"The Great Joy of Christmas”

During the lean years of the Great Depression, a family struggled to make ends meet. One day, they heard exciting news: a traveling fair was coming to their town. The tickets to the grand event were priced at one dollar. A young boy in the family couldn’t contain his excitement and ran home, pleading with his father for the money.

The father, burdened by their financial struggles, gently explained, “Son, I don’t have a dollar to give you. But if you go out and work hard, earning what you can, I’ll match whatever you save.”

The boy sprang into action, doing chores for neighbors, carrying packages, and collecting odd jobs wherever he could. Days passed, and by the time the fair arrived, he had just enough money, with his father’s contribution, to buy a ticket. Overjoyed, he ran to town and purchased it.

When the big day came, he clutched his ticket and hurried to the main square, where the fair parade was passing through. He watched in awe as performers, floats, and animals paraded down the street. A magician waved his wand, jugglers tossed flaming batons, and horses trotted gracefully. The boy was spellbound. At one point, a performer came near, and the boy, thinking it was part of the experience, handed over his precious ticket.

After the parade ended, the boy rushed home, his face aglow. “Dad, I went to the fair! It was incredible!” he exclaimed.

His father, puzzled that the boy was back so quickly, asked him to describe it. The boy eagerly recounted the parade—the performers, the music, and how he gave his ticket to one of them. Gently, his father put a hand on his shoulder and said, “Son, I’m glad you enjoyed it. But that wasn’t the fair—you only saw the parade.”

This reminds me of how easily we can miss the deeper meaning of Christmas. We get wrapped up in the festivities—the lights, the gifts, the music—and think we’ve experienced it all. But in reality, we’re only watching the parade, not embracing the true heart of the celebration: the joy, love, and deeper purpose of Christmas.

I want each of you to know the real joy of Christmas. This morning we’re refining our focus to the announcement of joy that was shared with the shepherds that first Christmas night for us to see that

The great joy of Christmas comes through receiving God’s gift of the Savior, Christ the Lord

I recognize that you may not consider yourself very religious or strong in the faith and yet, you may have some good feelings at this season. It is a wonderful time of the year. It’s always good to be with family and friends, to enjoy good food, and to exchange gifts. But I’m talking about something different, something deeper. The true joy of Christmas lasts all year long. It is the abiding joy of knowing for certain that things are right between you and God. It is the contentment that comes from knowing that you have a hope that holds constant beyond the uncertainties of this life. That kind of lasting joy comes only to the one who has personally received God’s gift of the Savior.

Why did the angel describe the news about the Savior as “great joy”?

The news about the Savior brings great joy because it is good news for sinners

Well, let’s imagine how frightening the shepherd’s experience would have been. They had been sitting in the dark night, perhaps with only the light of a flickering fire, when suddenly the sky lit up like noontime! Add to that the sudden appearance of the angel. It was enough to scare anyone!

The shepherds sitting in darkness are a picture of the lost human race, sitting in the darkness of sin and the shadow of death. When the glory of God in his holiness suddenly breaks in on people who live in the darkness of sin, the only response is great fear. In the Bible, even when godly people encounter God or his holy angels, fear is the only response. When God appeared to Moses on Mount Sinai, the mountain shook and there were lightning flashes, thunder, a thick cloud, and the sound of a loud trumpet. The people were so afraid that they dared not come near the mountain. When the godly Isaiah saw God through a vision, he cried out, “Woe is me, for I am lost.” Suddenly, he realized that he was a sinner. It is always a fearful thing for a sinner to see a manifestation of God and his glory.

The truth is, whether inside this church or outside our walls, far too few know anything of the fear of God’s impending judgment on sinners. We have pulled God down and made him out to be a crippled old man who is tolerant of our sins. We think that the only ones he will judge are the worst of the worst—murderers and those who would hurt children. And, we have lifted humanity up, so that we mistakenly think that most people are basically good. And there’s a consequence to this shift. As a result, we don’t understand what the Bible teaches about God’s terrible wrath against sin and the great danger that threatens every person outside of Christ. And so, we don’t really appreciate the good news of the coming of the Savior.

Think of it this way: Imagine you’re enjoying a sunny afternoon, sitting on a park bench and reading a book. Out of nowhere, someone grabs you by the arm, pulling you up and dragging you away from your spot. You’d likely be furious and shout, “What are you doing? Let me go!” They reply, “I’m saving you from the park!” Confused and annoyed, you’d probably say, “Saving me? From what? I’m fine! You just interrupted my peaceful afternoon and tore my shirt.”

But now, picture this: you’re sitting on the same park bench, unaware that a massive branch above you is about to fall. Just as it starts to crack, someone rushes in, grabs you by the arm, and pulls you out of harm’s way just as the branch crashes down where you were sitting. You might still have a torn shirt and a sore arm, but you wouldn’t be angry this time. Instead, you’d be incredibly grateful because you realized that without their intervention, you could have been seriously hurt—or worse.

Why the difference? In the first scenario, you didn’t recognize any danger, so the interruption seemed unnecessary and bothersome. In the second, you understood the peril you were in, and the rescue made all the difference.

This is much like how people perceive salvation. Many don’t realize they are in danger and don’t see the need for saving. But when someone recognizes the gravity of their situation, they are profoundly grateful for the rescue.

The Bible says that if you have not received Jesus Christ as your Savior, whether you realize it or not, you are in the greatest imaginable danger—eternal danger. If you should die without Christ, you will have to stand before a holy God against whom you have committed many offenses. The Bible says,

Hebrews 9:27 ESV

And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,

After death it is too late to repent. No amount of good works or good intentions on your part will help in the day of judgment. And so, like these shepherds sitting in darkness and suddenly seeing this blinding light, you should be terribly frightened at the thought of God’s holy presence.

Against that backdrop, the message that the Savior has been born is the best of all possible news, because it brings the promise of eternal life to those who are under God’s judgment. So the news that a Savior has been born, who will deliver all who receive him, is truly “good news of a great joy.”

The news about the Savior brings great joy because it is true news

Now good news is only good if it is true.

If I said something like, “I have an incredible announcement to share, and I can hardly contain my excitement. This is bigger than any Black Friday deal or giveaway you've ever heard of. Thanks to the generosity of an anonymous benefactor, everyone here today in person is going to receive a brand-new car, fully paid for—taxes, registration, everything! Sorry to those watching online; this gift is only for those physically present in the room.” Each of you who are here would be caught up in amazement. Those watching online who could be here would be upset that they chose Bedside Baptist over a new ride. And the excitement would trigger the question, “Pastor Dan, really? A new car for each of us? That would bring a lot of joy to us!” And if I then said, “Nah, I’m just kidding.” You wouldn’t rejoice. That news is worth­less because it’s not true.

The news that Jesus Christ is born as the Savior is nothing more than a sick joke if it is not true news. If it’s just a nice legend that warms our hearts every Christmas, then let’s get rid of it once and for all, because it is offering hope for eternity where there is really none. But if it is true news, then we must believe and act upon it.

Luke wants us know that this news is true. In Luke 1:3, he says that he had investigated everything carefully from the beginning. His gospel was the fruit of careful research. Most scholars believe that Mary, the mother of our Lord, was Luke’s direct source for the information in the birth narrative. Luke 2:19 reports that Mary “treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.” To doubt what has been recorded by Luke is to pit your word against that of a woman of integrity who was personally closer to these events than anyone else.

The witness of the shepherds further confirms the historical accuracy of these events. There was no reason for them to make up a story about seeing the angels. Luke 2:20 says that the things that the shepherds heard and saw were “just as had been told them.”

The things that they heard and saw—a common couple and their baby in a stable—were not the sort of things one would make up. If people were going to make up a story about the birth of a Savior, it would have sounded more like a fairy tale, with a palace in the capital of Jerusalem, not a stable in Bethlehem. The Savior would have had magical or mythical qualities. But there is none of that. Rather we find the straightforward reporting of events as they happened.

Certainly there are miracles: the virgin conception of Jesus in Mary’s womb; the appearances of angels. But these events are presented matter-of-factly, not in a way that sounds like make-believe. Unless you and I just want to erase these miracles by assuming that they cannot happen, there is no reason to doubt these reliable eyewitness accounts.

The truth of the story is further confirmed by the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies. Luke says that Jesus was born in the city of David. Micah 5:2 The prophet Micah prophesied 700 years before, that Bethlehem would be the place of Messiah’s birth. In Luke 1:67-79, Zechariah’s prophecy shows how the birth of John the Baptist fulfilled many of Isaiah’s prophecies and would be followed by the coming of Messiah. Luke 3:23-38 demonstrates that Jesus’ lineage goes back through David, thus fulfilling God’s promise to David a thousand years before.

Francis of Assisi built the first Christmas manger scene in 1224. His purpose was to get the people thinking of Christ as a person who really lived, not a two thousand year old version of a Marvel superhero. People in our day need to understand what Francis was trying to get across, namely, the historical truth of the Christian faith. Our culture promotes the idea that if you want to believe in Christianity, that’s O.K. for you. But it’s not for everyone. Whatever you believe is true for you, and whatever I believe is true for me. But there is no such thing as absolute truth in the spiritual realm says culture out there.

But if Jesus was born in history to the virgin Mary, if he fulfilled prophecies made hundreds of years before his birth, and if the events surrounding his birth, life, death, resurrection, and ascension are verified by hundreds of reliable eyewitnesses, then you cannot shrug it off as a nice story that is true for some but not for others. You’re being dishonest with yourself. Jesus Christ is the Savior who was born in history, the living God in human flesh. If God has so acted in history, then it is really good news. If it is all legend, then it is terrible news, because it claims to be God’s revelation to man on the matter of our eternal destiny.

So the news about the Savior brings great joy because it is good news and it is true news.

The news about the Savior brings great joy because it is news of Christ the Lord

He is a unique Person! Consider the uniqueness of this Savior born in Bethlehem.

He is the Christ. Christ is Greek for “anointed one” (the Hebrew is “Messiah”). It means that God the Father sent and anointed Jesus for his mission of salvation. He was anointed as prophet to preach the gospel, as priest to offer sacrifice for sins, and as king to reign. He alone is able to reconcile sinful people to God through his life, his sacrificial death and his resurrection.

He is Christ the Lord. The same word is used in Luke 2:9 and Luke 2:23 to refer to God. The Savior born in Bethlehem is God in human flesh. If he had been only a man, he could not have saved us, because his death would not have affected anyone beyond himself. If he had been an angel, he could not have taken on human sins. But he was Christ the Lord, very God! God alone is great enough to deal with the problem of our sins.

He is a man. He was born in Bethlehem. He did not descend from the sky. He was conceived miraculously in Mary’s womb and went through the stages of development just like any human baby. What a wonder! As a man, the representative Man, he could bear the sins of the human race.

As God in human flesh, Jesus Christ is unique in all the world. He alone qualifies to be the Savior of the world. If you doubt the uniqueness of Jesus, I invite you to read the gospel accounts with the prayer, “God, if Jesus is God in human flesh, reveal that to me and I will believe and obey You.” You will discover that he can be nothing other than fully God and fully man united in one person. That makes the news he brings good news of a great joy.

The news about the Savior brings great joy because it is for all people

The angel said that this news was not just for the shepherds, but for “all the people.” No doubt these Jewish shepherds understood that to mean all the Jewish people. But there is also no doubt that Luke would have his readers know that the good news is for Jew and Gentile alike, for any and all who will call upon the name of the Lord.

It is a fact of history that the gospel applies to all and it transforms all who believe. Savage cannibals have been converted into peaceable missionaries through the good news of Christ. I read of a skeptic who was on a South Sea island. He was mocking Christianity. One of the locals of the island said to him, “If the missionaries had not brought us the gospel and we had not believed, we would have eaten you for dinner by now!” Wherever it goes, the gospel transforms sinful hearts. The gospel “is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.” Put yourself in the shoes of the shepherds.

Luke 2:11 (ESV)

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

Do you believe this? Have you confessed him as your Lord and Savior?

I once read a heartwarming story about a family struggling to make Christmas special. They lived in a small rural town, and every Christmas, the father would drive to the city to bring back a beautiful Christmas tree and some special treats for the kids. But one year, work had dried up, and the family was barely getting by. There was no money for presents, treats, or even a tree.

The kids clung to hope, asking their father if he could still find a tree. Not wanting to let them down, he assured them he’d figure something out. He went into the shed and came back with an old broomstick and some leftover scrap wood. Over the next few hours, he crafted a makeshift “tree,” tying on bits of greenery he gathered from the roadside. The children tried to hide their disappointment, but it was a far cry from the magical trees they were used to.

As the family was adjusting to this modest Christmas, there was a knock at the door. A neighbor stood there with a huge, perfectly shaped Christmas tree and a bundle of gifts. She explained that she’d heard about the family’s situation and wanted to help. The children’s faces lit up with joy, and the father’s heart swelled with gratitude. That tree became the centerpiece of their celebration, and the simple gifts meant more to the family than anything money could buy.

Years later, the woman who had been one of those children would drive past her old neighborhood and notice the spot where that beautiful tree had once stood in her neighbor’s yard. She’d remember the kindness that had turned her family’s humble Christmas into a memory of hope, generosity, and answered prayers.

Now I want to ask you a question: How would the neighbor have felt if she had cut down her tree for that family, and when she brought it over, the family said, “Oh, thank you, but we can’t accept that. We really aren’t interested”? And they politely shut the door. Don’t you think that the neighbor would rightfully have felt hurt? And by refusing the gift, that family would have missed the great joy of that Christmas. A gift only brings joy if it is received.

How do you think God feels after sacrificing his own Son so that you could have eternal life and be spared from judgment, only to hear you say, “Thank you, but I can’t accept that; I’m just not interested”? It doesn’t matter how politely you turn down an offer like that. Any refusal of such a sacrificial offer is an insult at best. The world may give you superficial happiness, but it won’t last. The only way to know the deep, abiding joy God wants you to have is to be reconciled to him by receiving His gift, the Savior, who is Christ the Lord. It’s the greatest gift you could ever receive, but it only brings great joy if you accept it.

Will you accept God’s gracious gift to you right now?