"The Heart Of Christmas Is Hope, Peace & Joy” Series

In Jesus Holy Name December 11, 2022

Advent III Philippians 4:4 Redeemer

“The Heart of Christmas is Hope, Peace & Joy”

Christmas can be a crazy time. People want “hope” for a better year ahead. People want peace in their home and in the world at Christmas. I seems elusive. How can we find “joy” in the midst of the Christmas rush with the flu, the colds and COVID still clinging to our winter days? Will we find “joy” in the office Christmas parties? Will we find joy at Christmas musicals? I suggest we find true joy were we left off last week.

John wrote: “The “?????”, the Intelligent Designer of the Universe pitched His tent in our midst and we beheld His glory.” (John 1:14) Christmas is the radical celebration that reminds us that the DNA of the Creator is found in the arms of a teenage girl in the city of Bethlehem.

Last week Pastor Jim asked: Why would the Creator of the Universe do such a thing? Hebrews 2:14 (read) His special birth and arrival, to the earth He created, in whose human body the full deity of God resided, is a reminder that in life we who have been called to believe, by the Holy Spirit, have hope. We have “joy”. Joy is based on peace in our being, because Jesus destroyed the grip of fear the Devil wants hold over people’s life and eternal destiny..

This is why Jesus came, to redeem us from fear of what the future brings our way. When we know the Holy Spirit is guiding our days…the result is joy. A common misconception for many people who are seeking peace and friendship with God is to work super hard to be perfect. One of the greatest joy robbers in our lives is knowing we can never be good enough. We have broken ethics. We have broken commandments. We have hurt others, we make mistakes, and we live selfish lives. The “joy” we were hoping for on our own is sapped when we know this truth. Holiness on our own is out of our reach. Yet we want to have joy.

Happiness is different than joy. Human beings are preoccupied with happiness. Often our happiness in life is connected to circumstances in our lives. When things are going well, we feel good. When things are going poorly, we feel bad. Our happiness ebbs and flows. The “joy” of Christmas is knowing that Jesus came to transfer to each one of us His holiness as a gift. “Joy” means that our emotions would not have to fluctuate with our environment.

Lou Holtz once said:

If you want to be happy for a day. ….go golfing.

If you want to be happy for a week…take a cruise.

If you want to be happy for a month…win the lottery.

If you want to be happy for eternity…connect your heart to faith in Jesus Christ.

What is the distinction between joy and happiness? Galatians 5:22-23 says: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such there is no law.”

Rick Warren gave us this definition of joy: “Joy is the settled assurance that God is in control of all the details of my life, the quiet confidence that ultimately everything is going to be alright and the determined choice to praise God in every situation.”

Joy or happiness? Which is it? Let me tell you a story and you can tell me the answer. I’m sure there is excitement in your home as the children and grandchildren help find just the right Christmas tree. There is excitement as the lights are strung. On the face of your children is it “joy” or “happiness”?

Just this week we were talking with our granddaughter Reagan. She was excited. You could hear it in her voice. All she could talk about was how she and her dad were stringing Christmas lights on the house. “It’s just beautiful.” She said. I could tell that her words carried more than “happiness” in seeing beautiful lights. There was joy in her voice because she was sharing a “life” moment with her Dad.

I used the word “joy” that I heard in her voice rather than “happiness” because there was assurance, yes, they were getting ready for Christmas together, but something more was happening with her Dad. It was a time of activity, yes, but more. It was a time of love shared in the activity which resulted in “joy”. So it is with us and our Father in Heaven. Joy is the assurance that we are loved by God and He cares for us as we move through our daily routines.

Christmas is a busy time for every house. There are going to be interruptions. For example: “Just as things are settling down, and you are having a moment of quiet with your hot chocolate, the phone rings and it is Uncle Charlie…He says: “we are just traveling through, could we park our Winnebago in your drive way. We promise we won’t stay more than 10 days. Interruptions. Just when you are about to retire, help is needed with college tuition. Interruptions. They come with Christmas. They come with life. (story from Max Lucado, “Because of Bethlehem)