Sermon Tone Analysis

*Overtaken by Joy*

*Isaiah 35:1-10*

*December 13, 1998*

 

*Overtaken by Joy!* For everyone who has come to a knowledge of the truth, being *overtaken by joy* is a present reality, that has a future fulfillment.

To help you grasp what I am talking about, there is a television commercial that shows a family on Christmas morning.

With packages unwrapped, children are seen enjoying their new gifts.

Mom and Dad contentedly observe the happy scene.

Then Dad pulls from the pocket of his robe a small box and gives it to his wife.

Inside she finds a magnificent diamond necklace.

The voice-over says, “This year, be the Santa of her dreams.”

The commercial fades to black as we watch a tear fall from the wife’s eye; and in that moment she is *overtaken by joy.

*Now, I don’t know if you realize this, but I have just set up every husband here.

Wives, can’t you just wait?

 

*1.

Our Hope of Joy:* In God’s economy, gladness and joy, are like police in hot pursuit of people.

Isaiah describes this promise of God for us when he says, /“The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom.

Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom; it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy.

The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon; they will see the glory of the LORD, the splendor of our God.

/We, who have been touched by Jesus are bursting into bloom with the *Hope of Joy*.

With our souls touched by the present reality of His life through the water and Word of Baptism, we await the fulfillment of these glories.

* *

            Then, sorrow and sighing will be sent packing forever.

But now, for a little while, we face many causes of sorrow: here there are disappointments, personal failures, and illnesses that make us sigh with heaviness.

Let me share a little story about this.

/Story (fiction but poignant):/ St. Paul once came upon a man sitting on a bench sighing with his head in his hands.

“What’s wrong, brother?” Paul asked.

The man spoke of terrible guilt over his sin.

Paul gladly told him of the perfect redemption won by Jesus for all people, relieving the man’s guilt and putting his sighing to flight.

*A little later *Paul came upon a woman who also held her head in her hands as she sighed.

“Sister, what’s the matter?”

Paul inquired.

She told how she had lost her job and couldn’t afford food for her family.

Paul quickly arranged a collection to be taken at church for her relief, putting her sorrow and sighing to flight.

*A bit later*, Paul came upon another man sighing with his head in his hands.

“Brother,” Paul asked, “what could be troubling you so?” “I’ve got two teenagers at home,” the man replied.

At which point Paul also sighed and put his head in his hands!

Well, you get the point of the struggles we experience in this life.

Even so, the Gospel brings the good news that we have a most certain hope of a heavenly existence where gladness and joy will overtake us for all eternity.

Then, all sorrow and sighing will flee.

The “great reversal” of sorrow to joy is described in the beautiful terms of our text.

Dead places are made to bloom with life by the power of God.

This promised reversal of fortunes awaits us in heaven.

It is our Hope of Joy that strengthens us in our present times of weakness in this fallen world.

*2.

Our Present Joy:* Yet, our faith is not just a matter of “gutting it out” until we finally receive joy in heaven.

The Gospel isn’t a “pie in the sky by and by” message.

* *

            As Jesus informs John the Baptist in today’s Gospel reading, the great messianic age of joy promised in Isaiah has already made its beginning.

By healing the blind and deaf and lame and mute, Jesus showed that the time of joy is with us in the here and now.

Joy is present because of two reasons: *1)* Jesus has redeemed us from all our sin and guilt, offering himself as the ransom price that delivers us from the punishment of eternal death.

Although we don’t deserve this gift, God gives it freely to be received gratefully in faith.

The benefit and joy of this salvation sends guilty sighs fleeing.

You see, by His own promise God touches us with the holiness of Christ.

By that holiness we are kept safe unto eternal life.

*2)* Jesus has also redeemed us from death by rising on Easter.

Baptism connects us to his resurrection, whereby we become more than conquerors of death, in him.

Those precious waters promise new life to parched souls.

In faith the blessing is received so that we can now enjoy each day as God’s gift of life, and use our time for his labor.

Sadly, unbelieving eyes see no change.

But to the eyes of faith, everything has changed.

Sorrow and sighing must flee, for Jesus lives in us with everlasting love to give us everlasting life.

It is a present reality that causes us to be *Overtaken by Joy.

*Even so, there are more glories to come.

*3.

Our Joyful Task:* As we wait for joy to fully overtake us, James reminds us of our task, to be patient until the Lord’s coming.

* *

            As we wait patiently for the consummation of joy, we can now be agents of joy: So, as God grants us opportunity, let’s alleviate as much human suffering as we can by supporting the work of organizations like FISH and Lutheran World Relief.

Let’s track down the unbelievers we know and pursue them with the Gospel message that they too might experience the joy we share.

Sure, there might be those who have resisted this message in the past.

But let’s be as persistent in our Gospel-stalking as God has been in persistently pursuing us with forgiveness and joy.

You see, our joyful task is not to make people happy, but to help others be *Overtaken by Joy, *the Joy of salvation and safe-keeping.

Well, that’s it.

In this Advent Season Gladness and Joy are after us.

As a matter of fact, they are not only after us, they are upon us through the present blessing of salvation that comes through faith in Jesus.

Although causes for sorrow and sighing abound, Jesus is an even greater cause of joy.

Thus, when we are *Overtaken by Joy*, let us not only sing “Joy to the world, the Lord is come!”

But let us all proclaim Jesus Christ; *Our Hope of Joy,* *Our Present Joy, Our Joyful Task!*  Amen.