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)
As we continue with our series of Advent articles, we will see today that what begins with waiting and advances through preparation ultimately results in the experience of great joy.
At the deepest level, joy from a biblical perspective is something altogether different from happiness. Where happiness is based on circumstances and what is going on around us, joy is based on Christ and what is going on within us. While we wait and prepare for Christmas, we must remember that joy is an inside job, and it is always a choice for the Christian.
What was the “great joy” the angel promised to the shepherds? It was the coming of Jesus. Jesus is our joy. And knowing that He has promised to never leave nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5), we can be assured that joy will be a continual experience. Joy sees problems as possibilities. Joy see obstacles as opportunities. Joy sees life from God’s perspective, not our own; when it does, we can exult with David, “I will go to the altar of God, to God my exceeding joy” (Psalm 34:4).
When the Bible speaks of the joy of the Lord, we are to understand it as something much more than simply a feeling. If that were not so, how in the world would we ever be able to experience joy during storms of loss and grief? Only when we understand joy as being Jesus, with we the branches living in union with the Jesus the Vine, will we be able to experience unspeakable joy. And as we saw on Wednesday, we will increase our joy by means of preparation, which is accomplished through both time in prayer and time in the Word.
Here is one more thing to think about: When we consider the character of Christ, we make deposits in our joy bank. Jesus lived a sinless life for us. Jesus died a sacrificial death for us. Jesus rose supernaturally from the dead for us. Jesus is coming back from heaven for us. Jesus has loved us unconditionally and forgiven us completely. The more we consider His character, the more joy we will experience in this life, regardless of the circumstances we are currently facing.
This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!
Grace for the Race 