Advent Part 3 Joy

Introduction

Welcome Back Church! Today we have made it half way through our journey to Bethlehem.

Back to where the birth of Jesus changed the world forever…

I think most of us here by now understand we are celebrating this journey through the season of Advent, which is derived from the Latin word "adventus," meaning; "coming" or "arrival."

Arrival, that’s the specific event the season of Advent leads us to… The moment when Jesus arrived, and with Him all the prophetic hope and promise of a Messiah to redeem his people.

So our first week of Advent which was a couple of weeks back we looked at the message of Hope that the coming Messiah would bring.

Last week we looked at our second message and that the message of Peace that Jesus brings.

So this morning I want us to look at how Jesus’ arrival gives us all a great reason to be Joyful.

Two weeks ago we lit the first advent candle which represented Hope, Last week we lit the second candle which represents peace. This week we have lit the third purple candle which represent the Joy of Jesus Christ.

SO this morning Let’s look at this great joy and recognize that we have great reason to be filled with joy as we celebrate the birth of Jesus.

There is an old Christmas song “Joy to the World” that I want us to sign together this morning.

Congregation “Joy to the World”

Main Teaching

Today, as we look at the joy that Jesus brings, I want us to turn to Luke 2 which describes an interaction between some angels and shepherds.

Read Luke 2:8-9

8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

I think it’s safe to say that if me or you were those Shepards in the same place, and an angel showed up out of nowhere, we would be pretty scared also.

Read Luke 2:10

10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

Good News and Great Joy

“Fear Not ,” says the angel, “I bring you good tidings of great joy…”

And immediately the “great fear” that the shepherds must’ve been feeling is taken away by “good tidings of great joy.”

What could this “good news” be? What would those shepherds have been thinking about or imagining in the presence of this angelic messenger?

As we’ve discussed already in the past couple of sermons, the arrival of Jesus brought with it the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies and promises about the birth of a Savior.

A promised Messiah who would rescue and redeem the people of God.

Remember what we talked about in week 1 The birth of Jesus was an incredible sign of “hope” that God had not forgotten His people or His promises.

So, it’s clear to us as we look back in time, we can see how these events unfolded to understand that the angels were pronouncing the birth of their promised Messiah…

And it’s this specific fact that was the reason for great joy and celebration.

In fact, it’s the reason we still celebrate today, with the season of Advent and other festivities, and that is Jesus was born.

He is both the “good News/tidings” and the reason for “great joy” that the angel proclaimed in Luke 2:10

We here this saying all the time “The Reason for the Season”

This saying is a reminder that the true meaning of Christmas is HIS BIRTH and the celebration of HIS ARRIVAL

This the central event of our holiday festivities. I know that it is not in probably the majority of homes, but you know what it should be.

The truth is that Jesus can often get lost in the hustle and bustle of parties, presents, and gift-wrapping that need to be done… .

I know I’m not the only one here today who feels that the holidays are way TOO HECTIC…

The time from Thanksgiving to New Years just fly’s by so we need a constant reminder; Jesus is the reason for the season.

We also need to be reminded that Christmas is not about the gifts, presents, wish lists, or stockings stuffed on the mantle.

Let’s be honest, Christmas has become so highly commercialized in many parts of the world, the only things that are focused on are the gift-giving, , and holiday holiday parties and all the decorations.

I’m not saying this to point fingers at nobody we do all the crazy stuff ourselves but I want us to recognize that this is the reality and culture we’re living in.

This is just another reason that we need to keep front and center WHY we celebrate.

Why do we give gifts? Why do we plan parties? Why do we go out of our way to make others feel seen and special?

We do all of this because Jesus has already given us the greatest gift of all time.

An eternity of worship is going to be the greatest party ever thrown. And Jesus saw us in our sin, and still humbled himself.

He still traded His life so that we could have eternal life.

He’s the reason for the season… Forever and always… For everyone.

Joy to the World

When we got started a few minutes ago we sang Joy to the world

“Joy to the world, the Lord is come

Let Earth receive her King!

Let every heart prepare Him room

And Heaven and nature sing”

These words remind me of the most popular and often quoted bible verse of all time, John 3:16.

Read John 3:16

16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

In these words we are reminded that the plan was always for the salvation of the world. The “good news/Good tidings and great joy” of Luke 2:10 was for “for all the people.”

These are the people that “God so loved…” These are all the people that Jesus came for… And the good news is this;

Read Luke 2:11

11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

This is the news we share with others…

When they ask us why we celebrate Christmas the way we do.

When they ask why we go to church on Christmas Eve?

Why we putt the nativity up every year?

The Savior, Christ the Lord, has been born. He has arrived.

Of all the different messages in the world being shared and all the news being streamed on one platform or another, this is the only news that can save…

He alone is the reason for the season.

And The good news that brings great joy is for all the world to hear and it is for everyone.

Conclusion

As we come to a close, I’ve got a good old fashioned Christmas Story for you about the joy of Christmas. The writer shares this;

“It had been a tough year for my family. Whenever my mom looked over at the tree and scattered presents, she would sigh and warn us, “There won’t be as much for Christmas this year. Try not to be disappointed.” Christmas had traditionally been a time for my parents to spoil us. In years past, the presents would pile up and spill out from under the tree, taking over the living room. I had heard the phrase “giving is better than receiving,” but thought that whoever had said that must have been out of their mind. Getting presents was the whole point! It was the reason I couldn’t get to sleep on Christmas Eve.

On Christmas morning, we eagerly waited in the hallway until Dad told us everything was ready. We rushed into the living room and let the wrapping paper fly. We made weak attempts to wait and watch while other family members opened their presents, but as the time passed we lost our self-control.

“Here’s another one for you,” said Mom as she handed me a package. I looked at it, confused. Having spent so much time examining the presents before Christmas, I recognized this one. But it had not been mine. It was my mom’s. A new label had been put on it, with my name written in my mother’s handwriting.

“Mom, I can’t…”

I was stopped by my mother’s eager, joyful look—a look I could not really understand. “Let’s see what it is, honey. Hurry and open it.”

It was a blow dryer. Though this may seem but a simple gift, to me it was so much more. Being an eleven-year-old girl, I was stunned. In my world, where receiving outweighed giving by light years, my mom’s act of selflessness was incomprehensible. It was a huge act. Tears filled my eyes and I thought in disbelief about how much my mom must love me to give up her Christmas so I could have a few more presents.

I have always remembered that Christmas fondly. It had such an impact on me. As an adult with children in my life whom I adore, I can now understand my mom’s actions. I see how she was not “giving up her Christmas” as I had thought, but was finding an even greater joy in her Christmas because giving truly is better than receiving. My mom’s simple act meant the world to me.[1]”

Jesus “gave up” His life so that ours could be saved… So that through Him, we might find eternal joy and salvation.

How can you share this good news with others?

How can your family be an example of the JOY we receive through Jesus?

How can you make sure that Jesus stays in the center of your celebrations?

He is the reason for the season.