Advent Message, Joy

Joy

Hey everybody, I’m Tony Graffanino

We’ve come to the 4th Sunday of Advent

Advent comes from the latin word Adventus, meaning coming or arrival.

It was used when someone of great significance was coming and it spoke of the great anticipation of this arrival.

Advent week 1 Luke talked about Hope, and the hope that we have in Jesus.

As this world lets us down because it is incapable and unworthy to hold our hope, but Jesus is capable and totally worthy.

The second Sunday, week 2 of Advent, Tyler talked about Peace and the indescribable peace that can only come from Jesus

The third Sunday, week 3 of Advent Terry talked about Love and the agape love found only in Jesus

They’ve discussed how none of these should be determined by our circumstances, but our circumstances can reveal if we truly have true hope, peace, and love.

Now we are at the 4th Sunday, week 4 of Advent, and the much anticipated arrival of Jesus is almost here.

Week four is Joy

Joy is an interesting word. It comes from the Greek word “chara” and means gladness, state of rejoicing, happiness, and reason for gladness.”

So this would sound as if it is circumstantial, are at least attached to an event.

It got me thinking about when in my life I’ve felt great joy

Some different things came to my mind, certain events in my life, but the two that stood out to me the most were the birth of our sons.

On two different occasions Nicole and I, for 9 months, experienced the anticipation of our child’s arrival, and when the day of their birth drew near, it was hard to contain our excitement.

But that was nothing compared to the ecstatic joy we felt when our sons were born, and the desire we had to celebrate and share the news of the arrival of our baby boys.

Well, that’s the same context in the gospel of Luke.

In Luke chapter 2 verse 10, an angel of the Lord appears and says to the shepherds in the field, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people.” Luke 2:10

Good news of great joy, what could possible be this “good of news”?

What event are the angels reporting that is so good, that will bring such great joy to all people? It’s the birth of a baby. Let’s read on

Luke 2:11–12 ESV

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”

A baby has been born, but this is no ordinary baby.

A Savior has been born, who is Christ the Lord.

A Savior is a rescuer, a deliverer, and in the Jewish faith, this term was always used in reference to God and/or the Messiah, which is the next term our translations use.

The word Christ in Greek is the same as the word Messiah in Hebrew.

The child born in the city of David, this Savior, this rescuer, this deliverer, is the much anticipated Messiah of the Jewish faith, the Christ. Now this is reason for rejoicing

So here’s something that’s really cool. Let’s look at Matthew’s account of the Birth of Jesus in chapter 1

The scene that we are not given in Matthews Gospel but we get from Lukes is that Mary has been visited by the angel Gabriel and been informed that she has found favor in Gods eyes and she will be the vessel used by God to bring the Messiah into the world.

Let’s look at Matthew 1:18-23

Matthew 1:18–23 ESV

Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).

We may overlook a couple of things in these verses due to familiarity, but I’m not going to let us.

Verse 21 says, “She will bear a son and you are to call his name Jesus”, but then it gives us the “why” for the name?

It tells us, “For He will save His people from their sins.”

The name Jesus is actually the word Yehoshua, which means Yahweh or God is salvation, Jesus is God is salvation, saving His people from their sins.

This is to fulfill what the Lord spoke through the prophet, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” which means, (God with us.)

Jesus is Immanuel and Yehoshua, He is the God who has come to be with us to save us from our sins. Now this is Good News and reason for rejoicing, and it all starts in a manger in Bethlehem.

But what starts in a manger, ends on the Cross. You see, Christmas happened because Calvary was necessary.

all of humanity have sinned, fallen short of the glory of God, Romans tells us, and all of us are incapable of rectifying our own situation.

We were in desperate need of saving, and our great God saved us, by coming to be with us, by becoming a man, and living the perfect life that we are incapable of living, but then also dying the death we all deserved.

Now that is good news and that is reason to rejoice. Jesus’ coming brought salvation to all who would recognize Him, to all who would receive Him, to all who would follow Him and place their faith in Him.

So yes, our joy is rooted in a circumstance, but really it’s rooted in an event, or two, the first is the birth of our Lord and Savior, and the second is His death, both are for you and me, and both are reason for our rejoicing.

Our joy is also rooted in two other events, Jesus’ ascension and His 2nd coming, and are equally worthy of celebrating.

Upon His ascension the disciples were informed that Jesus would come again, and then establish His kingdom forever.

So rejoice with us at UPI and celebrate the coming of our God and Savior, Jesus the Messiah

And as we celebrate His 1st coming, let us not forget that He’s promised to come again, His ultimate Advent is near, eagerly anticipate His arrival, for when He does come, we will be rejoicing together for all of eternity in our Yehoshu, our God who came to be with us so He could save us!!

Merry Christmas!!