The Gifts Of Christmas: Joy Series

The Gifts of Christmas: Joy

Scott Bayles, pastor

Blooming Grove Christian Church: 12/18/2016

If you have been able to join us the past two weeks, you know that we began a journey through the season of Advent by unwrapping the gifts of Christmas. We began with the gift of hope—hope for yesterday, today and tomorrow as we wait together for the arrival of Christ. Then we unwrapped the gift of love—God’s love, which came to us wrapped in swaddling clothes.

Together, hope and love are two of the greatest gifts we could receive this Christmas. But wait… there’s more. Today we’ll open the gift of joy.

If there is a single word that encapsulates all the feelings of Christmas, it’s the little word “joy.” Several of our favorite Christmas carols mention it: “Joy to the world, the Lord is come,” “O come all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant,” “Shepherds, why this jubilee, why your joyous strains prolong?” “Repeat the sounding joy,” “Joyful all ye nations rise, join the triumph of the skies, with th’ angelic host proclaim, ‘Christ is born in Bethlehem.’”

It’s not hard to feel joy when you come to church and sing these joyful songs. But even outside of the church Christmas and joy go hand in hand. The holiday just oozes merriment—all those cozy houses aglow with Christmas lights and dripping with garland, flannel pajama-clad families sipping cocoa under Christmas trees loaded with presents, Christmas carolers, family gatherings, charitable giving, It’s a Wonderful Life!

I mean, So. Much. Joy!

But the truth is—not everyone is joyful at Christmas time.

For some, this time of year is dreadful and difficult. They are missing loved ones, kids, or parents. They can’t afford gifts for their kids or even a good meal on the table at Christmas. They may have had a tragedy in their life, and another holiday without that loved one can be unbearable. Some people won’t make it home for Christmas. And for many, they just want it all to be over because it’s just too painful to fake being joyful, when every day is a struggle.

Many of you may have heard about the terminally ill boy who died in Santa’s arms earlier this week. The story of sixty-year-old Eric Schmitt-Matzen and a very sick five-year-old went viral. Eric—a local, award winning Santa Clause—received a phone call from a nurse at the hospital in Knoxville, TN urging him to come see the little boy who just wanted to see Satan Clause before he died. Santa rushed over, put on a rosy-cheeked smile, and gave the boy a present that was already wrapped and ready to go. “When I walked in,” Santa said, “he was laying there, so weak it looked like he was ready to fall asleep.” To thank him for the gift, he turned and gave Santa a tiny squeeze. “I wrapped my arms around him,” Santa recalled, “Before I could say anything, he died right there. I let him stay, just kept hugging and holding on to him.” The boy’s family, who were gathered outside of his hospital room, sobbing, saw his fragile body and ran to his bed. “I cried all the way home,” Eric said.

How does that Santa—how does that family—experience joy this Christmas?

As we approach Christmas, we often hear about joy and what a joyful season it is, so we try to cram all the other feelings of life down inside. If we don’t feel joyful, we try hard to create joy by tossing our troubles aside, ignoring our deepest struggles, and just living for the moment. But that’s not what the joy of Christmas is all about. And while it may be nice for a moment, it is shallow and short lived.

The gift of joy offered to us in Jesus is one of deep and abiding joy. It is a joy so powerful it can hold its own in a dark and hurting world—and in the midst of all our troubles and struggles. I encourage you to open this gift in a spirit of honesty. You don’t have to cast aside your worries to unwrap this gift of joy.

This gift is more than just a feeling; it is a joy that causes all of creation to celebrate. It’s a deep and powerful, abiding and inexpressible joy.

But the question that nags at many of us is: What if you just don’t feel joy this season? How can you receive this gift of joy even in the midst of suffering, loneliness, pain, grief, busyness, stress, or boredom?

The experience of some shepherds watching their flocks might help us answer that question. When the angel of the Lord first announced the birth of Jesus, he proclaimed, “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people” (Luke 2:10 NLT). This is the joy we’re going to unwrap today. As we examine the shepherds’ story, we discover where to find and how to experience this joy.