The Source Of Great Joy

Today we are in our second week of this Advent season and will be looking at Luke 2:8-12. Here, Luke records the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem. After He is born, the angels show up and share this good news of great joy to the humble shepherds in the field. Let’s look again at Luke 2:8-12:

8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”

The birth of Jesus, Emmanuel, God with us, is the gospel, it is the Good news that God himself announced through the angels to the waiting world. His coming was not a reason for fear but for incredible rejoicing. The angels who were standing in the very presence of God said: “The Savior, the Christ, the Lord has come to save you.” He is the bringer of “salvation” and he is the long awaited fulfillment of God’s Old Testament promises to his people.

It’s good news because there is no way we could have saved or redeemed ourselves. The gospel is not about inspiration, guidance for life, or self-improvement. Jesus came to stand in our place, to pay the penalty of our sin, to take what we deserved, and give us new life and a restored relationship with the God and Creator of the universe.

In light of our own sin against God and people around us, we were without a way, in utter darkness. That is why the coming of Jesus was a bright light in this dark world. He came to this world, to us knowing we as His own creation would despise, reject, and crucify Him on the cross. Why would He endure all of this? Because there was a far greater joy set before Him. His sacrificial death would make redemption possible for the whole world. And any of us who would respond to His invitation would experience the joy of His salvation. This is what the gospel message has done throughout history, and will do in every nation, tribe, and tongue. For those who have been sitting in darkness, the gospel brings a great light, hope, peace and joy.

An illustration of this hope and subsequent rejoicing was the recent incident in India where over 40 construction workers were trapped when the tunnel they were building collapsed behind them. Maybe you read about this - these workers were trapped behind 160 feet of fallen stone and rubble waiting and hoping to be rescued. The Australian man who came up with the rescue plan said that the mountain was so unstable that one wrong move could be deadly for everyone involved. In other words, the probability of getting everyone out alive was slim - but they didn’t give up. First they pushed a small pipe through the stone and rubble to bring oxygen and water. Through this small pipe they also communicated hope, letting the men know that they were coming. In the end they had to dig the tunnel by hand in order to rescue them all. When all these men were finally pulled out and rescued there was so much rejoicing. Can you imagine their joy, and the joy of their families and the thousands of people involved in the rescue operation?

On a much larger scale, the prophets throughout the ages were speaking hope to the people in Israel who had been waiting for thousands of years for the coming Messiah, who would rescue them from their darkness and impending doom. Can you imagine when Jesus finally came to redeem the world the immensity of joy that was expressed by the angels and experienced by the shepherds that day?

Can you imagine heaven’s joy, God’s joy, when one person who is in a hopeless state hears the good news of the gospel and turns to Him to be rescued from an eternity in hell to an eternity in His presence and love? The joy we experienced the day we believed will be fully realized the day we step into eternity. That is where we will have a profound understanding of who God is, what He has saved us from and why He did what He did in history.

1. What is true Joy?