This Sunday morning is the second Sunday of Advent. Last week we talked about the HOPE of Christmas. Today, the next step as we anticipate the arrival of the birth date of our Savior Jesus Christ, is celebrating the JOY of Christmas. PRAYER
For some folks, Christmas is the happiest time of the year; for others, Christmas is the saddest time of the year. It all depends on how you feel about your circumstances in life. The circumstances in our life during this Advent season, can bring us the greatest pain, or they can bring us the greatest joy. The ingredients of our life can lead to joy if we look at them from God’s viewpoint.
I am reminded of the family that sat down to a meal with their grandpa and dad, an old farmer. The farmer was asked to ask the blessing on the breakfast of biscuits and gravy. They bowed their heads as the elderly farmer prayed:
“Lord, I don’t like the taste of flour. It would choke me if I tried to eat it by itself. I can’t imagine trying to eat a chunk of lard by itself. Baking powder is the nastiest tasting stuff if I ate a spoonful of it. Salt wouldn’t satisfy my hunger at all. But if I mix all these things together, they make the best biscuits I have ever eaten. So, I thank you for the flour, the lard, the baking powder, and the salt. But I thank you even more that you have brought them together to make this wonderful blessing of biscuits and gravy. Lord, as we sit together at this table, we are all going through different circumstances in our lives right now. But you have brought us together as a blended family. So, I ask that you help us to thank you for the circumstances in each of our lives that have brought us together at this moment. AMEN
So, you see, when I speak of JOY at Christmas, every one of us have some circumstance in our life right now that can make or break our Christmas joy. But the question is really about what Christmas Joy truly is. What is JOY?
An editorial page headline read, “The sad results of too much happiness” – the article having to do with the misfortunes of those who had won big over the years by playing the lottery. Most were bankrupt within the first year.
The popularity of the lottery and those who win and jump for joy tells me that people get a thrill out of winning. And it doesn’t have to specifically be the lottery. We tend to jump for joy when we win at anything we might compete in. We love to win. And winning brings us JOY.
But it makes me think. Do you suppose that all too often we tend to associate happiness and joy with money and material possessions, as opposed to what it is that really makes up true happiness and genuine joy?
Most folks look forward to Christmas; some look forward to the day after Christmas. It all depends on how commercialized we as individuals want to make it.
Sure, the commercial aspect of Christmas generates the excitement of anticipation, especially in children; yet there are children who wouldn’t experience this excitement were it not for good-hearted folks who contribute in some small way to help every child have a merry Christmas. Our angel tree project is a good example of that. If it were not for your kind and generous hearts to purchase a gift for a child you don’t even know, that child might not get anything for Christmas.
During this season of Christmas, have you ever thought about how many Christmas traditions we are involved in? Decorated trees, bright lights, parties, family get-togethers, delicious food, new recipes to try, gift giving and receiving, Christmas plays, worship services, concerts, caroling and all the rest. But intwined with it all– there is one word in the English language that, to me, describes what I wish for everyone to experience as a result of all that we see and hear and do during the Christmas Season. That word is JOY.
You may feel happy . . . You may feel sad . . . You may look forward to Christmas Day . . . You may look forward to the day after . . . How you feel about it really has nothing to do with whether or not you experience the JOY of Christmas. You see, JOY as expressed in the Bible was not meant to be a feeling. JOY was meant to be a gift of love.
Some folks equate joy with happiness; but, you know, you can feel unhappy, due to your circumstances, and still experience the gift of JOY. You may or may not get caught up in the commercialization of Christmas and still experience the gift of JOY. You may or may not get involved in the traditions of Christmas and still experience the gift of JOY.
How can I possibly say that neither family circumstances, nor shopping sprees or the observance of holiday traditions have an effect on whether or not I will or will not experience the JOY of Christmas? How can I say that? I can say it only because I have learned both from experience and reading the Bible that all the traditional activities we tend to associate with the Christmas Holidays have to do with our feelings.
Yes, I wish you a “Merry” Christmas because I hope you feel merry rather than sad. I wish you a “Happy” New Year because I want for each and every one of you the happiness of not having to worry about anything. From now until next Christmas I want you to feel glad, not sad; but we are talking about feelings – and feelings change as circumstances change.
When the Bible speaks of JOY, the use of that word is the best our English language can do to describe that which is humanly unspeakable – God’s GIFT of love to the world!
Luke 2:8-11 – “In the same region, shepherds were staying out in the fields and keeping watch at night over their flock. 9 Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people: 11 Today in the city of David a Savior was born for you, who is the Messiah, the Lord.”
The JOY spoken of here is a divine blessing – not a human feeling! Luke is telling us that the promise made to Abraham - that through his seed all the world would be blessed - has been fulfilled. Luke is telling us that God’s eternal love has been revealed in human history – in the person of Jesus Christ, God’s Son and our Savior.
The angel said to the shepherds, “I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people.” The angel might just as well have said, “I bring you good news of a great gift of love that will be for all people.”
God’s gift to the world is God’s JOY to the world. “For unto you has been born this day in the city of David a Savior who is Christ the Lord.”
And where did they find him? Not in a warm cradle is some nice hotel. Not in a relative’s home surrounded by the love of the family. Where were they to find Him? In a cow stall – in a feeding trough! And who was there for the birth of our Savior? Ordinary folks. No royalty, no leaders of the community, really, no one special at all. Just ordinary folks. Just like us.
But for us ordinary folks, (correct me if I am wrong) happiness is having everything go right . . . a sense of contentment . . . feeling good about our circumstances – maybe with a few laughs thrown in for good measure. But JOY – real JOY – wonderful JOY is not dependent upon circumstance or commercialization. Real JOY is the gift of God’s love – born in a manger among the ordinary.
It goes without saying that there’s a lot of turmoil in our world today; and we are told that the threat of terrorism is very real. And anyone who has flown anywhere since the 911 attacks is reminded of this each time they go to the airport to board a plane. But I think most would agree that it’s worth the long wait in the security lines to feel safe from some lunatic. Do you ever get the feeling that insanity is the order of the day - a world gone mad!?
On a personal level, more often than not, there is a lot of uncertainty as to our own individual futures – especially when it comes to issues of aging, declining health, adjustments that we have no choice but to make due to changing times and circumstances.
Many of us have experienced a loved one who is or was in a nursing home. I went through it with my mom. Caran and I went through it with her dad. Linda and Vicky went through it with their mom and are going through it now with their uncle. I have witnessed it many times when making visits to the nursing homes.
Most of those in the homes have adjusted to the living arrangements. I’ll use Caran’s dad for an example. I convinced him that it would be a great help on Caran’s mom if he would consider staying in the nursing home. We took him for a tour of the facility and he agreed.
He knew at this point in his life that he had no choice but to live there, but that he was making the most of his situation. He developed his own routine while there. He set his schedule to get up early, dress, and roll himself to the dining hall to get his morning coffee. At first, Caran and I would go visit him every week. But he told us we didn’t have to bother coming that often which told us he was adjusting.
So, we started going to see him every two weeks but we would take him out to a restaurant each time. He seemed to really enjoy that. The nursing home had a special program that year for the 4th of July and they celebrated all the veterans. We were there with him for that. And it was a special time as we visited and laughed together.
As I think about it all now, it was by our “presence” that he was thrilled, (us being there) and so were we. We would take him presents from time to time. But I really feel that he wanted our presence, ENCE, more that the presents, ENTS. Our “presence” overshadowed our “presents.” He was overjoyed by our coming to see him!
So, I say it again, there is a lot of uncertainty as to our own individual futures – especially when it comes to issues of aging, declining health, adjustments that we have no choice but to make, due to changing times and circumstances.
But despite all the turmoil and uncertainty - in our world and in our own lives - Christians can still feel good about the gift of JOY that has come into the world. In fact, I prefer to think of the JOY that is ours in the same way that the angel put it – “great” JOY!
Why was the good news great JOY? Let’s answer that question with a series of other questions:
- What had God’s people needed for so many millenniums before the birth of Jesus?
- What had mankind needed since Adam and Eve?
- Why was Noah’s “ark” necessary?
- What had God’s people longed for since God called Abraham the father of nations?
- Why was Moses sent down to Egypt to lead the people of God to the Promised Land?
- What had been the message of the prophets through the generations?
The answer to those questions is one thing that Christians, Jews and most other religions agree on: that the human race was in need of a Deliverer – someone to deliver them from the curse of sin that had invaded the world.
Christians believe that the Bible is God’s Holy Word . . . the Bible is God’s revelation of Himself to mankind . . . the Bible plainly tells us that Jesus Christ was and is God’s final revelation of Himself to the world.
So, the good news of JOY was “great” because the time had finally come for God to send His “Deliverer” - one who would save the people from their sins once and for all – by His presence among us and, after all had been said and done – from the cradle to the cross - by His taking our punishment for us!
Great JOY – because the Savior has been born.
Great JOY – because God’s promise of a Deliverer has been fulfilled.
Great JOY – because the Lord himself has come to dwell among us.
Into this broken world he came. Born in a stable, laid in a feeding trough. The Gift of JOY.
The word of life for all who heard, or would listen – the gift of JOY.
Raised up on a cross, to take the punishment that we deserve, the Gift of JOY. We are told in Hebrews that Jesus:
Hebrews 12:2 – “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the JOY that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Hardly a happy situation for Jesus, yet He looked upon it as how the ultimate outcome would be JOY. Joy for those who believe in Him and accept Him as personal Lord and Savior.
Today, in the spirit of the Holidays, I wish you a Merry Christmas. Yet, my greatest wish for you is Christmas JOY – that you may receive God’s gift of JOY – real JOY that no circumstance, no commercialization, no worry or anxiety can take from you.
I hope that during this ADVENT season leading up to one of, if not THE biggest celebrations of the year, that you can say with me, “Thank you, Lord, for your gift of JOY!”
