"Joy"

Introduction: When the happiness fades in the things of earth. The world can seem joyless. I was conversing with a fellow saint of God the other day, and I asked him if he had seem some local Christmas lights before. He then told me that he had seen them before, but not very recently, that the things of Christmas that many of us hold so dear became trivial after his wife had passed away. He wasn’t being a bah-humbug Christmas is terrible, but he showing how those things that he loved to do with his wife were gone and brought him no joy anymore. He said that all that really matters to him now is the joy of the Savior, the joy of the birth of His Savior. It kind stopped me in my tracks, and in a good way. Nothing wrong with those lights or decorations, he wasn’t saying that. But that’s temporary happiness or joy. His joy now rests in the Christmas season merely in the recognition of the Savior’s birth. Lights, candies, treats, decorations, trees…friends, families…all eventually fade. As happy as they make us, and even as important as some as those things are like friends and family, true joy rests in the eternal Son of God. He never fades, he never fails, and though he died, he lives today on the throne. So in this Christmas season, rather than proclaim joy in our decorations, our parties, or even our family gatherings, let’s...

CTS: Go and tell that true joy, Jesus Christ, has come and entered a joyless world.

I. Joy is Prepared (8-10)

A. Joy prepared starts with glory

One of the necessary parts of this part of the text is the understanding of where true joy, true good news begins. It begins in God. The beginning of true joy is founded in the divine initiative of God. When humanity tries to find joy in themselves, it fails over and over again. And God is not forever silent. He explodes onto the scene here with his glory.

The other aspect of this is what glory is. It is signified in Israel’s history as God’s presence shown in physical form. Exodus 24:17 says 17 Now the appearance of the glory of the LORD was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the people of Israel. Exodus 40:34-35 says 34 Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. 35 And Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud settled on it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.

There is a weight and power to this idea of glory, and this glory is seen as bright, unable to be in the full presence of it. It shows a glimpse of who God is, and only a glimpse. The angel of the Lord puts off this kind of glory, (only a glimpse mind you) and it causes great fear among the shepherd. Awe and reverence. They understood that this wasn’t just some flash of light. This was something divine and it caused them to tremble in fear. True joy begins with God’s greatness and glory, with his holiness. A true understanding of God, who He is, His majesty and greatness, leads to a fuller and correct understanding of true joy, good news. His justice and holiness makes the good news that much better, for sinners such as us deserve to be destroyed in His presence for our sins, but he hasn’t come to destroy, but rather, to save.

B. Joy prepared is for all people

Another aspect of this appearance from God is that this joy is for all people. Do you see who gets to hear the good news first? Shepherds. Some have argued about how much they were hated during this time period. Regardless, their very work made them unclean, so they were unable to worship and live their faith. They were also seen to be people of ill repute, often taking advantage of people out in the fields. Whether this was true then or later on, it reminds us that these shepherds were the outcasts of society. They weren’t rich. They weren’t popular. They were normal people, and maybe even took advantage of people. Yet God chooses to reveal the good news to them first, to signify something for us as we read it. This gospel, this good news, this joy, is for all people, regardless of status or inclusion in society. Galatians 3:28 emphatically states this, that in the gospel, we are all at level ground 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. This should begin in us a great joy. We are in this declaration of good news. It’s for all people. And that very joy that we have experienced is meant for all. Every race. Every class. Every person, this good news is meant for them. The hated, the outcast, the criminal, the homosexual, the transgender, the rich, the poor, the Republican, the Democrat. And we really have to not just say this, we must believe it. I don’t care how they dress, how they smell, what they believe, and how mean they are. They need the gospel. It’s for all people.

Transition: But what is the joy, what is the good news for all people?

II. Joy is Pronounced (11-14)

Pronounced that...

A. He fulfills Scripture (11)

Though we do not have the time to go through every one, remember the promises made through Scripture concerning the Messiah. He would crush the enemy with his heel. He would come from Abraham’s offspring. He would be a prophet like Moses. He would come from David’s line and sit on his throne forever. That last one in particular is seen here in fullness. Born in Bethlehem (David’s birth city), but would also live be considered born as King of Jerusalem, just as David was. Everything promised has led to this. Joy has come, and He fulfills the promise of God.

B. He will save us (11)

He also comes to save. Jesus made that clear that he has come to seek and to save the lost (Luke 19:10) . He has come not to condemn the world, but to save it. (John 3:17). And many of that day and era thought that Jesus was the Messiah come to deliver them from Roman rule and make them the most powerful nation in the world. But that is not what he came to do first and foremost. He came to redeem, to heal, to forgive, and reconcile lost humanity, not just Israel, back to God. Joy begins when we understand God’s glory and I am in desperate need of grace, that I need to be saved from my sin, from myself. Jesus has come to do just that.

C. He is Lord (11)

We must also recognize that He is not just a Savior, but also God in the flesh. He is the Christ, the coming Messiah, who is also the Lord. Divine. Master of all. Master of our lives. Our lives are not for our own glory, but for His. He is Lord. And one thing that is often missing from our gospel presentations. Easy believism is dangerous. You can’t repeat a prayer and continue to live your life the way you want. It’s all grace that saves us. Good works don’t save you and do not keep your salvation. But works are evidence that Jesus is the Lord of your life, that you have been redeemed. At salvation, Jesus becomes Lord of your life.

D. He comes in humility (12)

But what is incredible about this pronounced joy is that He comes in such a way that is dumbfounding to us. You would think there would be great fanfare. Illustration: Have you ever seen the hoopla over the royal families babies, even over here in The US? That didn’t happen for Jesus. He was born in really ordinary circumstances. So ordinary that it was in a stable, in a manger. Not a palace. No great crowds. This is the sign. Yes a swaddled like any other child, but also in a manger. This is the humility of the coming of Christ, His emptying (Phil 2:6-8). 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

E. He brings glory to God and peace to us (13-14)

Yet in this, this joy, this good news, brings glory to God, yet also brings peace to the world. How is this peace achieved? That Jesus has reconciled man to God through becoming flesh like us, living obediently to the Father when we could not, and then dying to pay our sin debt. We are at peace with God. This is a two-fold good news. We experience this wonderful eternal life ourselves, personally and corporately as God’s church, but it also gives glory to God. The Gospel is all about God’s glory. God initiates, does the work of salvation, and gets all the glory. This is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast. (Eph 2:8-9)

III. Joy is Proclaimed (15-17)

The shepherds, after such a glorious appearance, the news of great joy, act. How do they act? In order to truly experience true joy is to believe.

A. You must believe

These shepherds look at one another, and instead of saying “what a wild dream,” or “was I hallucinating?” they state not a question but an action. They were going to go see the baby, to see the sign that was just revealed to them from divine agency. One interesting phrase here that confirms this belief is in the first part of their saying. And see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us. They believed first and foremost that this was God revelation. This wasn’t anything else. They were confident it was God who just revealed this good news, this great joy. And they believed it happened. Past tense.

But their joy wasn’t done yet. They still had something else to do...

B. You must share

They arrive and see everything they believed to be true. They saw the baby in swaddling clothes (like any other baby), but this one was in the manger. They saw Mary and Joseph, and they began to tell them the event that just happened to them. They told the story of the angels proclamation. They couldn’t keep in the good news of the revelation of God. That this baby was the Savior, the Christ, the Lord. He is the answer to the promises. He comes, breaking through the silence of the night. The wait was over.

They couldn’t help but tell. That is what true joy will do to us. We can’t help but share this good news. That Jesus Christ is born, the Savior of the world. But let us remember that we have the whole of revelation before us. We understand that Jesus is to be proclaimed also as the One born to die. People are comfortable with the baby in the manger. He is non-threatening. But when we speak about what He grows up to do, what He was sent to do, that is when everything gets a little more offensive. To proclaim Him as Savior is to proclaim that we are all sinners in need of this redemption. We proclaim that man is inherently sinful. All of us. And that we can do nothing to earn salvation. Proclamation of joy demands that foundation of God’s glory and power. It demands that we are revealed as who we are.

IV. Joy is Praised (18-20)

The response is wonder from those who heard this incredible news. Was it just Joseph or were there others? I don’t know. It’s interesting to think about. Was it some people that the shepherds brought along as they made there way there? Regardless, the people there wondered. Mary treasured these thing and pondered them. Yes, she knew what Gabriel told her. But this isn’t something that is going to be easy to grasp immediately. As a matter of fact, we see her wrestle with who Jesus is throughout his life. At one point, she asks Jesus to work a miracle, yet Jesus tells her in essence “this is not my hour yet Mary.” This child, conceived by the Holy Spirit, is going to be the Messiah, the Savior. He’s Lord! The good news of joy is something that we can never exhaust and that we will always ponder. We may not always have all the answers when we proclaim, but we proclaim nonetheless. God is the one who works on hearts!

Wonder. Treasuring. Pondering. Praising. All of these things are done in response to the true joy prepared, pronounced, and proclaimed. Praise to God. Not to Mary. Praise that God is going save humanity, and make sinful rebellious people like Jews and Gentiles alike His people, His possession, His church. And this praise is rooted in God’s revelation. It wasn’t just an emotion (but no doubt God’s revelation brought about great emotion!), but truth. God revealed and proved His word, His promises. He has brought great joy.

Conclusion: So this is the response to the Advent season today. We are to be people of joy. But remember where this joy is founded. In God Himself. In His glory. In the person of Jesus Christ, the sent Son of God, made flesh to dwell among us. Joy is rooted in who God is, and realizing who we are. If we humble ourselves, repent, and believe in Jesus Christ, we experience true joy. We know God as He has revealed Himself to be. And when all else fades away, when the lights get taken down, the decorations stored away for next year, when the food is eaten and leftovers thrown away. What will last? What was this season truly about? Joy of Christ or joy of ourselves and other things? Let’s be people of true joy, proclaiming that Jesus Christ is born. But not only born, born to die to give us life!