Joy Luke 2:10-18

Luke 2:10-18 13Dec20

Joy

SU Can you believe we are at the third Sunday of Advent; we have looked at the hope and love offered due to the birth of the promised Messiah, born in Bethlehem so long ago?

He came just as was promised throughout the Old Testament, born to a virgin, burn under the Law to fulfill the Law, coming to offer freedom, forgiveness, eternal life, and He will come again one day just as promised. Today, we will look at the JOY we all can have, no matter the turmoil going on in our country, in the world, in your own personal life, you can have JOY because of the fulfillment of the wonder prophecy of the coming Messiah.

The Christmas season is such an awesome time of year, it’s not about Santa Claus, shopping, or referring to this time with “happy holidays”, it is about God the Father, about His Only Son who came to walk and live with us, to ultimately give His life for us. It is about Christ, and there is no Christmas separate from Christ.

There is reason to sing and shout for JOY because of this truth, but how often do you believe people, maybe even you at some time have simply mouthed the words to the hymns that celebrate His birth, the hymns that tell of His grace, power, love, the hymns that literally are the Word of God in song.

For a moment, put yourself in the role of the shepherds the day Jesus was born. Consider the significance of the words to the hymn, Joy to the World. Do you believe the shepherds were lethargic?

Isaac Watts wrote Joy to the World in 1719, he is credited to have written around 750 hymns. At this time hymns were written almost word for word with the Psalms. Of course, Joy to the World was not, this created quite an issue for Watts. It is said that some people at the time held the view that, “no good Christian would sing Joy to the World”. Nonetheless, it obviously stood the test of controversy.

Do you truly grasp all the Lord has done for YOU? Do you shout for JOY to the Lord even in the midst of life’s storms, does your neighbor, your family, does the earth and all in it see the JOY of the Lord pouring out of you? Do you have JOY in your heart as you sing Joy to the World?

Luke 2:10-18 (NIV2011) 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, 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 heaven, and on earth peace to those 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.

V16 After seeing the angels, after hearing the news of the birth of the promised Messiah, the shepherds HURRIED off. Do you believe they may have been shouting joy to the world, the Lord is come…could be, none of us were not there, but I doubt they went off without excitement?

What about this, maybe they began hurrying, and then they lost excitement and moseyed to Bethlehem. Probably not though, they were probably quite excited and REMAINED excited.

The promises that the Messiah brought through His birth have not changed. So what causes Christians loose excitement as they worship, when you still have the opportunity to claim the promises and blessings, what reason could we come up with for WHY we do not sing with JOY? This is for each of us to answer for ourselves.

Often, when Christmas is viewed through the lens of a secular worldview it is not a time of true JOY, it does not signify a time to celebrate the birth of the promised Messiah. It is nothing but materialism and maybe just another day off work.

When you look at the words written by Watts and the book of Luke, and Psalms 98, it is obvious that the joy of Christmas is not that of an earthly material finite joy. The true joy that Christmas signifies comes only from the Creator of all that is seen and unseen, joy that cannot be taken away, joy that is immeasurable, joy that will last for eternity.

Luke 2:14 (NIV2011) 14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

Everyone in the world needs peace, there is turmoil everywhere and these words should bring peace despite the circumstances or situation you are facing. The Joy God offers is not something we can buy, create, or earn. Joy is a gift that is given by God and received by those who do not truly deserve it.

This does not mean This does not mean life will always be stress free, that you will never encounter problems. Life was not stress free for Joseph and Mary as they welcomed the Messiah into the world. It is a joyous time when you bring a new life into the world, to hold a beautiful little baby, nurture them, teach them, and in this case, Joseph and Mary’s baby is the promised Messiah. Despite this their life was NOT a picnic, but it does bring peace KNOWING God is with you during these times. You can endure trials with joy KNOWING you are doing so for the glory of God?

The world cannot honestly claim to offer JOY that brings peace, peace that is holy, pure. Only God who is holy and pure and sinless can offer a joy that brings peace in in storms, joy that is pure, and holy. Every square inch of the world is tainted by sin, everything the world offers that is separate from the commands and will of God cannot be considered as the JOY that Scripture refers to.

C. H. Spurgeon C. H. Spurgeon wrote.

Holy joy is the joy of heaven, and that you can be sure, is the very cream of joy; the joy of sin is a fire-fountain, having its source in the burning soil of hell, maddening and consuming those who drink its firewater. (Of such delights we desire not to drink. It would be worse than damned to be happy in sin, since it is the beginning of divine grace to be wretched in sin, and the consummation of grace to be wholly escaped from sin, and to shudder even at the thought of it.) It is hell to live in sin and misery; it is a lower deep still when men could fashion a joy in sin. God save us from unholy peace and from unholy joy! The joy announced by the angel of the Nativity is as pure as it is lasting, as holy as it is great; let us, then, always believe concerning the Christian religion that it has its joy within itself, and holds its feasts within its own pure precincts—a feast whose food all grows on holy ground.

Spurgeon never sugar coats the truth.

Luke 2:10-1110 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.

V10 He came for you, me, all people, the truth is that God loves you so much He came to earth to for you. God is the Creator, He is the Creator of the Law, He is the Judge of those who uphold the Law, those who ignore the Law, the Judge of all humanity.

He came this first time not to judge a sinful disobedient humanity, but to offer a sinful humanity forgiveness, grace, salvation, and eternal life. To offer Peace and JOY to ALL of humanity. You must call out to Him, surrender your life, and He freely blesses you with peace and true everlasting JOY.

No one can work their way into heaven, no one will ever be “good” enough to enter heaven. We all fall short, but we don’t have to offer sacrifices, follow the Mosaic Laws, God sent His Son for all people, He offered Himself as a sacrifice for the sins of all people. Christ came so we can accept the forgiveness and joy we do not deserve.

Conclusion:

What first comes to your mind when you hear the word Christmas. Is it shopping, gifts, too much to do and not enough time, or the joy brought by the birth of the Jesus? Christmas can be a time of JOY even if you are going through a storm at this very minute. The joy that God offers endures through storms, through good times and bad. It never ever fails, if you do not feel joy and peace, it is not because God has failed, it is because YOU have placed things of the world where only God must be. God’s JOY endures for eternity, the question is, HAVE you accepted it.

Think about the shepherds, they heard the news, they hurried to the Savior, they spread the word about what they had found. Have you hurried to the Savior, have you knelt at His side, have you accepted the JOY, the peace, the forgiveness, that only God offers?

If not, do so now, you may not have tomorrow. Do not leave here today without the joy that only God can provide. When you have the Joy that only God offers, shout it to the world, God’s joy must be visible in your life, in all that you do. Shout JOY TO THE WORLD.

I want to read a few more words of C. H. Spurgeon, from a sermon in 1871.

“It is joy to all nations that Christ is born, the Prince of Peace, the King who rules in righteousness ... beloved, the greatest joy is to those who know Christ as a Saviour. . . the further you submit yourself to Christ the Lord, the more completely you know Him, the fuller will your happiness become. Surface joy is to those who live where the Saviour is preached; but the great deeps, the great fathomless deeps of solemn joy which glisten and sparkle with delight, are for such as know the Saviour, obey the anointed one, and have communion with the Lord Himself . . .you will never know the fullness of the joy which Jesus brings to the soul, unless under the power of the Holy Spirit you take the Lord your Master to be your All in all, and make Him the fountain of your intensest delight.”