Christmas: A Time For Joy.

INTRODUCTION

I remember going crazy waiting for Christmas as a child (until I was 35).

In my hometown, we have a town square, and each year, a few weeks before Christmas, they move a tiny Santa house on the square!

WE KNEW SANTA WAS COMING!

My excitement, anticipation, and joy grew each day I went by the Santa house.

Then came the time to see Santa!

Oh my, that was exciting!

Santa gave me hope that I would get the loot I was so desperately wanting!

I grew up in a dark time when kids did not get every single thing they wanted, so Christmas was a time when hope and joy abounded!

When you are anticipating good things, joy overflows.

As I have matured a little over the many years, my perspective on Christmas has matured.

I used to get joy during Christmas over what I was going to receive.

Now, my joy comes from giving, and more importantly, my joy comes from knowing that God loved me so much that He sent His Son to free me from the bondage of sin and to give me eternal life through His Son Jesus!

When we harken back to our main passage in Isaiah 40:1-5, we remember that the nation of Israel was in a bad way; they were going from captivity to captivity because of their disobedience.

In the midst of these dark times, God gave the nation hope; God gave them something to look forward to, something to anticipate.

Anticipation can breed joy.

Joy is something that transcends our station in life or the circumstances we face because we know we have something coming that is so great that the stuff we face now is nothing in comparison!

Jesus talked about joy and happiness throughout his teachings.

For example, describing the idea of joy from Matthew chapter 5, Bible Commentator Michael Green states:

“It is as if Jesus is saying that life in the kingdom with him is a life of profound joy, a joy that no person and no circumstance can take away. And this blessedness is not reserved for some nebulous future. It is for now! It is the mark of those who have really surrendered to the King and tasted his grace, although of course there is a future to rejoice in too” (Michael Green, The Message of Matthew: The Kingdom of Heaven, The Bible Speaks Today [Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2000], 89–90).

Tidings of comfort and joy! Joy is brought to the world through Jesus.

God did not just want to bring comfort and peace to the weary, but also joy because of the salvation that God is bringing to his people.

Big Idea of the Message: The Christmas season is a time of joy. God wants his people to be joyful in their redemption.

Let’s turn to verses 8 and 9 of Luke 2.

Luke 2:8–9 (NET 2nd ed.)

8 Now there were shepherds nearby living out in the field, keeping guard over their flock at night.

9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were absolutely terrified.

SERMON

I. The shepherds’ encounter with joy.

The life of a shepherd was difficult.

Because of the nature of their job.

The religious authorities of the temple had such a strongly negative view of the shepherd that they kept them from participating in the religious ceremonies in Jerusalem (Craig Keener, IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament [Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2014], 185)!

The Mishnah (a transcription of Jewish oral tradition, authoritative for Jewish life) includes some unkind passages about shepherds.

It says shepherds are incompetent and that if a shepherd falls into a pit, no one should feel obligated to rescue him (Randy Alcorn, "Shepherd Status," in Come Thou Long Expected Jesus: Experiencing the Peace and Promise of Christmas, ed. Nancy Guthrie [Wheaton, IL: Good News Publisher, 2008], 87)!

Imagine being a shepherd in a society where the religious leaders taught that if you were trapped and needed help, no one need feel obligated to help you.

These guys also smelled like their sheep, and that was not a pleasant smell.

The life of a shepherd was not one that brought great joy; they did not have much to anticipate in life.

These guys were going to live with their sheep and die without much fanfare with their sheep.

I think many people live their lives with nothing to look forward to.

Their life is a life of existence, one that does not have a great anticipation for the present or the future.

How do you look at your life?

Do you wake up daily full of joy, wondering what God will do through your life today?

Or do you wake up wondering why you woke up?

One can understand why a person without Jesus can exist this way; however, many who are “in” Christ seem to have the same outlook concerning their life.

The shepherds need something to bring them some joy and something to anticipate in their lives.

During this time in Israel’s history, the Roman Empire controlled them, and for centuries, the nation looked forward to being delivered.

The nation sought to be delivered from the clutches of Rome; however, God had something so much bigger in store for the nation and all people of all nations.

One of the reasons we lack a sense of joy and anticipation in life is that we expect and anticipate so little from God.

Because of their circumstances, the nation was short-sighted; they thought joy would come from deliverance from Rome.

God wanted to give the people total freedom from sin and eternal life.

Here is a group of shepherds, basically outcasts of society; the night began as nothing special; it was an ordinary night in the field with the sheep.

All of the sudden, this ordinary night became an extraordinary one they would never forget.

An angel of the Lord appeared!

What were these men thinking when this happened?

Astonishment: The sudden appearance of the angels would have left the shepherds in awe and wonder.

They might have been taken aback by the extraordinary sight and the radiant glory surrounding the heavenly messengers.

Fear and Apprehension: It's natural to assume that fear gripped the shepherds upon encountering such a supernatural event.

The overwhelming presence of divine beings initially sparked a sense of trepidation within them.

Verse 9 tells us they were terrified!

Questions and Confusion: The shepherds, being ordinary individuals, would likely have been puzzled and perplexed by the appearance of the angels.

They might have wondered why such celestial beings had chosen to reveal themselves to humble shepherds like them.

Hope and Anticipation: Amidst their fear and confusion, the shepherds may have also felt a glimmer of hope and expectation.

They might have wondered if this extraordinary event held a significant message or a divine purpose that could positively change their lives and the world.

Reverence and Surrender: Recognizing the divine nature of the angels, the shepherds may have felt compelled to bow down in reverence and humble themselves before the heavenly messengers.

They would have understood that they were in the presence of something holy and sacred.

Spiritual Awakening: The appearance of the angels likely stirred a deep spiritual awakening within the shepherds.

They may have sensed that this encounter marked a pivotal moment in their lives, leading them to a deeper understanding of God's plan and purpose.

Curiosity and Eagerness: The shepherds might have felt a strong desire to listen attentively and absorb every word spoken by the angels.

They would have been curious about the message the angels brought and eager to comprehend its significance.

Gratitude and Wonder: Despite their initial fear, the shepherds might have felt overwhelming gratitude for being chosen as recipients of this divine revelation.

They would have marveled at the privilege of being part of such a momentous event.

These thoughts would have been a whirlwind of emotions and reflections as the shepherds grappled with the awe-inspiring encounter with the angels in that sacred moment.

When we encounter Jesus, most of us have the same questions running through our heads.

These shepherds had an encounter with JOY!

Have you encountered JOY, or is life just boring and ordinary?

Luke 2:10–11 (NET 2nd ed.)

10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid! Listen carefully, for I proclaim to you good news that brings great joy to all the people:

11 Today your Savior is born in the city of David. He is Christ the Lord.

II. The reason for joy.

The angel tried to calm the shepherds.

He tells them not to be afraid!

Many people reject the joy of Jesus because of fear.

Following Jesus is unknown; no matter how miserable one’s life is, one knows the misery.

When I was going to give my lie to Jesus, I was afraid.

For most of us, when we seek an encounter with God, it is intimidating, and we become fearful, and the enemy plays on that fear.

I feared letting God down, I feared failure, I feared change.

The angel sees the obvious fear in the shepherds, so before he delivers a message, he tells them not to be afraid.

When we are about to share the message of Jesus, we need to let folks know that they do not need to be afraid!

Was the appearance of the angels alone a reason for joy?

NO!

It was the message!

In verse 10, the angel said he was bringing good news that brings great JOY to all people!

The good news is that the Savior, Jesus, was about to be born into this world!

The Savior was born to redeem the people, to deliver the people from their bondage and to give them eternal life!

As a Christian, the MESSAGE of Jesus should be our source of joy.

When we seek to tell others about Jesus, our focus needs to be on the message of Jesus.

It is not about the church or the band or the preacher; those are all vehicles that should point people to the message of Jesus!

The angel said the good news that would bring great joy was JESUS!

The good news was not a church program or a self-improvement plan; it was JESUS!

We need to take the message that Jesus came and died and rose on the third day so that a person can have eternal life, the forgiveness of sins, and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit!

We need to seek to win people to Jesus!

There are times when people get upset at church over trivial things; if we focus on the reason for our JOY, Jesus, things that are trivial will not tear us down in the church and in life!

Good old Isaiah spoke about the coming Messiah in Isaiah 51.

Isaiah 51:11–12 (NET 2nd ed.)

11 Those whom the Lord has ransomed will return; they will enter Zion with a happy shout. Unending joy will crown them, happiness and joy will overwhelm them; grief and suffering will disappear.

12 “I, I am the one who consoles you. Why are you afraid of mortal men, of mere human beings who are as short-lived as grass?

Around 700 years before Jesus came to us, God revealed through the Prophet Isaiah that Jesus would do some wonderful things!

Verse 11 tells us that UNENDING JOY will crown us, that happiness and joy will overwhelm us, and that grief and suffering will DISAPPEAR!

Let’s move to a final thought.

III. The impact of joy.

The message of the angel brought great joy to the shepherds, and it impacted them in a profound way to do something.

They left the post to go see Jesus!

The message of joy should move us to do something.

The shepherds were changed!

In Luke 2:20, we see that change.

Luke 2:20 (NET 2nd ed.)

20 So the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen; everything was just as they had been told.

When we encounter Jesus, we should NEVER be the same!

These shepherds would spread the good news about the Messiah!

Joy is a transformative force in our lives!

Our faith and trust in God will grow as our joy grows.

We express that joy through worship and celebration!

I can never understand a Christian who has to think about coming to church each week.

If you have the joy of Jesus in your life, wouldn’t one want to come together with others with joy to worship and celebrate Jesus together?

I love Cardinal baseball, and whenever I can go to the ballpark, I will be with other fans.

Fortunately for me, Phoenix has Busch Stadium West, so I saw them there also. 😀

It is fun to be with others who love what you love.

If you love Jesus, don’t you want to be with others who love him also?

Another impact the good news should have on our lives is how we treat others.

We need to be loving, kind, and gracious to others.

CONCLUSION

When we were kids, nothing could compare to the joy and excitement of Christmas morning and the gifts that were awaiting us under the tree.

When we try to understand joy, think of that happiness and freedom that you experienced on Christmas.

God wants us to experience that joy for what he has done in our lives.

Application Point: We will be people of joy knowing we are redeemed.

Do not let anything or anyone cheat you out of the joy we are to have in Jesus!