Jesus Joy

I love the Christmas season but the one thing I don’t like is the time of year is the long hours of darkness. This is the darkest part of the calendar… the least amount of daylight… the shortest days of the year… the first day of winter is December 21.

To me, it is depressing when the sun sets around 5pm and rises at 8am. This is the time of year when I feel like I could go to bed at 6…

When we talk about Joy… Really?

This is the season of Joy? If we only lived in the southern hemisphere the days would be 14 hours instead of 9.

As so many people are dealing with depression, here is the Joy of Christmas? How is this the most wonderful time of the year?

Jesus Joy cannot be another credit card bill, or car payment, or a family vacation to Disney… our Jesus joy isn’t based on the amount of daylight we have.

Jesus Joy is about God fulfilling HIS promise so that we can have a relationship with HIM. That’s what Christmas is all about.

God coming down to earth, where we live in the midst of deep darkness.

All humanity was alone, helpless and hopeless… that’s why Jesus came as the fulfillment of the OT. Jesus is the promised Messiah, Jesus is Emmanuel, God With Us.

That’s why we can have Jesus joy. It’s found in God’s promise, the Christ of Christmas that gives us true Jesus joy.

First we talked about real peace from the Prince of Peace. Today we will talk about the Christ of Christmas that gives us real joy, Jesus Joy.

The winter solstice is the perfect time for Christmas lights. Christmas lights shine bright in the darkness. Even though I enjoy the Christmas Lights, I don’t like setting up Christmas lights. I always appreciate the work that goes into a great light display when the lights shine in rhythm with the Christmas music and some people do it every year.

It’s something about those Christmas lights that lift up our spirit. I love looking at our Christmas Tree in a quiet house just sitting on my couch drinking coffee. That brings me much joy as I reflect on the beauty of Christmas.

Jesus did all the work to make Christmas special, to bring us joy in the midst of our darkness.

Jesus came to give us real Joy. Not based on circumstances or outcomes… Not based on being rich or poor… Not based on the approval or disapproval of others… Not based on the time of year or the weather outside.

Jesus Joy outlasts and overcomes all odds because Jesus Joy is rooted in God’s perfect plan… wonderful purpose… exact timing.

Jesus Joy is rooted in the all knowing, all powerful, all present creator, the savior and king who loves us and has nothing but good plans for us.

We just need to stay rooted in the Christ of Christmas to live with that Jesus Joy.

In Luke 1 we will be observing 2 well known women in the real story of Christmas. Two women who were pregnant, both expecting sons, but both were in very different seasons of life…

Mary was young and engaged to be marred and not wanting nor ready to have children yet…

Elizabeth was older and barren for many years yet her and her husband prayed for that ability to have children and God answered her prayers.

For Mary, this was not the answer she was praying for. God just overshadowed her through the Holy Spirit and she became pregnant. This wasn’t ideal, but it was God’s perfect plan. So let’s begin at v 26…

Luke 1:26–29 ESV

26 In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” 29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be.

Luke 1:30–33 ESV

30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

Conceiving something so amazing sounded like a huge deal, it sounded so wonderful but all this was impossible.

Luke 1:34 ESV

34 And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”

Luke 1:35–38 ESV

35 And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. 36 And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.” 38 And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

PRAY

Jesus joy happens when we are rooted in the Christ of Christmas.

Jesus joy must be intentional, it’s not automatic, it is not our natural tendency.

Jesus joy is a choice, it’s a belief, and it’s a response.

Jesus Joy happens when as we…

Choose to rely on God’s promise every day

Consistency is the key… It’s the key to parenting… in relationships… in keeping a job…

Consistency is the key to our spiritual walk. Consistently going to church… praying… reading and studying God’s Word.

We have to know God’s promises if we are going to rely on God’s promises.

Mary knew God’s promise.

She knew that the Messiah was going to come just as God promised…

the Messiah would come from the linage of King David, she knew Joseph, her fiancé was in that family linage…

Isaiah 7:14 talked about the Messiah coming from a virgin

Isaiah 7:14 ESV

14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

Gabriel said that she was highly favored, chosen by God to carry God’s promised deliverer.

She asked the angel

Luke 1:34 ESV

34 And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”

Here is the confirmation… your relative, Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son and she is 6 months along. If God can make this happen, God can use you to conceive HIS Son even as a virgin.

The angel Gabriel reassured her by saying…

Luke 1:37 ESV

37 For nothing will be impossible with God.”

God is able… that is HIS promise… nothing is every impossible with God.

We may not know all the details, we may not be the one in control of everything, we may not call the shots but we must be the one to choose to rely on God’s promises every day.

Mary found joy trusting in God’s promise even when she knew she would be facing the possibility of scrutiny and scandal.

This teenage girl responded with such a mature yet innocent, even naive faith.

Luke 1:38 ESV

38 And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

I may not know the outcome but as long as I know God’s promise and believe God’s promise I can have Jesus Joy in the waiting.

Jesus Joy happens as we…

Believe that our circumstances are not intended to derail but to solidify our faith

After Gabriel left Mary she went up to Zechariah and Elizabeth’s house. Maybe she wanted to confirm what the angel said about Elizabeth but when she was there she was encouraged.

Luke 1:39–45 ESV

39 In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, 40 and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41 And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, 42 and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43 And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45 And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”

Mary received more then confirmation, she recieved Holy Spirit led encouragement. She needed a timely word from someone who knows what she is going through, who knew God’s promise and who was faithfully living for the Lord.

This meeting with Elizabeth was exactly what Mary needed because her circumstances could have easily caused her life to derail.

The weight Mary was carrying was beyond heavy… the shame… the pressure… the appearance of pregnancy out of wedlock…

This impossible task that God was putting her through. Nobody would understand this miraculous method of giving birth to the promised Messiah.

She needed encouragement…

VIDEO…

God uses circumstances to solidify our faith. Jesus’ brother James said it this way

James 1:2–4 ESV

2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

Are we going to put on our happy face and suck it up? No we aren’t called to fake it until we make it but we can have joy in whatever circumstances we face when we face persecution, and trials because of our faith in Jesus we are becoming more perfect in the process. That’s what gives us Jesus Joy, God is with us in the process.

Jesus Joy happens as we…

See praise as the weapon that God gave us to overcome.

Thanksgiving and praise are the things that will shift our outlook from “oh my” to “Oh YES!”… Oh my, I can’t handle this to Oh yes, God’s got this… from this is impossible to impossible is nothing to Jesus. I choose to exalt the one who is able to handle my circumstance, my bad situation, God, I’m going to trust YOU!

When we magnify the ONE who overcome everything and surrender it all to HIS plan then we will overcome! We have nothing to be afraid of.

Mary responds with praise. She focuses on the one who promised to be with her no matter what.

Luke 1:46–55 (ESV)

46 And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, 47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48 for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; 49 for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name.

50 And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. 51 He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; 52 he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate; 53 he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty.

54 He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, 55 as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”

My soul magnifies the Lord and I rejoice in the Lord. Why…?

Because HE has… looked on me… called me blessed… is mighty, has done great things for me.

Because HE has had mercy on me… He has been strong through this… He has exalted the humble… filled me, provided for me…

God’s blessing and God’s promise is for those who fear HIM, who come to HIM humbly, who are poor in spirit.

Psalm 32:11 NLT

11 So rejoice in the Lord and be glad, all you who obey him! Shout for joy, all you whose hearts are pure!

Psalm 64:10 NLT

10 The godly will rejoice in the Lord and find shelter in him. And those who do what is right will praise him.

Paul encourages the church to rejoice in the Lord not because your circumstances are amazing but because the Lord is amazing!

Philippians 4:4–7 (NASB95)

4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! 5 Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. 6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:8 NASB95

8 Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.

What are you dwelling on?

Jesus Joy will flow out of a heart that if full of praise. It may not change our circumstances but it will change our attitude and our outcome. When we praise we allow God to build up our faith.

Take Away:

Jesus Joy Happens when we…

Choose to Rely on God’s PROMISE everyday!

Believe that our circumstances are not intended to DERAIL but to SOLIDIFY our faith.

See praise as the WEAPON that God gave us to OVERCOME.