BC, that he wrote the Book of Ecclesiastes. This faulty pursuit of the worlds joy brought him to the point where he put quill to parchment and wrote these words:

Ecclesiastes 2:1–2 (ESV)

1 I said in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure; enjoy yourself.” But behold, this also was vanity. 2I said of laughter, “It is mad,” and of pleasure, “What use is it?”

Do you pick up the dispair in his voice in the words he records?

Here he was, at the end of his life, most likely the wealthiest man who ever lived in all of history, and he realizes that his pursuit of worldly joy had brought him to the point great dispair. He realized that wealth, possessions and power did not bring with them lasting joy.

A side note to this story, his pursuit of worldly joy also did great damage to the way he raised his children. For after his death, his son Rehoboam reigned as king, and in a matter of weeks the Nation of Israel was divided into 2 nations because Rehoboam wanted even more of what his father had.

Solomons pursuit of worldly joy brought nothing but dispair, and an end to the unified Nation of Israel.

That brings us to an important question;

Where does Joy come from? Hab. 3:17-19

So while Solomon wrote the sorrow of Ecclesiastes when the Nation of Israel was at it’s peak in every way, adversely, Habakkuk writes less than 40 years before the Babylonian captivity. By then the Northern Kingdom had been taken captive by the Assyrians, and the Babylonians were knocking on the door of the Southern Kingdom of Judah. Habakkuk writes, hoping to send a wakeup call to the Southern Kingdom. His book is filled with dispair, yet he closes out the book with the following powerful declaration of where his joy came from:

The New International Version (Chapter 3)

Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls,18 yet I will rejoice in the LORD,I will be joyful in God my Savior.19 The Sovereign LORD is my strength; He makes my feet like the feet of a deer, He enables me to tread on the heights.

Did you notice the difference between the writing of Solomon, when he and the Nation of Israel were inundated with wealth and politically at its peak, and the writing of Habakkuk, writing in the last days of the nation, facing their upcoming captivity?

What was it that moved each heart to write what they wrote?

Solomon wrote from the heart of a man trusting in himself and his own riches.

Habakkuk wrote from a heart trusting in the sovereign Lord and the riches of His mercy.

Ones worldly joy was bound in wealth, possessions and power and was fleeting. The others joy was bound in the sovereign Lord, not dependent on wealth possessions and power, and was unending. Habakkuk’s mind was focused, not on the things of the world, but the things of God. Habakkuk’s joy was:

Joy In What God Had Done. Lk. 1:41-45; Gen. 12:1-3; Gal. 3:7-9

Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist, understood the heart of Habakkuk and his joy in what God had done, when she was visited by a pregnant Mary and exclaimed joyfully:

Luke 1:41–45 (ESV)

And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, 42and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the Fruit of your womb!

43And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me?

44For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.

45And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”

But I want you to notice something about her joy. Her joy was not in the baby she was carrying in her old age, but in the baby the youthful Mary was carrying. Her joy was in the soon to come Messiah. Her joy was in the Lord of creation.

The Apostle Paul understood the joy Elizabeth had at the coming Messiah, joy in what God had already done. His mind was likely drawn to Genesis 12:1-3

When he wrote Galatians 3:7-9

Galatians 3:7–9 (ESV)

Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham.

8 And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.”

9 So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.

Similar to the joy of Elizabeth, Paul’s joy was not limited to the redemption of the Nation of Israel, his own people, but also in the redemption of the Gentiles, whom just a few years earlier he hated.

But there was also something else that brought the Apostle Paul great joy. He also had:

Joy in what God Was Doing at That Time. Gal. 5:22-25

In Galatians 5, Paul writes of the great things the Spirit of God was accomplishing in the lives of the believers when he writes; Galatians 5:22-25

Galatians 5:22–25 (ESV)

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.

Notice Paul is writing in the present tense. He isn’t writing of that which is to come, but that which is already there in the lives of the believers.

This brings us to part of what we are seeking as we celebrate Advent each year, and that is seeking hope, peace &;

Joy In What God Will Do. Isaiah 35:10

When Isaiah wrote Isaiah 35, he was writing something that had both a near, as well as a future fulfillment. The near fulfillment came during the reign of King Hezekiah. We looked at his father last week. His father was the wicked king Ahaz, who led the nation into idol worship, even sacrificing at least 2 sons to those idols.

Hezekian led the Nation of Judah into great spiritual reform. He worked hard to rid the nation of the idols. The near fulfillment Isaiah writes of took place during the reign of Hezekiah. But Isaiah was also writing of a future fulfillment. A future fulfillment that will take place when Jesus returns for His second coming. He writes of the eternal rescue of the saints of God in Isaiah 35:10

Isaiah 35:10 (ESV)

And the ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

Isaiah writes of a future joy, both a near future, during the reign of Hezekiah, as well as an eternal future.

We also see Jesus mind on a future joy, in Hebrews 12 vs. 1&2. which Marc used this morning during our Communion, and which we also looked at earlier in this morning’s message.

There is a reason for this, there are times that it is very difficult, if not impossible, to have joy in the moment. Isaiah understood that, and so did Jesus, as He hung on the cross.

There are times you and I can relate to Isaiah and Jesus in a big way. Joy in the moment is a difficult thing to take hold of in the here and now. So we do what both Isaiah and Jesus did, we take hold of a future joy. A future joy that for the believer is a confident expectation, based on the promises of Scripture. Promises made by a sovereign, all powerful God.

So, as we close out our time this morning;

Where Does Your Joy Come From? John 17: 13 & 25-26

Jesus desire is for all of us to have unending joy. That is why He came to earth and shed His blood on the cross. Just a few days beforeHe faced the cross, He was challenging His followers in John 17 to stand strong, even though it would be difficult to have joy in the moment. He ended His challenge with a time of prayer, a time of prayer heard, not only by His Father in heaven, but also by many of His followers. In praying for the Disciples, He prays;

John 17:13 (ESV)

13 But now I am coming to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves.

He is asking the Father to grant that the disciples would have His joy, joy that would come despite great hardship and tribulation. That same joy we looked at in Hebrews 12 vs. 1-2 earlier, that would be fulfilled as countless people surrender their lives to the Lord. The disciples experienced this joy as they were used of God to bring thousands upon thousands to place their faith and trust in the risen Savior.

But He doesn’t just prayer for the Disciples, He also prayers for all believers when He prays;

John 17:25–26 (ESV)

25 O righteous Father, even though the world does not know You, I know You, and these know that You have sent Me.

26 I made known to them Your Name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which You have loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”

Similar to His prayer for the Disciples, Jesus is praying that all believers would experience unending joy in the love of the Father, and in the presence of the Son, as He makes His home in them.

So, where does real joy, unending joy come from. It comes from God the Father, as we set our minds on Him, and take joy in what He has done in the past, in what we see and experience Him doing now, an in what we can confidently expect He will do in the future.

Good News of Great Joy!

Let’s close our time this morning in prayer.