Advent: Joy

 

December 24, 2017
Experience Joy! 
Matthew 1, Luke 2      NOTES NOT EDITED

 SIS – Joy is not only something we experience but it is something we practice—what we do enhances or distracts from our sense of joy.

 My Christmas preaching story is to always save the topic of “joy” for the last Sunday of Advent, after speaking about love, hope, and peace.  For me, joy is the sum of all those other great gifts of Advent. First, let’s get a few things settled about Christmas.  ❶What do you get if you cross a snowman with a vampire?  FROSTBITE!  ❷Why do crabs hate giving gifts at Christmas?  Because they are SHELL-FISH.  ❸Why couldn’t the skeleton go to the Christmas party?  He had NO BODY to go with.  ❹What part of the body is most popular at Christmas?  ❺The mistle-TOE.  That reminds me of something I read this week.  An ELEMENTARY TEACHER on the last day before Christmas break asked her Zoom class, “What’s something your family really needs this Christmas?  Jenny spoke up saying, “A computer.” The teacher replied, “Well, that certainly would be very useful.”  Johnny spoke up next and said, “A new lawnmower to cut the grass in the Spring.”  “That is also a very useful item for a family,” the teacher responded.  The teacher called on Jimmy, “Jimmy, what is something your family needs this Christmas?”  Jimmy sat silently for a moment and then said, “Nothin’.”  “Nothing,” the teacher said, “but every family needs something.”  Jimmy’s eyes lit up and he spoke with boldness, “Oh, no Ma’am, we don’t need a thing.  I know, because on election night I heard my Dad shout, “Great, Biden got elected.  That’s the LAST THING WE NEED!”

It’s good to laugh. Joy is a remarkably powerful thing.  Scientists have actually studied the experience of joy and find it to be highly beneficial—as if any joyous person needs a scientist to tell them that.

An article in Executive Digest says, in part:  “Scientists have been studying the effect of laughter on human beings and have found, among other things, that laughter has a profound and instantaneous effect on virtually every important organ in the human body. Laughter reduces health-sapping tensions and relaxes the tissues as well as exercising the most vital organs. It is said that laughter, even when forced, results in beneficial effect on us, both mentally and physically.”  Find something to rejoice in every day—it will do your body good!

Joy is indeed very powerful, but a little hard to hold onto at times.  Joy allows us to transcend the “ordinariness” of life and its many troubles.  Even a casual reading of the Christmas Story reveals that a captivating, invigorating, and motivating joy was stirred up in the heart of all those who recognized that Jesus was special—a gift from heaven.  Let’s read the angel’s announcement regarding joy, and then look at how joy affected several people in the Christmas Story.

 LK 2:1-11

 What is joy?  The Greek word for joy has an extensive usage both in the Bible and in the secular world.  The range of its meaning is both broad and deep.  Now, keep in mind that the word, “joy,” in Greek (the language of the N.T.) is part of a very large word group, or family. In my theological dictionary it is listed with 10 other related words, one of which is the word, “charis,” or grace. The explanation of this word group encompasses 56 pages of scholarly text.

So, what did I learn after wading through all of this study of “chara, or joy?” Three insights summarize my study of joy.  ❶One joy ain’t that simple! Sometimes, being joyful is like catching a greased pig at a County Fair. If you weren’t blessed to have such an upbringing, you’ll have to use your imagination. You see it.  You pursue it.  You get a hold on it.  But, it can slip away.  Joy is hard to define, and even harder to hold on to.  ❷Second, joy is more than a feeling, it’s an action.  In Greek outside of the New Testament, it could simply mean a “self-contained feeling of euphoria.” It did not need any instigating object. It was a feeling. This usage did not pass into the Bible.  Considering the Old Testament, upon which the New Testament is founded, one scholar points out, “Joy is not just inward. It has a cause and finds expression.” See that? "Finds expression." Joy leads to action, such as the idiom, "jumping for joy." When Baby in the Womb, John, met Baby in the Womb, Jesus, the Bible says, “The baby leaped for joy!” (Lk. 1:44).  Hold that thought.  ❸Third, joy is closely related to the issue of “grace.”  They share the same Greek root letters.  Grace is the unmerited favor of God that brings our salvation, and joy is the result of God’s gift of forgiveness.

We see this relationship between grace and joy manifested in the Christmas story and the announcement of the angel: Luke 2:10–11 ¹⁰But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; ¹¹FOR today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” (NASB95)

Did you see the connection between “salvation by grace” and “joy?” Circle that first word of verse 11, “for.” It is a conjunction. It connects (joins together) the promise of joy with the foundation for it—“a Savior’s birth!” Many modern translations omit the little conjunction to make it read more smoothly. Now, recall earlier I mentioned "grace" was also in the "char root" family. Joy is a matter of receiving the grace, or favor, of the Savior Jesus Christ.

Now that we have at least a basic understanding of what “joy” is, let’s look at a sampling of those who experienced joy as they experienced the Christ child that first Christmas. 

❶ Simon—SEEK for it (Lk. 2:25-32)

Before we examine Simeon’s joy at finally seeing the Messiah, let me point out some interesting facts regarding this event.  First, we are talking about two time periods after Jesus’ birth.  Verse 21 speaks of the “eighth day” which would be the prescribed time for circumcision.  This demonstrates that Jesus was “born under the Law to redeem those under the curse of the Law” (Gal. 4:4).  In fact the Law is mentioned five times in this passage to establish this fact (Luke 2:22, 23, 24, 27, 29) This clearly identifies Jesus as the “sacrificial lamb that would take away the sins of the world” (John 1:29). The Lord’s identity as the “Messiah” is essential to interpreting the Christmas Story.  Between verse 21 and 22 pass 33 days—“days of purification for Mary” after giving birth (Lev. 12:3-4).  Simeon meets Jesus as He is brought to the Temple for consecration (setting Him aside for service to God).  Finally, we see Mary bring an offering of “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.” These “doves” (or pigeons) were prescribed as “burnt offering and sin offerings” (Lev. 12:6-8).  This offering demonstrates two important truths about Mary.  One, she was sinner as much in need of a savior as anyone else, contrary to the teachings of the Catholic church (since 1850).  Two, they were poor and could not afford a lamb which was the typical sin offering.  All this identified Jesus with the O.T. Messiah promised to take away the sin “once for all” (Heb. 10:10; also Rom. 6:10; 1Pet. 3:18; and referenced dozens of other places). 

Into this event of Jesus in the Temple enters the character called, Simeon.  ²⁵ There was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, looking forward to Israel’s consolation,  and the Holy Spirit was on him. ²⁶ It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he saw the Lord’s Messiah. 

We are told Simeon had been “expectantly looking forward to the fulfillment of God’s promise.”  We are not told how long he had waited, though it implies he had been seeking the Messiah for some time.  Verse 29-30 tells us that Simeon’s patient seeking resulted in an experience of great joy and peace:

²⁹ Now, Master, You can dismiss Your slave in peace,
as You promised.  ³⁰ For my eyes have seen Your salvation

Joy results when we live “devout and righteous lives in anticipation of one day seeing Jesus face to face.  Joy comes from SEEKING it.

❷ Mary—to have joy we must SING for it (1:46-55)

⁴⁶ And Mary said: My soul proclaims the greatness [megalynei, magnifies] of the Lord,⁴⁷ and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.

 Mary goes on to overflow in praise about the immense joy and satisfaction she feels because of her relationship with Almighty God.  I may be spiritualizing the text a bit calling Mary’s response, “singing” but it seems obvious that Mary’s heart had too much to say that mere prose could not express.  This, called the “Magnificat,” is one of many songs in the Bible (commonly referred to as such in commentaries though it doesn’t specifically state they are musical tunes).  Zechariah also had a song.  It demonstrates how joy simply cannot—should not—be suppressed but must be expressed in some way—such as singing.  I cannot stress strongly enough how important a place singing has throughout Scripture.  I’ve said before, the largest book in the Bible is the Book of Psalms—the Hebrew songbook.   

In one situation, of many, as the nation Israel entered into battle they did not lead with heavy artillery, but with choirs.  2Chron. 20 details one such battle between Israel and an arch-enemy, Moab:  

²¹ Then he consulted with the people and appointed some to sing for the Lord and some to praise the splendor of His holiness.  When they went out in front of the armed forces, they kept singing.

We have the same examples from the American military as our cavalry would charge into battle at the buglar’s call.  During the Civil War a drummer and fife player would lead the march.  Music has also been shown to be quite effective in medicine as well.  Multiple studies have shown that calming music can lower blood pressure rates and can even lower the stress hormone cortisol just as much as anti-anxiety medications (www.thefix.com).  Singing and music are powerful ways to call up feelings of joy from deep within our souls. 

When God touches your soul you must not suppress it.  Remember earlier, I quoted the Theological Dictionary of the N.T. explains,  “joy is not just inward. It has a cause and finds expression.” You will enjoy great delight and experience deep joy if you “sing for joy.” Or, as I suggested on a FaceBook post, “jump for joy in the supermarket checkout line.” By singing we normally think of harmony, melody and music.  We would all do well to find some form of “musical expression” in order to draw up from deep within us sounds of joy arising from God dancing upon the strings of our heart.

There are many ways to sing about what God is doing in your life.  One is to simply sing.  Some are not as “delightful in song” as others.  Perhaps you could play an instrument.  OK, some are not as talented musically as others—then play a radio (or mpg player these days) and sing along, or hum along.  But, one way to experience joy is to sing about it.  Let music draw up from deep within your soul feelings of rapturous delight that mere prose or common speech cannot elicit.

I think too many Churches underestimate the power of music to produce, not only joy, but greater devotion in general.  In too many churches the music is sort of an “hors d’oeuvre” before the main meal of the sermon.  This turns church music into little more than a musical performance rather than true worship which will increase our joy.

The key is this:  what God does deep within us, we must get out of us!  Joy bubbles up from deep within when we sing.

❸ Elizabeth—SHARE it.

Joy is never a solo performance.  Look at Lk. 1:57:

⁵⁷ Now the time had come for Elizabeth to give birth, and she had a son. ⁵⁸ Then her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her His great mercy, and they rejoiced with her.

The NIV says, “and they SHARED her joy.” 

Let me summarize the story leading up to this joyous occasion.  Elizabeth was Mary’s cousin.  Six months before the angel announced to Mary that she would have a son an angel appeared to Elizabeth’s husband, Zechariah the priest, and said,

Luke 1   ¹³ But the angel said to him: Do not be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will name him John. ¹⁴ There will be joy and delight for you, and many will rejoice at his birth. 

This baby would be John the Baptist who would prepare the way for the ministry of the Messiah, Jesus Christ.  Jesus said of John, “Among those born of women no one greater than John the Baptist has appeared” (Mt. 11:11).  So, when John was born it was truly a remarkable and wonderful occasion, not only because of who John was but because Elizabeth and Zechariah were old and beyond child-bearing years (Lk. 1:18).  So, the joy from Elizabeth giving birth to the fore-runner of the Messiah was powerful and contagious. 

When it comes to truly experiencing joy the principle seems to be, “the more the merrier!”  We all have experienced this phenomenon.  When our children are born we are filled with joy.  As family and friends come to see the new baby, we experience the joy of birth all over again.  A room full of people and a new baby generates an explosion of joy.  This is true for every major event or accomplishment in our lives.  The more we share a joyous event, the more joy we experience ourselves.  Joy is like a snowball rolling down a hill—it gets bigger and bigger as it goes. 

I have a little plague hanging on my wall that my Mom sent me many years ago.  It is a poem that talks about “love” but I believe it also applies equally to “joy.”  I’ll change the words to make my point: 

The joy in your heart is not just there to stay
Joy is not joy ‘til you give it away.

Sharing multiplies our joy.  Isn’t that what Christmas is really all about—sharing the joy we have in knowing Christ with others?  Gifts, decorations, and such are nice, but Christmas is really about friends and family sharing the joy of Christ.  That’s where we find real joy. 

❹ The Three Wise Men—SACRIFICE for it (Mt. 2:1-2, 11)

 2 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod, wise men from the east arrived unexpectedly in Jerusalem,  ² saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews?  For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.”

Then verse 11 . . . Entering the house, they saw the child with Mary His mother, and falling to their knees, they worshiped Him.  Then they opened their treasures and presented Him with gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

 The true spirit of Christmas is giving.  God gave His Son.  The Wise Men gave the Son gifts, and we can give the world the joy that comes from hearing the gospel message of Jesus Christ.  The first “Noel” or the first Christmas carol talked about “joy and giving.”

¹¹ Today a Savior, who is Messiah the Lord, was born for you in the city of David. 

Two key words appear in that verse: “for you.”  I have said before, “the greatest Christmas gift is not UNDER a tree, but ON a tree.”  Christmas is about God “giving His Son, Jesus” who would die on an old rugged cross to be the Savior of the world—to be the Savior “for you.”  Jesus, and the joy He brings, is a gift from God just “for you.”

The Wise Men’s action of “giving gifts that first Christmas demonstrate that the joy of meeting Jesus just cannot be suppressed—true joy must be Expressed.

Over and over in the story of Christmas we see that joy is a feeling that just cannot be contained—it must be expressed in some tangible way.  The gifts from the Wise Men represent a great sacrifice, not so much because they were gold, a precious metal, or frankincense and myrrh, expensive fragrances, but also because they travelled over 500 miles to deliver their gifts.  They literally risked life and limb travelling over harsh and dangerous regions to get to the Messiah.  It represented a journey of perhaps months, perhaps a year.  We know this because by the time the Wise Men arrive Matthew says that they “entered a house” (v11).  Jesus and His family were no longer in the stable. Also Jesus was now a “young toddler” (paidion) and not a newborn baby (brephos).

The journey of the Wise Men was long, arduous, risky and expensive.  The gifts they brought were expensive.  The Wise Men’s actions represent a great sacrifice.  True joy always involves great sacrifice.  It costs something to follow Jesus and to share his love with others, but it is through sacrifice that we experience the deepest and most meaningful joy in our relationship with Jesus.  In fact, James says,

^1:2 Consider it a great joy, my brothers, whenever you experience various trials. 

Jesus also experienced how joy increased through great sacrifice.  Hebrews 12:2 gives us this remarkable description of true joy:  Therefore, since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses  surrounding us, let us lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily ensnares us. Let us run with endurance  the race that lies before us, ² keeping our eyes on Jesus,  the source and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that lay before Him  endured a cross and despised the shame  and has sat down at the right hand of God’s throne 

My definition of joy is “delightful expectation.”  Hebrews describes this virtue as “the joy that lay before Him” – delight and expectation, or “expectant delight.”  How could it be that Jesus is described as both a “man of sorrows and acquainted with grief” (Isa. 53:3) and at the same time as a man “anointed with the oil of gladness (joy) above all His fellows?” (Psa. 45:7). 

Here’s what we must grasp:  sacrifice does not diminish our joy but multiplies it.  This principle is repeated many times throughout the Scriptures.  If we want true joy, we must SACRIFICE for it. Just like it takes both a “positive” and a “negative” post on a battery to make electricity flow, so both positive and negative events in our lives contribute to our joy. 

It costs something to give away the “joy of knowing Jesus.”  Many, many people who claim to be Christians exhibit “zero” joy in their lives.  The reason is simple:  they sacrifice little or nothing in service to the Kingdom.  The may give a little of their time.  They may give a little of their talents and treasures.  But, most Christians, especially in America know “little” of real sacrifice.  Consequently, they experience little joy in their lives. 

Yet, in the Underground Church in China (as well as in other areas of the world where Christians are persecuted heavily) the joy of worship and service make the sacrifices they face almost melt away.  The persecuted church in China is so full of the joy of salvation that they will often meet from 8 in the morning to 8 in the evening to worship and listen to a sermon—a 12 hour sermon!  They must meet in caves or in remote forests just to keep from being killed or imprisoned.  Far from diminishing their joy, their sacrifice fans the flame of their joy into a raging inferno of praise and an unquenchable thirst for God’s Word!

The Christmas story is filled with people experiencing a supernatural joy:  Simeon, Anna, Mary, Elizabeth, the Wise Men and more.  They all have one thing in common.  The source of their joy was meeting Jesus Christ.  Focusing on Jesus Christ is the only source of deep and abiding joy.  Experience Jesus this Christmas and experience joy.