Christmas Joy

Luke 2:1-20; 1 Peter 1:8-9

The angels announce the radical new state of the Universe. Joy: Jesus Christ is born. Happiness is a fleeting emotion based on temporary circumstances and chemical imbalances. Joy is a state of being; the quiet confidence that all will be well; the echo to God’s goodness. Our “inexpressible” joy is in this: Jesus, Immanuel, has Won. The rest of His Story is the after-party.

Joy of Victory

Monday evening I had the great privilege of watching Samwise Parker and his team from Stem Labs win the 2024 Adams 12 District Basketball Championship for the 7th Grade.

It was an epic showdown with the boys from Thunder Vista. They are throwing elbows and shoving. Sam is draining 3s and making plays.

Down to the wire, one point ahead, the other team keeps getting the ball… but some great defense stops them time and time again.

And we watch the clock countdown on the edge of our seats… 5, 4, 3, 2, 1… and the crowd goes wild. At least, our half of the crowd.

Burst of JOY!!!… from about half the crowd. “Rejoicing!” in triumph.

Great joy.

We don’t usually call it that… but that’s what it is. We call it “cheering” and “celebration”… and we have “cheer leaders” whose stated purpose is to help us rejoice!

And the Burst of Joy is the sudden realization that we live in a world where Sam and STEM Lab 7th Grade Basketball team are the 2024 Adams 12 District Champions.

You didn’t know you were in that world… and then you did, and there was great rejoicing!

Speaking of great joy...

Luke 2:1–7 ESV

1 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And all went to be registered, each to his own town. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. 6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

This is our Hope. Hope of the Nations. Hope of you and me.

This is Peace. The Prince of Peace. Born to make peace between us and God and Peace among us.

This is Love. That God Himself would come down to Save Us. To Be With Us. Jesus. Immanuel.

This is Joy:

Luke 2:8–10 ESV

8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.

When they lay down to sleep, do shepherds count sheep? Or are they like “Naw, man, that’s my day job!”

Bethlehem, down to 42 degrees tonight (Dec. 18th).

“Hey, some lady you don’t know is preggers and giving birth. Come check it out!”

That’s a bit strange.

But it is somehow “joy” for all the people.

Luke 2:10–11 ESV

10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great JOY that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

Imagine the shepherds on the edge of their bleachers. Watching the great game of history. The epic battles for the hearts of men, for the lives of men, for the earth and all the cosmos.

A war fought for the cosmos, seems like the game goes back and forth. If anything it seems like God’s team is losing.

Fouls all over the place.

And then, with time on the clock ticking down… unto us a child is born.

That’s the way heaven seems to see it. You think basketball fans, football fans are into their game?

Joy is the serious business of heaven.

C. S. Lewis

On the front of their chairs… waiting for the moment… for years and decades, centuries, millennia… and then here comes the win and...

The heavens burst out!

Luke 2:13–14 ESV

13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

Absolute and Crushing Victory.

From the other side of the court, all the way across, ball through the hoop, nothing but net… Satan never saw it coming.

And heaven explodes with Joy. Joy for all the peoples.

Great Joy

Our world is consumed with the “pursuit of happiness.” It is a founding principle of our nation, advertised every day… perhaps never so much as at Christmas.

The angels announce the radical new state of the Universe. Joy: Jesus Christ is born. Happiness is a fleeting emotion based on temporary circumstances and chemical imbalances. Joy is a state of being; the quiet confidence that all will be well; the echo to God’s goodness. Our “inexpressible” joy is in this: Jesus, Immanuel, has Won. The rest of His Story is the after-party.

Joy is the sure knowledge of the King and our welcome in the Kingdom. Joy to the world, joy to you and me, joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory.

“The soul’s echo to God’s goodness.” Because Jesus.

“The quiet confidence that all will be well.” Because Jesus.

Joy to the world! And the shepherds heard and received this… as joy to them. This is your new state of being!

Hear and receive this as your new state of being.

Rejoice

Now that is such good news. That can make you happy and joyful.

But as we said, joy is a state of being, happiness is an emotion.

But I also want to feel the joy, I want to feel the happy. As opposed to not feeling joyful and happy.

It is easy to see the joy, to sit in it, to “rejoice” when things are good. When my kids are all home and in good spirits. Playing a game together or watching a great movie. Eating a great dinner.

Being with friends, or in the middle of an awesome book. Moments of joy where I am feeling it.

The Bible talks a lot about joy in the midst of other circumstances.

Joy in the midst of stress. Stress like chaos of the holidays, shopping nightmares, all the things to do!

Or, you know, stress like persecution and torturous martyrdom. Stress!

1 Thessalonians 5:16 ESV

16 Rejoice always,

And in case that’s a fluke:

Philippians 4:4 ESV

4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.

Paul writes from prison. Joy!!! Woohoo! Victory!

This last is one of my favorites.

In Greek Xara is Joy, Xairo is Rejoice.

But English has this fun bit where ReJoice, is like RePeat, and it’s like “Joy all over again.”

But Paul just calls it out explicitly… and it’s modeled over and over again in Scripture, by Jesus himself.

Joy on Purpose. Joy with intent. Intentionally dwelling on, putting my attention on the Joyful things.

Joy is a state of being.

My cousin Eric, on his high school baseball team hit a home run. So he treated himself to an ice cream Sunday that afternoon. And the next day, he was still feeling great about hitting that home run… so he treated himself to another ice cream Sunday.

Two months later, he is still treating himself to an ice cream Sunday every afternoon. You ask him why? Because I hit that home run!

He Rejoices… and then? Again, I say. Rejoice!

Putting the attention, on purpose, on the Victory, on the state of reality that is Joyful.

If it was on something false, it would be self-delusion. But it is meditating on the Great Truth.

This isn’t about changing the circumstances anymore.

You can’t make Sam and STEM be the 2024 District Champions. Sam helped… a lot, but even he doesn’t change that truth now. It is written into the fabric of the Universe. It is Fact. It is history. His Story.

That is a small thing. A small joy.

But if Sam just moves on, that has no impact. If Sam treats himself to an ice cream Sunday… Joy!

I’m not always great at this.

But we practice this together.

We practice it every week in Worship. Proclaiming and Claiming the Victory of God. The Glory of God. The Blessings of God.

And we practice it in these yearly rhythms. This is what Christmas is all about.

Rejoice. And again. Rejoice.

Setting our eyes on Hope. Jesus. Immanuel.

Setting our eyes on the Prince of Peace.

Setting our eyes on Love. This is Love. God born for us… and broken for us… and Risen for us.

Setting our eyes on Joy. Joy to the World. Joy for all peoples.

Beautiful joy. Inexpressible Joy. This is Christmas.

Jesus himself, that Joy incarnate, prayed that we would have his joy:

John 17:13 ESV

13 But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves.

He came to earth that we might have joy. He left for a time… that his joy would be full and fulfilled in us. He comes again, that our joy may be complete.

Rejoice! and again I say… Rejoice!

1 Peter 1:8–9 ESV

8 Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, 9 obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.