Sermon Info
Summary
2020 has been a hard year for everyone, but CHRISTmas is here. Jesus has come to bring Hope, Peace, Love, and Joy into our world and into our life. Joy comes when we focus on what we do have, and not on what we don’t have. Because of Jesus, we have everything we will ever need - salvation, peace, hope, love, and joy. Will you experience the Joy of CHRISTmas this year? Take time to express your gratitude to God for all He has done in your life and embrace Jesus, and His Joy, this CHRISTmas.
Content
G.K. Chesterson said, “Joy, which was the small publicity of the pagan, is the gigantic secret of the Christian.” Chesterson is speaking not of happiness which is something that changes due to circumstances or situations that occur in our daily lives. Rather, he speaks of joy, something that can only be found in Christ. It’s joy that sets Christians apart. Their joy is evident in all that they do, and it cannot be changed by difficulties, setbacks, or challenges. Our joy comes because of our Savior.
Throughout the Christmas story in the Gospels, we read of the joy of the people because of Jesus’ coming. Their long-awaited Savior was coming, and when they heard, they couldn’t help but exude praise and worship because of the joy that He would bring.
What the Bible Says about Joy
In Luke 1, we read not only of Jesus’ birth but also the birth of John the Baptist, who would prepare the way for Jesus. At the end of this first chapter of Luke, we read, When it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son. Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they shared her joy. (Luke 1:57-58) Though the birth of John made Elizabeth, Zechariah, and the family and neighbors excited because it was the birth of a healthy baby boy, what made them have joy, above all, was that this birth reflected the mercy of the Lord. We see the joy of these Christ-followers because of who their God was.
Right after John’s birth, Zechariah, John the Baptist’s father, immediately praised God. He saw God’s faithfulness there in front of him with the birth of his child that he had longed for for years, and, because of the joy he had in the Lord, he couldn’t help but praise God. It says that the onlookers and those in the town saw his joy, and the people in the surrounding areas spread the news of not only what God had done with the birth of John but also the joy that Zechariah had (Luke 1:65).
The birth of John the Baptist was so significant because he would prepare the way for Jesus, the Messiah. His birth was part of the fulfillment of the prophecy that we read of throughout the Old Testament. Zechariah had joy because of the birth of his son, because of who his God was, and because He knew that the promised Savior was coming. He had read the Scriptures and knew that this Savior was coming, but the fact that God would allow for his child to be the one to prepare the way for Jesus led him to literally sing. “Because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.” (Luke 1:78-79) He sang of who this Jesus would be – the One who would fully reflect God’s tender mercy, the One who would bring light to the world, the One who would lead us on a path of peace.
Zechariah and Elizabeth represented the joy that we have as Christ-followers. Our Jesus, the Savior of the world, came down to us – oh, the joy that brings to each and every one of us.
How can we experience the joy of this Christmas season?
Let us not take the meaning of this season lightly. Yes, we should continue singing Christmas carols, giving gifts to our loved ones, or making Christmas cookies. These traditions are special and dedicated to just this time of year. However, let’s also remember the joy that this season brings. We have unspeakable joy because of the coming of our Jesus, and in this time of year more than ever, as we sing of and remember why He came, our joy should be shown in all that we do. Joy is a choice that we make.
Like John the Baptist, we are also called to prepare the way for the Lord. Though He came over 2,000 years ago and fulfilled the prophecy with this first coming, He will still come again. Jesus is coming, and we are called to invest our lives in preparing the way for the Messiah. This calling for us as Christians should lead us to songs of praise like Zechariah’s.
This Good News is what we celebrate each year. It’s the gigantic secret of the source of our joy as Christians. But, let’s not keep it to ourselves, whether that’s this Christmas season or each day of our lives. What if others knew who our Savior is because of the joy that is reflected in our lives? Because of Jesus, we have everything we will ever need – salvation, peace, hope, love, and joy. Will you experience, and share, the joy of Christmas this year? Take time to express your gratitude to God for all He has done in your life and embrace Jesus, and His Joy, this Christmas.
But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.” Luke 2:10
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