Nehemiah 8:9-12; Hebrews 12:1-2; Luke 6:20-22
Tis the Season: Joy
What does it mean to have joy? I think, like most people, I’ve always thought of joy as mostly synonymous with being happy. When I’m happy, I’m joyful. It’s very rare that we can ever say I’m joyful without also being happy. Thus, what things make us happy? Is it cute little puppies? Is it a special gift? Is it time with friends or family? Of course, we all will have our own answer to that. We all have different likes and dislikes. But I’m going to hazard a guess that there’s a connection between any answer you might give me. We might become happy with a gift. We might be happy with food. But the happiness that deepens and grows into true joy comes from only one thing... people. Most generally speaking, other people are what make us happy. But let me get more specific. We all have a desire to be seen and noticed by others in some way. It’s part of our communal nature. God created us to desire one another and live in community together. It’s not good that man should be alone! This is why we all enjoy when someone takes notice of us, our needs, our contributions, or our character. To have someone in your life that regularly thinks about you and notices you is the source and foundation of our happiness and joy. For it’s those moments of being surprised of someone’s attention when you thought no one was watching where true joy is found.
This week, we dive into our next emotion, Joy. Christmas is the season of joy. We have much joy and happiness for the people God has placed in our life. And yes, there’s happiness because of presents. But the true happiness and joy of this season is so much greater than any present you could ever get. This week, our joy is to learn:
THE LORD DELIGHTS IN YOU!
I.
Joy isn’t something that can be forced. We aren’t going to randomly wake up one day and say, “I’m going to be joyful today!” All too often, everyday life stands in our way. We all too easily lose our joy because of troubles that constantly besiege us. Trouble in the workplace. Trouble at home. Trouble in finances. Trouble that finds its way to us no matter how hard we try to avoid it. Consider the people of Israel at the time of Nehemiah. Jerusalem had been torn down. Most of Israel was still in exile. Just a handful were allowed to return to Jerusalem to start the rebuilding. As they rebuilt the walls and city, they stumbled across the book of the Law. As we read, “This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn or weep.’ For all the people wept as they heard the words of the Law,” Nehemiah 8:9. Their tears are a bit of a conundrum... for they’re not necessarily tears of sadness, but they’re not tears of joy either. Rather, in hearing the Law, they’re struck to the heart about how Israel has sinned and disobeyed the Lord their God. The people are part terrified of God’s retribution for their sins, and part relieved because now they know what they need to do.
What takes away our joy more than our own sin? Joy isn’t a happiness based on pure pleasure. The hedonism of this world finds no joy in their life. This is why gifts might make us happy for a day, or possibly a week. But it has no lasting impact. No, when we sin or base our life on our own pleasures, we too need to be smacked upside the head with the Law. Rather, let us take a lesson from Hebrews, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,” Hebrews 12:1. Like the Israelites, we must come to the place of knowing the Law, knowing our sinfulness. We must lay aside the pleasures of this life if we’re ever to find true joy. For when we do, we encounter God who surprisingly doesn’t condemn us. Rather, he delights to forgive you your sins. He takes pleasure in the repentance of the wicked, so that all people may know him and his way.
II.
Let me go back to what I said at the start. Where do we often find joy? It’s in relationships. It’s with people... It’s in the attention that we get especially when we don’t think anyone was watching. But this is where we should be surprised and reminded. Our Christmas joy comes from the surprise that God has always been watching. God has always been thinking about you. From the foundation of the earth, God has had you on his mind. This is why he sends Jesus! Hear again these words from Hebrews, “Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God,” Hebrews 12:2. For the joy that was set before him... that is, Jesus delighted to suffer all just so he could be with you! Jesus comes down to be born on Christmas so that he may be our Immanuel, God with us! By God’s forgiveness, he no longer lets your sins stand in the way. He traverses every valley and mountain you have placed in his way because God delights in you!
This is our Christmas joy, that God would send Jesus to be our savior. This is why there is much rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents. There’s much rejoicing when we offer to our Lord, our thanks and praise for all he has done for us. Again, Nehemiah says, “And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength,” Nehemiah 8:10. The joy of the Lord is to be your savior. The joy of the Lord is to be your brother. The joy of the Lord is to die on the cross, to forgive you all your sins, and to grant you the new life which leads to eternity! For God has so delighted in you that he finds it as all joy to win for you eternal salvation! May the joy of our Lord be our strength to endure every trouble, that laying aside such weights, we may look to Jesus who delights to be your savior.
May the joy of this season wash over you as we hear again our Lord’s delight... to be born in a manger, to take up our flesh, and to be our savior who shall die on the cross for us! For blessed are we even while we suffer, for God watches over us to bring us unto life everlasting! In Jesus’ name! Amen!