The Candle of Joy

Introductory Thoughts:

As we celebrate the joy of the coming of Messiah this morning, we are drawn to Isaiah chapter 35. This chapter is a remarkable declaration of joy. Coming at the heels of several chapters of judgment, this poem is a breath of fresh air to the lungs of the believer.

We all experience times in our lives in which we are depressed, down, or defeated. Trying circumstances come up to which there are no good answers. We are, many times, caught between the proverbial rock and hard place. We long for a time when things will be different. This is just on an individual level.

Consider our nation. Simply watch the news for a few minutes and you will quickly beg the Lord to intervene. Stories of the most horrific tragedies appear routinely on the local and national news stations. So many people in the US are seeking joy and satisfaction from all sorts of different means. Some of them are good: family, fulfilling careers, physical health, and personal growth. Other means are evil: drugs, sex outside of God-ordained boundaries, the accumulation of material possessions and wealth.

Then there is our globe. With an estimated population of over 7 billion people, the world is fraught with joylessness. Plagues hit third world countries and end the lives of hundreds of thousands. Catastrophic events level entire cities. Threats of war, or the reality of war, occurs daily. People all over long for a time of enduring and lasting joy.

The people in the days of Jesus were no different. They had been oppressed by the Roman government for many years. It seemed as if God had forsaken His people. Like the Israelites enslaved by Egypt, it seemed as if all hope had been lost.

Many times God brings us to these points so that we can be utterly devoid of any self-reliance or hope. We look to God, because our energies have been exhausted. In our joyless states, we wonder if anything will ever change.

But God, as Paul writes to the Galatian believers, “when the fulness of time had come…sent forth his Son…to redeem those who were under the law” (, ESV). We are addressing the topic of joy that only comes through Jesus Christ! This is abundant joy. It is not confined to a particular set of circumstances. In fact, the joy that comes from Jesus is free from the pleasures of this life.

Isaiah, borrowing from Exodus-style language and imagery, paints a beautiful picture of the joy that comes from our gracious God. This morning we will see what true joy does in the life of the Christian. If you have not followed Jesus as Lord and Savior, I pray that the Holy Spirit opens your eyes to the glories that exceed our wildest imagination. If you are experiencing a hardship, I pray the Holy Spirit encourages your heart with this message of joy.

But, as this Sunday reminds us, true joy realizes that everything will be made right. Look at how the creation responds to the coming reign of Jesus Messiah. It breaks out in joyful song upon seeing the glory of the LORD and the majesty of our God. Isaac Watts hymn, “Joy to the World! The Lord is Come” has a verse concerning this realization. He writes, “Joy to the earth! The Savior reigns; Let men their sons employ; While fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains, Repeat the sounding joy, Repeat the sounding joy, Repeat, Repeat the sounding joy.”

There is injustice in the world. Unfortunately, it is a part of a fallen world. I have mentioned for the past three Sundays the great ramifications of Adam’s disobedience to God, and the entrance of sin into God’s perfect world is one of them.

Children are excellent judges of fairness, are they not? If one kid receives a small piece of candy then the other child demands his. Or, if a little girl receives a piece of cake that is only 1 millimeter smaller than her sister’s, she cries out, “That’s not fair!”

Adults are no different. Whether it is an unfair call by a referee against our team, being pulled over for speeding while another vehicle gets away with it, or even having to pay taxes on something while your neighbor gets away without paying, we all want justice. And this lack of justice can be a true joy-thief.

Because the connection is so strong, I believe will provide an excellent view of how injustice can steal away any semblance of joy.

The first aspect of joy concerns creation. We tend to focus, and rightly so, on the relationship between God and humanity. We are, after all, God’s image bearers. But, as Scripture reminds us, creation is bearing the punishment for our sins. Immediately after Adam’s treacherous rebellion, God cursed the ground for Adam’s sake. He told Adam that thorns and thistles will make his work hard.

Exodus 1:13–14 NASB95

The Egyptians compelled the sons of Israel to labor rigorously; and they made their lives bitter with hard labor in mortar and bricks and at all kinds of labor in the field, all their labors which they rigorously imposed on them.

Exodus 1:13 NASB95

The Egyptians compelled the sons of Israel to labor rigorously;

Even on the animal level things were different. All animals were vegetarians. They would eat plants, not each other. There was peace unlike anything we could imagine. Now animals hunt each other. There are parasites that slowly kill their carriers. The pain on creation wrecks an unimaginable toll.

But, as this Sunday reminds us, true joy realizes that everything will be made right. Look at how the creation responds to the coming reign of Jesus Messiah. It breaks out in joyful song upon seeing the glory of the LORD and the majesty of our God. Isaac Watts hymn, “Joy to the World! The Lord is Come” has a verse concerning this realization. He writes, “Joy to the earth! The Savior reigns; Let men their sons employ; While fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains, Repeat the sounding joy, Repeat the sounding joy, Repeat, Repeat the sounding joy.”

Creation is altered by the coming of the Lord. Paul brings up this point in one of the best chapters in all of the Bible, .

Romans 8:18–22 NASB95

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 the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now.

Paul caught this creation-redemption that comes through the advent, death, and resurrection of Jesus. It changed creation. Deserts, normally boasting a scarcity of and difficult life, burst out with joy. Blossoms appear all over! The once dead landscape rivals that of Lebanon, Carmel, and Sharon. And why? Because everything will be made right. Jesus came over 2,000 years ago to make our standing with God right. As tells us, God loved us enough to send Christ to die. And just as God sent Christ to redeem us, to restore that severed relationship, so too, God will send Christ to make everything right. Creation will be restore. But true joy also...

We have all been here at one point in our lives. We witness a great travesty of justice and wonder when it will be addressed. We observe friends or family enduring unfair treatment at the hands of a wicked person. Perhaps you watch animals brutally hunt each other for food or, at times, for sport.

There is injustice in the world. Unfortunately, it is a part of a fallen world. I have mentioned for the past three Sundays the great ramifications of Adam’s disobedience to God, and the entrance of sin into God’s perfect world is one of them.

Children are excellent judges of fairness, are they not? If one kid receives a small piece of candy then the other child demands his. Or, if a little girl receives a piece of cake that is only 1 millimeter smaller than her sister’s, she cries out, “That’s not fair!”

Adults are no different. Whether it is an unfair call by a referee against our team, being pulled over for speeding while another vehicle gets away with it, or even having to pay taxes on something while your neighbor gets away without paying, we all want justice. And this lack of justice can be a true joy-thief.

Because the connection is so strong, I believe will provide an excellent view of how injustice can steal away any semblance of joy.

Exodus 1:13–14 NASB95

The Egyptians compelled the sons of Israel to labor rigorously; and they made their lives bitter with hard labor in mortar and bricks and at all kinds of labor in the field, all their labors which they rigorously imposed on them.

Do you hear the joylessness of the people in those verses? Unfairness and injustice robs us of joy.

But, Isaiah says to encourage the exhausted, strengthen the feeble, and to speak truth to those with anxious hearts. These are people who have been fighting, people who have struggled to endure the injustices and difficulties of life. Their strength is gone. They are powerless. They are defeated. I think of players on a team that have had every single penalty called against them. They walk with their shoulders sagging. They look defeated. Isaiah’s message of true joy is addressed to this type of person. But Isaiah also addresses those with an anxious heart. It is like the feeling of being rushed, like you are always behind. Of course, many if not all of us have experienced this, and it is anything but joyful.

But Isaiah says to encourage these people with the message to behold your God. This is a cause for true joy! Though criminals seemingly get away with crimes, they will answer to the Lord Jesus Christ. Though enemies torture us and drive us insane, God sees all and will judge all. All unrighteousness that has not been paid for by the blood of Christ will be brought before the great white throne of judgement mentioned in . True joy reassures the believer that justice will be done. We do not possess the strength and energy to go through the injustices of our lives, nor were we meant to. These trials and temptations and injustices should drive us to the point where we sit before and behold, observe, inspect minutely the avenging God. True joy reassures the believer that justice will be done.

As we realize that creation will be restored, and as we are reassured that justice will be done, we will rejoice in the future reign of Christ. This theme is used frequently throughout Isaiah. Relating to the future reign of Christ, Isaiah says then. After the Lord Jesus comes to rule and reign, then the physical impairments will be reversed, the geographical barrenness will be overruled, and the violence of the earth will be removed. Holiness will reign supreme, with all wickedness kept out. provides the perfect glimpse of this reign of Jesus. Though we do not have the time to read through those two chapters this morning, I encourage, perhaps after your Sunday afternoon nap, to read them. They will, undoubtedly, bring great swells of joy into your soul. True joy rejoices in the future reign of Christ!

Just think of the unrighteous rulers our own nation has had, from the local to the national level. Jesus will be completely just and righteous. The coming of the Messiah in the manger began bringing us to this point where Christ would reign forever and ever.

So, true joy realizes that all will be made right, reassures the believer that justice will be done, and rejoices in the future reign of Christ, but finally...

Our last point concerns our employment in eternity. As commentator J. Alec Motyer describes this it is “an experience of unbroken and unbreakable happiness.” (J. Alec Motyer, 275)

When we recognize what true joy entails through the coming of Messiah, we cannot help but eagerly await eternity! We will forever rule and reign with Christ, our battle with sin and suffering will forever be vanquished, and the joy we will experience will cause all the temporal suffering of this life to forever leave our minds and memories.

Consider Paul’s words in again.

Romans 8:18 NASB95

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.

He realizes that the sufferings of this life, though horrific and terrible, are not worthy to be compared with the eternal joy and glory that will come. True joy resounds through all eternity.

So, how do we get this true joy? Only through Joy personified: Jesus. You see, I mentioned our severed relationship with God. There will be no joy for the one who is separated from the source of joy. It is through repenting of your sins and casting your soul and body on the saving grace of Jesus Christ that you can have this true joy.

Perhaps you are a believer and you have strayed away from our gracious Father. John, in the first epistle that bears his name, connects fellowship with the Father to joy. Maybe there is a sin you are holding on to. It is possible that some trial or anxiety is robbing you of this joy. Do you realize that everything will be made right? Are you reassured that God will execute justice? Do you rejoice in the future reign of Christ? Brothers and sisters, this is a time for true joy!

The Candle of Joy

THE CANDLE OF JOY- ISAIAH 35

I. True joy realizes that everything will be made right- vv. 1-2

II. True joy reassures the believer that justice will be done- vv. 3-4

III. True joy rejoices in the future reign of Christ- vv. 5-9

IV. True joy resounds through all eternity- v. 10