Joy To The World

I have told you before that the story of the Shepherds is my favorite of the Christmas stories.

Luke tells about the forgotten all through his gospel.

In a day of Religious men, Luke tells Mary’s story.

In a day of high power Greek warriors and Pharisees that control everything that happened in religious Jerusalem, Luke tells the story of Shepherds listening to the distant city noise of Jerusalem as they watch their animals on a hillside in the cool of the desert night.

But that is the Christmas scene where we say is filled with Joy-

In the Biblical story, who is happy? That first century day, you could hear the latest news and hear of a few weddings, but the weight of the news kept people generally from being happy.

You read the Romans went into a neighborhood today and got violent with a crowd and injured some teenagers.

The cost of having the Romans taking a big bite of every one of your paychecks to fund their war machine far away was enough to keep everyone in the family worried.

And now, is a special time… months ago the govenrnment sent out a note … . Registration… the whole month, people have been traveling to their family home towns to be counted in a frivolous census… an unplanned and expensive vacation no one can afford to take.

Joy to the world? Happy, satisfied? Joy. Those wouldn't’ be words people would use.

Tense time

Reason there are Zealots- taking up arms against the Romans is so the Jewish people can kick them out and they can be happy again.

Reason there is Pharisees— maybe if we work and pray hard enough, we can become righteous enough God will hear our prayers and kick out the Romans— be free. THEN WE WILL HAVE JOY

In 2010 Julia Roberts was in a movie called “Eat, Pray, Love”. Her character Elizabeth Gilbert goes through a divorce. she is dissatisfied with her successful career and life in New York. Has another relationship that doesn’t work out. The wreck that is her life makes her reflect and say, “I want to go someplace where I can marvel at something."

Decides to spend a year traveling alone- Food and Pleasure - Italy, Spiritual enlightenment - India, balance in - Bali.

Gilbert’s story is she couldn’t find it staying where she was.

Many today may say the same thing. Go on a search to find joy…

Lets talk about what is behind the verse behind the song, Joy to the World

Luke 2:10–11 HCSB

But the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people: Today a Savior, who is Messiah the Lord, was born for you in the city of David.

Fundamentally the announcement was a change.

Good News

A Savior, a messiah, For you (Born in the city of David)

Some people are happy— find their own joy, change things around, put on a sunny disposition.

Others - great experiences, satisfaction in their professional work

That is not what is happening here. God sent his son to do what you could not do. Bring you salvation. Reason for Joy. NO one can take it away. It is my inheritance, I have eternal life.

1 Peter 3:18 HCSB

For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, that He might bring you to God, after being put to death in the fleshly realm but made alive in the spiritual realm.

Shepherds that night were not the Julia Roberts type… they were locked in a station of life where they couldn’t get ahead. You can’t work harder and make your life better. — they couldn’t even participate in the Temple Worship as many could, station in life. shepherds provided lambs for others… god provided this on for them

Joy was brought and announced TO them.

Luke 2:10 HCSB

But the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people:

To you

A MAN one day was low on funds and all he had was one valuable thing to his name—a family ring that had been passed down for generations. He didn’t want to part with the ring that so full of memories, but he needed money to survive. He took his ring off, took it to the pawnshop, and gave it to the pawnbroker. The pawnbroker gave him a few dollars for it accompanied by a ticket. On the back of the ticket, a redemption price and date were listed.

The gentleman intended to buy his ring back but the date rolled quickly and he still did not have the money. He came and pled with the pawnbroker not to sell his ring in his shop. He begged for more time but the pawnbroker would not budge from the original agreement.

The next day was the day for the ring to be sold. The remorseful seller came by that day only to find his beautiful ring polished and sitting in the shop window. It now cost twenty-five times the price he sold it for.

Some of us today have pawned our lives for a pittance. We pawned our souls and we don’t have what it takes to redeem it. But, two thousand years ago, God sent Jesus Christ to pick up the tab for the lives we pawned. The beautiful thing about the Lord Jesus Christ is that He can afford to pay the price.

At one place in our lives, we find that we do not have what we thought we were going to have. We have messed up, others have helped mess things up. Life is hard, dissapointing and painful.

God brought for us a savior

Brought the annoucement just for us

And it was the redemption we need — good news of great joy.