JOY TO THE WORLD
During the California gold rush, two men prospecting in the gold fields found a rich strike worth thousands of dollars (millions today). The only problem was that the strike was not on their claim. A second problem occurred to them: they realized that if they talked too loudly about it, everyone for miles around would come and try to lay claim to the site or clean it out. So, they decided to quietly go down into town to discreetly file a claim and as calmly as possible, buy supplies. Having done this to perfection, they were about to make the trek back to their claims when they noticed a large crowd had begun to follow them. They were so careful to keep their secret, they wondered how the townsfolk knew something was up. Then they looked at each other. Their faces revealed what words couldn’t say. The curious followers knew these miners had something fantastic by the expressions on their faces.
Our faces can be windows into our souls. What’s inside of us is better described by our faces than by words. This is especially true when our souls are filled with joy – we can hardly hide an experience of joy.
Joy seems elusive, doesn’t it? Even as I pondered this message, I found it difficult to define the experience of joy. If we would recount the times in our lives when we knew pure joy, it would take some time to recollect those moments. Sometimes happiness and joy blur together and we can hardly tell the difference. I once thought that joy surprised us, that it snuck up on you. Now I believe that you must pursue joy, you must choose joy.
In the Nativity story of Luke 2 there are a couple of juxtapositions apparent in the narrative. Then there’s a third one I want to share with you in the conclusion. A “juxtaposition” is when two things are seen close together but are very different in nature. It is an oddity to see them in the same place.
Juxtaposition #1: Caesar and the shepherds. (a great ruler vs. nobodies in a nondescript field). The night that Jesus was born in the livestock section of a house full of people, angels visited some shepherds out in the field. That’s an oddity in itself – being visited by angels.
But Luke subtly inserts this contrast. We must look for it. He begins the narrative of Jesus’ birth saying, “In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree…” On the surface we are given a reason for Joseph and Mary to trek to Bethlehem. Beneath this observation is the birth of a King, Savior, Lord being announced not to the emperor, the most significant person in that realm, but to shepherds in a field. Augustus has the power to announce this birth to all the world. He was the internet/social influencer/twitter (X) of his day. If you want to get the word out, tell Caesar. How impactful is it to announce this birth to shepherds? Who are they going to tell? Who will believe them?
Shepherds, you know, were not well-regarded in Jewish society. They had a hard time keeping ceremonial law; they found it hard to observe all the hand-washings and rules and regulations while tending sheep. So, the super-religious thought of them as unclean and to be avoided in polite company. Now they may have even been the shepherds who kept the sheep for use at Temple, raising perfect, unblemished lambs for sacrifice. It is an ironic and beautiful thought that the shepherds who looked after Temple lambs were the first to see the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
To these shepherds, the heavens were ripped open to present a glorious angel announcing the birth of God’s Son. Then this angel is joined by thousands upon thousands of angels singing praise to God. To these lowest of men comes heaven’s royal announcement that a King is born! Do you see the juxtaposition: Caesar vs shepherds?
Can you imagine the many facial expressions of the shepherds? First there was fear: the invasion of heavenly beings on a quiet night now terrifying these poor men. Angels always make people afraid. Was it any comfort for the angel to say, “Do not be afraid…”?
The second expression on their faces must have been bewildered curiosity. If the angel’s announcement was to be believed, the Son of David, the Savior, Christ the Lord was born in Bethlehem. Okay, odd choice of town for a king to be born (think Riverside vs. Toronto). But odder yet, they were supposed to find this baby in the feeding trough reserved for cattle. This brings us to our second major juxtaposition…
Juxtaposition #2: The announcement and the baby. (The announcement of a king...being born in a stable). We have already exposed the second juxtaposition in the King of kings being born in a backwater town. What is terribly strange is the response of the shepherds to what they see.
The angel announces, “I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you: he is Christ the Lord,” (2:10-11). Those are some pretty big titles.
The child will be a Savior. A savior delivers people from danger, from enemies. Caesar Augustus promoted himself as a savior of the common folk, a savior of the world, who brought peace and order. The angels call Jesus “Savior” meaning that he is going to rescue people from a real danger. We call it “sin.” Matthew 1:21 says of Mary, “She will bear a son, and you will call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” Someone said you can tell how big a fire is by the number of firefighters and fire engines sent to fight against it. Judging by the magnitude of God’s action in sending his only Son to rescue us from sin, sin must be an enormous problem.
The child will be the Christ. That’s the Greek term for Messiah, the anointed One, the King of Kings, the promised Son of David who would rule forever. As we said, “How many fire engines do we need to put out this blaze?”
The child will be the Lord. This is staggering. Even the shepherds knew that “the Lord” means Lord of the Universe, Yahweh, Almighty God.
The juxtaposition is this: Hearing these titles, the shepherds say to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” And they go, they see the baby, and they spread the word about this baby, and everyone’s amazed. They see a baby and are filled with joy. It’s true. We have seen the Lord! A baby? Big deal! They've seen babies before. What is it about this baby that's so special? We have to go back to the angelic
What convinced the hearers of this good news that was so convincing? What made people believe the shepherds? The third expression on their faces: joy!
Mother Teresa said, “A person filled with joy preaches without preaching.” The joy in the shepherds’ hearts spoke volumes. But what is joy?
James M. Boice gave this definition: “What is joy? Joy is a supernatural delight in God and God’s goodness. And it is a very different thing from happiness…Happiness is circumstantial, but not joy. Joy is an inner quality of delight in God, or gladness, and it is meant to spring up within the Christian in a way totally unrelated to the adversities or circumstantial blessings of this life.” It is a gift from God. Joy comes from the Holy Spirit revealing the truth about Jesus to you as a flood of clarity.
Think about Habakkuk 3 and the prophet rejoicing even though there are no cattle in the stall, no grapes on the vine...Joy that is not dependent on outer successes and achievements but solely on the fact that the Lord is God.
Juxtaposition #3: Joy and anxiety. How do you find joy? You must seek it and choose it. The shepherds heard the good news but had to go and search for "joy." How do I know this? I discovered it this week as I considered this theme of joy.
Paul told the Philippians that joy is not reserved for Christmas but for each and every day. He said, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” (Phil. 4:4). Do you hear that? You must choose to rejoice in all situations. But this is more than a positive attitude; this is a choice to rejoice in the Lord! To believe that no matter how unbelievably horrible your life may seem, the Lord is able to save you and to make all things abound to you. It is believing that no matter what you don’t have, you have all things in Christ (see 4:11-13 "I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstance. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or living in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.").
The juxtaposition in this context comes as Paul reveals the antichrist of joy, anxiety.The presence of anxiety will steal your joy. So, deal with the anxiety through prayer. He writes, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus,” (6-7). How do you find joy? By casting all your anxiety on Jesus and saying, “I admit, you’re stronger than I am. You carry this.”
Tony Campolo wrote, “Joy in Christ requires a commitment to working at the Christian lifestyle. Salvation comes as a gift, but the joy of salvation demands disciplined action. Most Christians I know have just enough of the gospel to make them miserable, but not enough to make them joyful. They know enough about the biblical message to keep them from doing the things which the world tempts them to do; but they do not have enough of a commitment to God to do those things through which they might experience the fullness of his joy.”
Campolo makes it sound difficult to find joy. But in truth it is a decision to reorient our passions and loves towards Jesus, to find in him our delight in life. It is choosing not to dwell on the negatives, or what might happen, but resting in the truth that God can do all things (Phil. 4:13).
If our faces are a window into our souls, do people see the joy of Christmas in our expressions? Joy is a compelling and profound quality of life that transcends the events and disasters which we may face. Joy finds its foundation in the certainty that God loves us enough to send Jesus, his Son, to be born in the straw, in the messiest condition of life, to be our Savior. The Hebrew word for “joy” means “to leap or spin around with pleasure.” Joy is a celebration.
I wonder if the shepherds were leaping about in celebration when they saw the baby. I also wonder if we are willing to pursue and choose this joy for ourselves. May we indeed choose to find joy in the birth of Jesus, God become man.
Joy to the world!
AMEN
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