Jesus was Born in our Heart. This Great Joy could not be extinguished. It cannot. It is too high, too long, too deep, even for death itself. The shepherds are the first to hear about the birth of Jesus. Being a shepherd in first century Palestine wasn't considered to be a privileged position in society. This is shows that the message of Jesus was for all people, even those considered to be insignificant or marginalized.
I. INTRODUCTION:
For years our three stocking holders are each brandished a letter: JOY. It's common Christmas decor. Joy in Christmas lights, on banners & in frames. This year, as we unpacked our Christmas boxes, and did our annual purge, the JOY stocking holders wound up in the piles for the thrift store. The im- mediate cause was the advent of baby Mercy, born in April. Three letters are inadequate to hold four stockings. But perhaps we have a theological reasons as well to let the JOY holders go.
Plain old joy undersells the glory of Christmas. Matthew and Luke accent different aspects of the birth story but they sing this note in unison: Christ’s coming is not simply an occasion for joy, but ti- dings of great comfort and great joy.
A. God's World through His Words gave us Joys. Seeing is very important, therefore God's first step to put everything in order is to bring light. God did not have to fashion light with His hands. It was enough for God to merely speak the words, Gen 1:3-4, 3 And God said, Let there be light: And there was light. 4 And God saw the light, that it was good:
1. God's world of joys. In the beginning, the God of joy made a world of joys. A creation full of good, altogether “very good,” and primed to delight His creatures (Gen 1:31), "And God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. ..." God’s final analysis of His work of creation is that it was very good. When God pronounced the creation good, He really meant it. At the time, it was entirely good; there was no death or decay on earth at all.
a) The work of God's hands. As we witness His creative genius, we know joy and we have tasted His goodness in His world, even on this side of sin’s curse.
b) We know normal joy. As We have experienced, however infrequently, the blessed emotional surges of God-made delight, in a kind word, in a friend’s hug, in our team’s victory, in cool breeze, in good food and drink. We know normal joy.
c) The long-awaited Savior is born. It's not normal joy. It is great joy. It is not natural joy, but supernatural. God set it apart, as He come down to prepare a body. Word has become flesh.
d) The angel heralds his arrival. The angel says to the shepherds Lke 2:10, “I bring you good news of great joy.”
e) The wise men. And when they traverse far and find him, “they rejoiced exceedingly with a great joy” (Mat 2:10).
f) The world of joy. God gave us a world of joy to get us ready for this moment when announcing “joy” no longer would be enough. God gave us joy for His Son's arrival to surpass it.
2. God's Words of joys. But not only did God fill his world with joy but also His word. The Bible is replete with “joy.” But “great joy” appears in single digits. “Great joy” is rare and climactic.
a) King Solomon. At the anointing of David’s own son as his successor at the height of Israel's kingdom-"great joy." In (1Kng 1:40), And all the people came up after him, and the people piped with pipes, and rejoiced with great joy, so that the earth rent with the sound of them.
b) The Passover. At the restoration of the Passover after generations of neglect-"great joy." In 2Chr 30:26, "So there was great joy in Jerusalem: for since the time of Solomon the son of David king of Israel there was not the like in Jerusalem.
c) Dedication of rebuilt walls. Nehemiah’s rebuilt walls after the return from exile-“great joy” In Neh 12:43, "Also that day they offered great sacrifices, and rejoiced: for God had made them rejoice with great joy: ..."
d) Joy is the stuff of every day. But “great joy” is kept for the highest of moments.
e) At Jesus's birth. Both gospels in Matthew and Luke mention of “great joy” at Jesus’s birth, & both celebrate “great joy” at his resurrection & ascension, Mat 28:8, "And they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy; and did run to bring his disciples word."and Lke 24:52, "And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy:"
f) God's new covenant people. In Act15:3, "..., declaring the conversion of the Gentiles: & they caused great joy unto all the brethren. It mentions “great joy” at the surprising & wonderful inclusion of the Gentiles in God’s new-covenant people.
g) We can be presented before Him with exceeding joy. In Jude 24, "Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, & to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exc- eeding joy," describe our coming into God’s presence without the experience of “great joy.”
B. Then came Great Joys. “Great joy” as Jesus born in our heart tells us something very deep about God & how He work in our world. He gave us a garden in the beginning to prepare us for agarden city in the end. He made the world to remake it one day. He gave us first covenant to surpass with a second. He made a world of joys to surpass them all with the treasure hidden in a field, the pearl of great price & the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus our Lord. God gave us joy to accen- tuate and deepen the experience of great joy. There must be joy before there can be great joy. We must know good before we can know better. He designed his world of joys to prepare us for great joy in his Son. How, then, is the joy of Jesus born in our heart not just normal but great? Do Mat- thew & Luke give us any hints as to how Christmas joy is set apart from the joys we know & love every day, even in our struggles and pain?
1. Great heights. Hark (listen)! The angel who heralds “great joy” in Lke 2:10 isn't alone. There was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, "Glory to God in the high- est, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased" (Lke 2:13-14).
a) Tidings of great comfort & joy. Note the great heights of this joy - from the face of earth all the way up to the heights of heaven. Such a great news captures not only a lowly shepherds, but even the hosts of heaven who long to look into these things, (1Pet 1:12), "..., which are, now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into."
b) Praises go up, glory come down. And as God’s glory rises to the highest places, so does of joy. Because we are most satisfied in God when he is most glorified.
c) Both gospels. Matthew 2 and Luke 2 - “great joy” comes together with worship and praise. "The shepherds returned, glorifying & praising God for all they had heard & seen” (Lke. 2:20) and the wise men “fell down and worshiped him” (Mat 2:11).
2. Great lengths. Christmas joy also goes to great length. This is "good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people." (Lke 2:10).
a) All the people. Not just kings & highranking officials but shepherds. Not just Jews but Gen- tiles, even wise men, black & white, women & men, laymen & clergy. Plumbers & dentists. b) This is not tribal joy. But for all kinds of people, in every place, at every time. This is not a small joy quarantined in Jerusalem, but a great joy extended and offered to all the nations.
3. Great depths. And Christmas joy also goes to great depths. Here is a joy deeper than every fear and grief, deeper than every sorrow and pain. Before the angel announces, “great joy,” the she- pherds are filled with “great fear” (Lke 2:9). This great joy comes into a world of great sin, great fear, great sorrow, great suffering.
a) Joy Incarnate. This child, who is Joy Incarnate, will be a Man of Sorrows, acquainted with grief, and it will be his great suffering that secures for us the great joy, in (Isa 53:3-6), 3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, & we esteemed him not. 4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; & w/ his stripes we are healed. 6 All we like sheepvhave gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
b) From birth to death. Jesus birth in Bethlehem to his death on a cross, this Joy was so great enough to be born in insignificance, be laid in a manger, and have no place to lay his head. He would be rejected by his own people, delivered over by their authorities, & betrayed by his own friend.
III. CONCLUSION:
But this Great Joy could not be extinguished. It cannot. It is too high, too long, too deep - even for death itself. Our Great Joy is now with us to the end of the age, strengthening us in every fear, cheering us in every grief, holding us in all our suffering. Until the day he unseats every sorrow, he promises, “And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, & your heart shall rejoice, & your joy no man taketh from you.” (Jhn 16:22).
PTLGA & TGBATG