Why Did Jesus Come? JOY
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Kid’s Message:
Review: What does Advent mean?
What was the first week’s candle theme?
What was last week’s candle theme?
What do you think this week’s theme is?
Candy Cane - The Legend of The Candy Maker
Candy Cane - The Legend of The Candy Maker
According to the legend of the candy cane, this candy was first created back in the 18th century.
At that time, in certain areas of Europe, there was said to be a ban on public displays of Christianity. Christians were oppressed and no Bibles or crosses could be owned at the time.
One man found this oppression distressing and wished he could share the love of Jesus and the joy of Christmas with the rest of the world. When Christmas came around, children didn’t get to see nativity scenes or enjoy learning about the truth of Christmas.
As a candy maker, this man prayed to find a way that he could offer local children a Christmas gift that would allow him to communicate the real story of Christmas.
So he made a Christmas Candy Cane. He incorporated several symbols for the birth, ministry, and death of Jesus Christ.
Rock of Ages - First, he used a hard candy because Christ is the Rock of Ages, and the firmness and surety of the promises of God. Hope.
“J” for Jesus - This hard candy was shaped so it would resemble a “J” for Jesus
Shepherds Staff - Or, turned upside down, a shepherd’s staff. Reminding us of Jesus being the Good Shepherd. It also reminds us that the Good News first came to Shepherds.
White - He made it white to symbolize the virgin birth and sinless nature of Jesus.
Red Stripes - Finally, a red stripe was added to represent the blood Christ shed for the sins of the world, and three thinner red stripes for the stripes He received on our behalf when the Roman soldiers whipped Him.
Hyssop - The flavor of the candy cane is peppermint, which is similar to hyssop. Hyssop is a mint that was used in the Old Testament for purification and sacrifice.
Broken For Us: Of course, when the candy cane is eaten, it is often broken, which the candy maker meant as a reminder that when Jesus was crucified, his body was broken.
Love of Christ: The candy cane was also made to be given as a gift, representing the love of Jesus when he gave us the gift of salvation.
So, every time you see a candy cane, remember the message of the candy maker: Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd, is also the pure Lamb of God. He is the sinless rock of ages who suffered and died for our sins. His body was broken and His blood was shed and His sacrifice for us brings forgiveness when we put our faith in Him. Knowing we are forgiven brings us joy.
JOY
JOY
Child lights the candle as we watch the video.
Why Did Jesus Come? JOY
Why Did Jesus Come? JOY
Hebrews 12:2 (CSB)
keeping our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. For the joy that lay before him, he endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
What was the joy that emboldened Jesus to go through with the plan of God that included coming into this world as a babe in a manger and dying a cruel death on a cross?
We’ll examine this joy and how, like peace, it ties into the glory of God.
We’ll look at the impact of the self-revelation of the Glory of God (kabod/shekinah) in the Old Testament and then see the connection to joy through the 4 elements of the word glory (doxa) in the NT.
4 Elements of God’s Glory
God’s Opinion
God’s Character, Image, and Reputation
God’s Inheritance
God’s Recognition, Honor, and Renown
Read Luke 2:8-20.
vs 9 - The Glory of God can be responded to in one of two ways. Fear or Joy
GLORY - KABOD/SHEKINAH
GLORY - KABOD/SHEKINAH
Let’s tackle the fear angle first.
Glory - OT kabod - the revelation of God’s person, power, and presence to mankind, and included all of His goodness, gifts, and grace.
Shekinah - God’s presence and glory as seen manifested in a cloud. And always signaled His presence among His people.
It happened that when the priests came from the holy place, the cloud filled the house of the Lord, so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord.
Exodus 19:9 (NASB95)
The Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I will come to you in a thick cloud, so that the people may hear when I speak with you and may also believe in you forever.”...
All the people perceived the thunder and the lightning flashes and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood at a distance. Then they said to Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen; but let not God speak to us, or we will die.”
Isaiah had a similar experience. Isaiah 6
Woe is me.
My eyes have seen the Lord God Almighty.
When Moses asked God if he could see God’s glory, God said, “I’ll show you the aftereffects of my glory, because no man can see my face and live.”
The glory of God in the OT, though, focused on judgment for sin, fear and the inability to stand in the presence of God.
The fear of the Shepherds.
By this time in Jewish history, shepherds had earned a bad reputation as untrustworthy thieves and their occupation made them ceremonially unclean.
As a result, they were sinful, outcasts of society.
So the angel’s appearing and the glory (shekinah) of the Lord shining around them would in effect bring about the same response as Isaiah, “I’m dead; I am going to meet my maker.”
GLORY - GOOD NEWS
GLORY - GOOD NEWS
vs 10-11 - But, wait, this is Good News of Great Joy! You don’t need to be afraid any longer.
The Glory of the Lord shouldn’t lead to fear, but should lead one to the Joy of the Lord.
In reality, the glory of God is His revelation to mankind of His desire to dwell among men, to have His reality and His splendor known to them.
That is what Adam and Eve enjoyed in the Garden of Eden.
And that’s what’s communicated here with the glory of the Lord shining around them.
God wants to surround us with His glory, but not for fear.
The OT just reveals how far from that we are and how far we fell from God.
It reveals the effects of sin upon God’s people and the separation that prevents us from enjoying the glory of God.
And it shows us that there is nothing we can do to make it right.
Hence the reason we read in Romans 3:23
Romans 3:23 (NASB95)
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
But look at what Hebrews says God wants to do with humanity in relation to His glory.
For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings.
Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.
God still wants to bring us into His glory.
God wants to pour out His goodness into our lives.
He wants us to be set free from fear, slavery, death and the devil.
God began that process by taking on flesh and blood, just like us!
A babe born in a manger. (vs 16)
We need to see the glory of God as not by what we have lost, leading to fear, but rather what God wants us to gain because of that babe born in the manger.
That should take us from fear to joy.
GLORY - DOXA
GLORY - DOXA
But, again, what exactly is the glory of Lord? And how does the Glory of the Lord, specifically, lead to joy?
Let’s briefly look at those 4 main elements.
The Glory of God - God’s Opinion
The Glory of God - God’s Opinion
The root of the word doxa (glory) is to think or suppose.
So, doxa is connected to God’s opinion about everything.
But that opinion doesn’t mean opinion by our definition.
It’s not just an unsubstantiated thought or belief about something.
God’s opinion is actually an objective statement of fact about everything.
God’s glory is absolutely true and changeless. His opinion is true and changeless.
Doxa also embraces all which is excellent in the divine nature, in His essence, in His word, and in His actions, coinciding with God’s self-revelation.
All that is excellent in God’s divine nature is revealed to us in Jesus.
And, therefore, God’s good opinion about us is reflected in and through the sending of Jesus.
By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him.
And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.
God’s opinion marks the true value of things as they appear in His eternal mind.
And He considers us important enough to Him that we would be recipients of His love, grace and truth.
Because we are His creation, created in His own image.
It’s as if He wants to redeem His image, His reputation.
We are His reputation and He doesn’t want His image and reputation tarnished.
He could have just done away with us and completely started over, but He values us as His creation too much to do that.
So what God thinks of us, His favorable opinion, His approval is true glory.
But we can’t be approved on our own.
We have all sinned and fallen short of the approval and opinion of God.
Just as Jesus was approved by God, so we can be because we stand in Jesus’ approval.
and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.”
Why did Jesus come? So we can be reapproved by God.
When we seek the approval of God, that brings us joy.
It Brings Us Joy To Hear:
You are loved, you are chosen, you are redeemed, you are forgiven, you are my son, you are my daughter, and I am your God.
It Brings Us Joy To Hear:
Well done good and faithful servant.
So God’s glory, that is God’s good opinion about us, brings us joy.
The Glory of God - Character, Image, and Reputation
The Glory of God - Character, Image, and Reputation
When the angels appear and the glory of God surrounds the shepherds there’s an implication of God breaking into the darkness in order to declare that He is now beginning the process of restoring His creation to its former glory, the glory in which it was created.
God is in the process of returning us to a state of glory!
We have sinned and fallen short of the character, image and reputation of God.
But, now, when God sees a believer, He sees the finished product, which ties into the previous point.
God’s good opinion is based on what He knows and sees in His eternal mind.
You will become the best version of yourself in Heaven, because it is for the glory of God.
We will become what God meant us to be.
God is restoring the character, image, and reputation that sin stole from us.
Why did Jesus come? Jesus came so that we could be remade into His image and character and then bear His reputation.
‘He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go out from it anymore; and I will write on him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from My God, and My new name.
God is proud to write His name on us and claim us as His artwork and that brings us joy.
This brings us joy in the present because:
As we live righteously, we are giving God a good reputation.
We are doing things for the glory of God.
We are also functioning in a capacity closer to what God has in mind of us.
When we act in ways that we were created to act, we are closer to our true selves and that brings us peace and joy.
We begin this process now and begin to feel the early returns.
“My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples.
“These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.
We are being remade to look like Jesus.
For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.
So God’s glory, that is, being remade into His character, image, and reputation brings us joy.
Glory of God - Inheritance
Glory of God - Inheritance
Doxa is also associated with the inheritance in heaven of which we are co-heirs with Christ.
So we have sinned and fallen short of the inheritance of God.
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison,
Why did Jesus come? Jesus came so that our inheritance could be reinstated.
It brings us joy knowing what God has in store for us someday.
Living Hope
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
imperishable
undefiled
will not fade
reserved in heaven for you
Greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory
and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.
So God’s glory, that is, God’s inheritance reinstated to us brings us joy.
The Glory of God - Recognition, Honor, or Renown
The Glory of God - Recognition, Honor, or Renown
What was the result of the angel appearance to the shepherds?
vs. 20 - They went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them.
Only God deserves true glory and recognition.
The natural by-product of finding ourselves wrapped up in the glory of God is to glorify!
To give esteem, honor, and praise, by putting them in an honorable position.
Now, God is already in an honorable position whether we “put Him there” or not.
This is more about our recognition of Him in that honorable position.
To render conspicuously and gloriously the divine character and attributes of God.
He wants us to recognize and own the reality of His presence.
We all have sinned and fallen short of giving honor and recognition to God.
For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures.
Why did Jesus come? Jesus came so that we could re-recognize God’s name and re-honor Him.
It brings us joy to glory in God.
Glorying in God leads us to praise and worship of Him.
This praise and worship reminds us of our joyful state in His presence, especially when we are not feeling joyful.
A sacrifice of praise.
This praise and worship stirs our hearts to a joyful response.
This is why singing is so important for the human soul. And even more so for the Christian.
And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father;
Glorying in God leads us to thankfulness, which is a precursor to experiencing joy.
When we find our satisfaction in Him, we burst forth with gratitude for who He is and what He has done for us and in that process we find peace and joy.
This is what we see the shepherds doing.
So God’s glory, that is giving Him the honor due His name, brings us joy.
In the end: The shepherds are a story of the joyful redemption of the glory of God.
From Fear - To Faith - To Faithful - To Full of Joy
They went from shame to approval
They went from disgrace to glory
They went from being disowned to owning it all
They went from outcasts to royalty
But all that could only happen because Jesus came.
Jesus went from royalty to outcast.
He went from owning it all, to giving it all up.
He went from glory to disgrace.
And He went from approval to being forsaken.
Why? Because:
We have all sinned and fallen short of the approval and opinion of God.
We have sinned and fallen short of the character, image and reputation of God.
We have sinned and fallen short of the inheritance of God.
We have sinned and fallen short of giving honor and recognition to God.
So, what was the joy set before Jesus that emboldened Him to choose to come into flesh and blood as a babe born in a manger with the knowledge that He would end up on a cross and die?
The joy that we could be reapproved by God.
The joy that we could be remade into His image and character and then bear His reputation.
The joy that our inheritance could be reinstated.
The joy that we would re-recognize God’s name and re-honor Him.
Let the Joy of the Lord be your strength today! Amen?
Closing Song: House of the Lord
