I have a Christmas story trick question for you. What were the shepherds commanded to do? They were commanded to do two things, and one was NOT to go and visit the Christ child. They did that on their own. Both commands are in Luke 2:10, which reads, “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.” Do you see the two commands? The first command was not to be afraid. The second command to “behold,” which means to see, to pay attention to the news of great joy. Behold, says the angel (that is the command), I bring you good news of great joy. Tonight, we will be obedient to the message of the angel and BEHOLD this good news of great joy.
How would you define great joy? Thinking about this great joy, I define joy simply as a happy soul or a happy heart. A joyful person is a person who is glad, thankful, and celebrative. Joy is a heart that is happy and delighting in life.
I have often heard preachers or Christian writers talk about how Joy and happiness are two different things. No, they are not. In the Bible, the word for Joy and the word for happy are near interchangeable. Joy is a festive word, and we see it in words like rejoice and enjoy. The Greek word for Joy (Chara) finds its way into other words like “gifts (charisma)” and “giving thanks (eucharist).” Joy is a heart (a soul) that is grateful, and celebrative, and happy. There is a distinction, though, that needs to be made, not between the meaning of joy or happiness, but rather the difference between the great joy found in Christ, the savior, versus the joy found in the world. That is the distinction that needs to be understood.
We all long for joy. We all long to be happy. Joy is a universal human longing and need. And, I think that most people, if not all, rightly understand that to be happy, to have joy, we need something or something that needs to happen. Thus we, human beings, seek to get things, do things, or experience things in our pursuit of joy. We think to ourselves that “I will be happier (have more joy) if, for example, I am in better shape, if I have more friends, or drink more water.” I will be happier if I get a new toy for Christmas, grow my bank account, eat my favorite food, and watch my favorite movie. The pursuit of happiness is what drives us.
When we pursue happiness or joy in the things of this world, yes, we do find some measure of it, which is not wrong. From personal experience, I can tell you that “yes, I am happier when I take care of myself physically. I experience joy when I receive gifts. I enjoy eating food. I really enjoy pizza and ice cream. I enjoy being with my family of friends. I love to travel and see new places. The point is that there are many things in this world that do give us joy and happiness, and there is nothing wrong with that joy. In fact, I think the joy and happiness we receive from the things of this world are all gifts from God. That is why I give him thanks for my family, and thanks for my food, and thanks for you. It is good to find moments of joy in the things of this world.
However, the distinction that needs to be made is that the moments of joy in this world are just that, only moments. The joys of this world do not last. The joys of this world are not great enough to provide a lasting joy. The joys we do receive in this world, as wonderful as they may be, lack the power to not only withstand time but also lack the power to withstand (or stand up to) the hardships of life. When suffering or disappointment comes, the joys of this world are overshadowed, pushed aside, and often forgotten. Thus, the problem that I think we often suffer under is the expectation that we can find lasting and great joy from the things of this world. The world’s joys are fleeting and weak and ultimately do not satisfy the deep desires of the soul. The joys of this world lack the power to power to stand up to the trials of the world. Trying to get the joys of the world to endure or to outshine suffering often leads one down the road of self-destruction.
The limited nature of the world’s joy is why what the angel says to the shepherds is important. The angel says to them, “I bring you news of great joy.” This great joy is a different quality of joy. It is a GREAT JOY. It is a joy, a delight, a gratefulness capable (strong enough, great enough) of withstanding the sorrows and griefs of this world. That is why it is a great joy. A joy that is so deep and durable that it is not knocked down when the world throws a punch. It is not pushed aside when sickness hits. It does not disappear when a loved one dies; it does not stand or fall based upon a person’s physical health or financial health or when harm is done towards them. This great joy is so powerful that it overlaps and overwhelms sorrow, suffering, and loss.
A joy so great, that we read in scripture, it gave Jesus the strength to endure the cross (Hebrews 12:2). And it is this same joy that Jesus says to us, “My joy I give to you and it will be full (John 15:11).” And then, just a few moments later, Jesus says, “no one will take your joy from you (John 16:22).” Think about it. The joy that was the source of Jesus’ endurance upon the cross is the joy that he gives to you and is the joy that no one can take away. This is the great joy that has its source in the savior, Christ the Lord, who has saved us from sin and death and has given us eternal life. A savior that has given us a joy that is powered by fellowship with the Father through the Son in the Spirit. Nothing in this world can even begin to compare or compete with this great joy. Halleluiah!!! Praise the Lord!!
This past year has been challenging. We suffered a pandemic, elections, social unrest, as well as our own private and personal tragedies. But we come here tonight, on this Christmas eve, to behold the great joy that we have because a savior is born to us. Do you have this great joy? If you do not, I am going to tell you a secret. It is found by faith in Jesus Christ. There is great joy when you are in a relationship with him. Do you have this great joy? If you do, let us give thanks to our Lord and Savior and proclaim him through our words, deeds, and joy. Amen.
This message was a part of the Christmas Eve Service – December 2020 at New Baptist Church. (Pastor Trent Eastman). The Below video was our virtue Christmas Eve and Communion service.
Concerning the Word of Life 