Dilemma of Joy

Today we are going to read about the Angels appearing to the Shepherds in Bethlehem when Jesus was born. This is recorded for us by Luke in chapter 2 of his Gospel. If you have your bible and would like to follow along, we will be reading that account. Or, if you like, you can follow along with the text on the screen behind me.

Luke, chapter 2, verses 8 to 20.

Luke 2:8–20 NIV

And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

Pray

The Dilemma of Joy

Before we get into this passage, I have a short video dramatization of what it may have been like for the shepherds. They should have felt joy, but then again, why them? Let’s watch this and maybe get a glimpse into what it may have been like for the shepherds.

Video

The Dilemma of Joy

The shepherds of that day were often treated like a lower class citizen. Would you believe there was actually a rule that a shepherd could not be a witness for court? Shepherds were looked at as untrustworthy.

Shepherds, because they were dealing with the animals all the time, and sleeping out with the animals, they were generally a little dirty, and often religiously unclean.

Because they were regarded as second-class citizens, these shepherds, may have wondered if this was truly for them… They may have wondered, “Who would ever believe us?” They may have faced a dilemma at this wonderful news, whether they could really have joy?

I think today, many people come to Christmas, a time that is supposed to be filled with joy, and wonder if they can, or even should, have joy.

Maybe you, or someone close to you, is struggling with health issues.

Some of you have lost a loved one.

Maybe finances are tight.

Maybe you struggle with guilt over things you have done.

Maybe there are some personal conflicts in your life, your home or your family.

Thought this is said to the season of Joy, you may feel that dilemma of whether you can truly experience joy this Christmas.

I think the shepherds knew that dilemma. Let’s see what God did for them, and for us.

Luke 2:10 NIV

But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.

This is an interesting verse to translate from the original Greek into English.

In some ways, I feel like I have been missing the emphasis of what the angel said to the Shepherds for years.

For me, I see that wording, and for me the emphasis is bringing good news. The way this is worded in English, grammatically speaking, ‘bringing’ is the verb, and ‘good news’ is the object. That is the thing that is being emphasized.

The angel is bringing good news to these shepherds, but that is not the real emphasis of the verse.

The problem arises because the verb in this sentence is difficult to translate into English because we don’t have a word to match the nuances of the Greek word.

The verb is literally ‘to proclaim good news’. Proclaiming, or pronouncing, is the action. And for this word, the content of what is being proclaimed or pronounced is going to be good news.

In English we do not have a word for proclaiming good news. All of our words for ‘proclaim’ are used for declaring both good OR bad news.

So, most English translators try to bring out that nuance by saying something about good news.

Unfortunately, that leaves us with a verb that is short of proclaiming or pronouncing, and the object is now good news.

In doing this, I feel like I have missed the real action and the real object of this, therefore, the real emphasis of this verse, for years.

So to help me see what is the real emphasis of the verse, I translated it to emphasize the action of the verb, and the true object of the sentence. It turned out this way...

I proclaim/pronounce to you JOY of surprising greatness that is for all people.

The action is proclaiming, or maybe more properly pronouncing.

The object of the sentence, the thing which is being pronounced or given, is JOY. And, not only is it JOY, but the angel uses an adjective, which makes it surprisingly great! Surprisingly great JOY!

The angel is pronouncing upon the shepherds GREAT JOY. It is GREAT JOY that is being given by declaration!

I think of it like at a wedding, the man and the woman are pronounced “Husband and Wife.” Up to that point, there is no marriage. It is upon the pronouncement that there is a marriage union. The pronouncement gives them something. For a wedding, it gives them legal status as husband and wife.

In the same way, the Angel was saying, “I pronounce upon you GREAT JOY!” Upon the pronouncement, the shepherds were to have GREAT JOY!

Shepherds, of all people, were chosen by God to get this pronouncment of joy!

The shepherds may have thought, who am I to have great joy? Have you ever wondered that?

I love that God chose some of the outcasts of society to get this pronouncement!

God did not give it to them because they were so good or important. Also, the shepherds didn’t have to do anything for this. God wanted them to know joy, so he sent the angels to them.

God sent the angels to them to give them joy by declaration. It was a gift!

The same goes for you and me!

We may face the Dilemma of Joy at this time of year, thinking we cannot experience the joy of Christmas because we are nobodies. We may think we are not worthy of joy.

But just like God chose the shepherds, God has chosen you! He wants you to have joy!

What is joy?

Now, know that Joy is not happiness. Joy is an attitude or character quality, not an emotion. Joy can lead to emotion, but joy does not start with emotion. Joy has its root in the Lord and what He has done, is doing, or has promised to do.

Joy does not depend upon circumstances.

Notice, the shepherds were still shepherds after the angels came. They were likely still looked at by others as lower class. They still had to spend months from home. They still had to live out in the elements. They still had many sleepless nights. No, their circumstances were still difficult.

However, they had a new attitude. They had a new quality about them. They had a God-given Joy, because He gave it to them!

This is yours! God wants you to have this quality, this attitude of Joy.

Not because you are special. But because God wants you to have it!

Not because you earned it. Just because God wants you to have it.

Not because you can manufacture it. No, because God is just giving it to you.

And this great joy was not just being proclaimed for the shepherds, but for all people.

Joy is an attitude, not based upon circumstances, but upon what God has done, is doing, and will do.

What is it that God has done that would give an attitude of great joy?

Luke 2:11 NIV

Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.

Well, the angel used three very special words that are loaded with meaning. These three significant words were the reason for GREAT JOY!

What do you think the three words might be?

The three words are:

Savior

Messiah

Lord

Savior

If we were to do a search through the Old Testament for the words save, savior and salvation, we would find a lot of references to the Lord.

Many of the references are to God giving physical salvation, or deliverance from enemies.

God saved Israel time and again from their enemies. God saved his servant David from his enemies time and again. In fact, a lot of the occurrences of these words are in the Psalms.

However, in the scriptures we also see that God does not always deliver, or save, from physical enemies and situations. Sometimes He uses those physical sufferings to discipline and train His children.

But there is another way in which God saves, and He is Faithful to always deliver and save in this way.

As I went through the Old Testament Passages which refer to Salvation, one of the Psalms caught my eye because of the connection between the Salvation of the Lord, and joy.

Look at Psalm 51.

In this Psalm, David is repenting of his adultery with Bathsheba. He knows he has done wrong. He feels dirty. He is asking God to clean him up. He is asking God to save him from this sin. Let’s read this and see the connection between God saving him from his sin and guilt, and the joy that comes.

Psalm 51 NIV

For the director of music. A psalm of David. When the prophet Nathan came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba. Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge. Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me. Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb; you taught me wisdom in that secret place. Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice. Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity. Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. Then I will teach transgressors your ways, so that sinners will turn back to you. Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God, you who are God my Savior, and my tongue will sing of your righteousness. Open my lips, Lord, and my mouth will declare your praise. You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise. May it please you to prosper Zion, to build up the walls of Jerusalem. Then you will delight in the sacrifices of the righteous, in burnt offerings offered whole; then bulls will be offered on your altar.

I think David really caught the vision that God was His savior from not only his physical enemies, but from his spiritual enemy, the sin that separated him from God.

When he was clean again, and in a restored relationship with his God and Savior, David was Joyful!

Real joy comes when God restores us from our sin. He brings us close to Himself, and calls us forgiven, righteous and clean.

The angel was announcing to these shepherds that what the great shepherd King David had learned about God’s salvation was coming to them to bring them joy!

God was sending the Savior who would finally deliver us from sin, along with its guild and shame.

Do you feel like you cannot have joy because of guilt and shame?

Hebrews 10:22 NIV

let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.

Let the Savior cleanse you, and remove your guilt and shame! Jesus died to pay the price for all you have ever done! God says He will forgive if you receive His forgiveness by believing in Jesus! Not only will he forgive, but He will cleanse even your conscience if you will believe Him.

Find the joy that comes from true forgiveness which only the Savior can give.

Messiah

The next significant word the Angel used was Messiah. Messiah was a word that meant God’s anointed one, or God’s specially chosen one.

David was anointed by God to be king. And, God promised to send one of David’s descendents to restore the kingdom of Israel and sit on David’s throne.

Daniel had foretold how the Anointed One will come.

And as Ezekiel foretold, this Messiah would not only restore the kingdom but shepherd his people well. He would truly care for the people.

As a shepherd, He walks with his people through all of life. Like a shepherd walks through the wilderness, through the blistering heat of the day, through the bone-chilling cold of night, so too will Jesus, the Messiah walk through the heat and cold of the trials of our lives.

And not only that, one day the Messiah will reign, and restore things as God intended in creation.

Isaiah 61 NIV

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor. They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations. Strangers will shepherd your flocks; foreigners will work your fields and vineyards. And you will be called priests of the Lord, you will be named ministers of our God. You will feed on the wealth of nations, and in their riches you will boast. Instead of your shame you will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace you will rejoice in your inheritance. And so you will inherit a double portion in your land, and everlasting joy will be yours. “For I, the Lord, love justice; I hate robbery and wrongdoing. In my faithfulness I will reward my people and make an everlasting covenant with them. Their descendants will be known among the nations and their offspring among the peoples. All who see them will acknowledge that they are a people the Lord has blessed.” I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes seeds to grow, so the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations.

He will comfort those who mourn. He will restore those who walked in shame. He will raise us up as His ministers. He will cloth us with righteousness. He will reign and restore justice. He will right every wrong.

The Messiah was who they were waiting for! God’s chosen One who was going to save them!

Do you feel you cannot have joy because of loss? Are you mourning? Are you suffering?

Let the Messiah’s promise to be with you as your shepherd bring you joy. It is okay to mourn and still find joy and comfort in Him.

And, looking forward to what He will do to right every wrong will also give us the hope and joy we need for today!

Lord

The final word that the angel said also can bring joy.

Sometimes we are robbed of joy because we are uncertain, we are anxious about things that are happening. We can feel robbed of joy because we do not know what to do, or we feel like there is too much to be done.

I am sure the shepherds knew those feelings. It would not be uncommon for a shepherd to have to care for 100 sheep. He would have to know them by name and care for and give account for each one. No easy task when sheep like to wander away, and get into situations they should not.

When one is missing and the shepherd needs to go find it, do you think he might be worried about the other ones wandering off in his absence?

I am sure that the shepherds knew what it was like to be in stressful situations.

If you, like the shepherds, feel the stress of life, then listen to the last word of the angel.

Luke 2:11 NIV

Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.

He is the Lord. He is the creator God. He is the One who is sovereign over all. He calls each of the stars by name. He knows every hair of your head. He knows the days ordained for you. He knows the trials and struggles you will face. He knows the pressures you will face. He knows the words you should speak. He knows the words you will speak before you say them. He knows the way you should go. He knows the paths of righteousness on which He wants to guide you. He knows the valleys of the shadow of Death. And as the ever present God, He is with you. As the God who never slumbers or sleeps, He is watching over you. As your loving Father, He will provide what you need.

He is Lord. I am not. He has a plan He is working out. He can, and will, work all things out for the good of those who love Him. How, we do not know exactly. But He does! We can trust Him.

We grow anxious when we lose sight that He is Lord and we are not. We lose joy when we think we need to work things out on our own. We lose that attitude of joy when we forget Him, the Lord, the only savior.

Isaiah 43:11 NIV

I, even I, am the Lord, and apart from me there is no savior.

We want to be our own savior. We want to be the savior to our friends and family. But He alone is Lord and savior.

When we are anxious, stressed, or under pressure, that is the time when we most need to turn our eyes to the one and only savior, the Lord.

He has a plan.

He knows what He is doing

He will provide what we need, the manna for each day.

We need to chose to be still, and know that He is God.

We need to take time to remember He is the Savior, the Messiah, the Lord.

Let this Christmas be a time when we focus on the message of the angel.

Great Joy comes from the Savior, Messiah, Lord

God has pronounced that we should have great joy!

He has provided what we need to have great joy, even in the midst of the pain and trials of this world. Joy is an attitude that comes from knowing Him as the one who forgives and cleanses me from guilt and frees me from shame.

Joy is an attitude that comes from knowing that my Messiah is my comforter. Messiah is my refuge and strength. Messiah is going to shepherd and be with me through all of life. Messiah is going to work things out for my good. Messiah will restore all to health and prosper us in his coming kingdom. Messiah will bring justice, and make our righteousness shine!

Joy is an attitude that comes from knowing He is the Lord, the One who is in charge, and who is working out His great plan for my good. I can be still and know He is God. I can rest in His authority and control. I can know He will do all He has said. He is Lord.

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Homework

Pray each day this week, that God will give you an attitude of joy, no matter your circumstances. Joy is not an emotion, but an attitude that comes from Him.

What tends to rob you of joy? Guilt? Shame? Sorrow from grief? Physical suffering? Fear? Trials? Financial stress? Broken or difficult relationships?

How do these passages help you focus on Him to find joy in your circumstances?

Psalm 42. In this Psalm we see the inward struggle that we all face at some time in life. Things are hard. The Psalmist recognizes that he is struggling. So what does he do? See vs. 6. As he remembers, he moves on to vs. 8. Do you remember how God has directed His love to you? But even in remembering that, our struggles can come like another wave. What does the Psalmist do after that next wave? Vs. 11. How can this Psalmist’s experience encourage you to have that attitude of joy in the midst of your suffering?

Psalm 43. Sometimes we find ourselves unjustly accused. Or, people are looking at us wrongly. Do you struggle with worrying over what people think about you? What does that fear cause in your life? Where do we go with that fear, and the crippling effect it can have on us? How do we handle it? Where did this Psalmist go? How did the Psalmist find joy?

Psalm 51. Sin and guilt will remove all joy from our lives. David found joy again. How? Is there anything you for which you need to repent? He is our Savior! How does this bring joy to you?

Isaiah 61. I believe this Psalm speaks of Him as the Messiah. He will bring comfort. He will restore. He will bring justice. He will cloth us with righteousness. How does God’s plan for us in the future kingdom bring joy today?

Psalm 34. How can songs and singing worship to Him help us with joy? This Psalmist remembered God’s actions in the past, and told others. He encouraged others to taste and see. How can telling others about the Lord encourage joy in our own lives? Look again at verses 18-19. What does this say to you about troubles in life, and joy?

Look up verses that speak to God being near. Which verses does God use to minister to you? Why? How do those verses speak into your life and situation? How can God being near bring you Joy?