12-10-06-Advent-Candle of Joy
So far in this Advent season we have seen the Promises of God fulfilled and The Great Light come in the person of Jesus. Today, we lit the Candle of Joy, so I want to look at how Jesus’ birth touched many lives with joy.
¨ Luke 1:11-15a (NIV) 11 Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. 12 When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. 13 But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John. 14 He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, 15 for he will be great in the sight of the Lord.
Imagine how Zechariah must have felt. He was just doing his normal duty as a priest (vs. 8) and suddenly an angel appeared. After calming old Zechariah down the angel told him that his prayers had been heard by God and that his wife Elizabeth would have a boy. How many of us would like to have an angel to appear to us to tell us that God has heard our prayers? Now Zechariah was like Abraham in the Old Testament, he was an old man and his wife Elizabeth was not a young woman either. So naturally, Zechariah does not believe the angel. Then in vs. 19-20, the angel identifies himself as Gabriel and tells Zechariah that because he did not believe the message from God he will not speak again until the child, John (the favor or grace of Jehovah), is born. What a wonder this is, that Gabriel—one of the highest angels in heaven was chosen by God to announce to an old man that he would be the father of the forerunner of the Messiah. Can we blame him for not believing Gabriel—would we have believed him if we were in Zechariah’s shoes?
3 archangels:
§ Lucifer—former worship leader (Isaiah 12:14 KJV) who fell and is now known as satan
§ Michael—warrior (Dan 10:13,21;12:1; Jude 9; Rev 12:7),
§ Gabriel—messenger (Dan 8:16; 9:21).
But let’s go back to what else Gabriel told Zechariah. In vs. 14, Zechariah was told that John would be a joy and a delight to him and “many will rejoice because of his birth.” While it may be true that many would rejoice over the birth of John—the forerunner of the Messiah—it is also true about the child who would be born as the Messiah—Jesus the Christ. So let me borrow the phrase and declare that concerning Jesus “many will rejoice because of His birth!” Let’s see who the many were who rejoiced at His birth.
¨ Luke 1:39-45 (NIV) 39 At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, 40 where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. 41When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! 43 But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45 Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!”
There can be no doubt that Elizabeth rejoiced when she met Mary. Although the word rejoice is not used in the scripture, all we have to do is look at what she said. Elizabeth was already carrying the baby, John, in her womb. How could she not have been rejoicing over the miracle that God had given to her when she had been barren (childless) all her life. But now when she hears Mary’s voice she is filled with the Holy Spirit to prophesy over the child that Mary is carrying in her womb. Notice that it says “In a loud voice she exclaimed” this blessing upon Mary. Does that sound like someone who is excited and rejoicing? It sure does to me.
Also we see clearly in vs. 44 that the unborn child, John, “leaped for joy” in her womb. Allow me to make a short rabbit trail and comment that this scripture shows us that the unborn child is a living being and is proof enough that abortion is wrong. What would have happened if Elizabeth had aborted her child? We would never have heard the voice of John the Baptist crying in the wilderness to repent and make their hearts ready for the coming Messiah (John 3:3-18). Further, what would have happened if Mary, who was a pregnant unwed virgin, would have aborted her baby? We never would have had the Messiah born to bring salvation to the world.
Ok, I’m back from the rabbit trail. The next witness that we have who would rejoice over the birth of Jesus is Mary herself. In her great song of praise, she declares;
¨ Luke 1:46-48 (NIV) 46 . . . “My soul glorifies the Lord 47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48 for He has been mindful of the humble state of His servant. . . .”
Mary declares the mercy of God and His power in her song, but she starts out by rejoicing that He chose her to bring the Messiah into the world.
We have already seen Zechariah with Gabriel, but in the last part of Luke 1, we have the prophecy that he spoke when John was born.
¨ Luke 1:67-77 (NIV) 67 His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied: 68 “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because He has come and has redeemed His people. 69 He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David 70 (as He said through His holy prophets of long ago), . . . to remember His holy covenant, 73 the oath He swore to our father Abraham: . . . 76 And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for Him, 77 to give His people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins. . . .”
Zechariah rejoices over God’s fulfillment of prophecy. God spoke through Abraham when He established His covenant with him, centuries before, that He would bless all the nations through the children that would come and that his children would bring them peace from their enemies (Gen 22:16-18). Zechariah sees this prophecy as being fulfilled in the birth of John and ultimately through the birth of Jesus.
As the story continues, the angel Gabriel appears to poor shepherds with the news that Jesus is born.
¨ Luke 2:8-18, 20 (NIV) 8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests.” 15 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.” 16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. . . . 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
The angel declares that he has “good news of great joy.” Although we do not see the word rejoice in this scripture, we can tell by the response of the shepherds to the news that they believed what the angel had said and went to Bethlehem to see the baby Jesus. After seeing Him, they went about “glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen.” Now, I don’t believe they could have been publicly spoken to by an angel, heard the heavenly choir sing, and have seen the great miracle of the birth of Jesus and then told the story without joy in their hearts. This was the greatest news they had ever heard and I believe it profoundly affected them—causing them to rejoice everywhere they went.
Even those who were not in Israel had reason to rejoice over the birth of Jesus.
¨ Matt 2:1-2,9-10 (NIV) 1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.” . . . 9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.
These stargazers (Magi) knew that they had followed a star to this land so that they could worship the king of the Jews. So after hearing the prophecies about the child being born in Bethlehem, they set off to see the baby Jesus and worship Him. It is once again the star that leads them to where He was and they rejoiced because of the star.
Elizabeth, John, Mary, Zechariah, shepherds, Magi all rejoiced at the birth of Jesus. Later, when He was taken to the temple on the 8th day to be circumcised, we see the priest Simeon & Anna a prophetess rejoicing that the Messiah was born (Luke 2:21-38). Surely, there were many more that rejoiced over His birth, but we do not have a record of them in the scripture.
The last group that rejoices over the birth of Jesus is believers. The apostle Peter says:
¨ 1 Peter 1:8-9 (NIV) 8 Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
We who are born-again rejoice not only because of the birth of Jesus, but because of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus which has brought the salvation of our souls. Down through the ages, there have been many martyrs and many who have lived under persecution. But they all found a reason to rejoice in the middle of their suffering. Peter again says it best:
¨ 1 Peter 4:12-13 (NIV) 12 Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.
Yes, many did rejoice because of the birth of Jesus Christ and many still do today! No matter what you are going through this Advent season, if you are born-again, you have a reason to rejoice—our Savior has come! God has fulfilled the promise He made to Abraham and through many prophets to send the Messiah to be the Savior of the world. Not only that but He has promised to be with us and to never leave us (Heb 13:5). He is Emmanuel—God with us!
If you are not born-again, then as the angel Gabriel said, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. . . . a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord.” Will you accept His gift of salvation today? If so, then like all these witnesses, you will find joy in your heart and will begin to rejoice at the good news that Jesus Christ was born.
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Or seen when it rose