Today the message is entitled “An Occasion for Joy!”
We are looking at the Christmas story and our overall theme is “What Child is This?” We just listened to the reading of Luke 2: 8-20 and heard from a Shepherd as to his memory of what happened. Joy is the keyword for today and we will look at a few occasions to have joy.
The verses I want to point out from our reading are Luke 2: 10-11 NIV.
10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.
11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ, the Lord. (Messiah)
We find reference to this in other places in the Bible.
John 1: 14 NIV
14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Why do we have joy over the birth of this child named Jesus Christ?
Romans 5:9-11 NIV
9 Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!
10 For if, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!
11 Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
The prophet Isaiah gave us more clarity on this event.
Isaiah 61: 10-11 NIV
10 I delight greatly in the Lord;
my soul rejoices in my God.
For he has clothed me with garments of salvation
and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness,
as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest,
and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
11 For as the soil makes the sprout come up
and a garden causes seeds to grow,
so the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness
and praise spring up before all nations.
In fact, Isaiah gave us many occasions when we should have joy.
Isaiah 35: 1-2 NIV
1 The desert and the parched land will be glad;
the wilderness will rejoice and blossom.
Like the crocus,
2 it will burst into bloom;
it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy.
The glory of Lebanon will be given to it,
the splendor of Carmel and Sharon;
they will see the glory of the Lord,
the splendor of our God.
Even Habakkuk got into this joy on any occasion.
Habakkuk 3:17-18 NIV
17 Though the fig tree does not bud
and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
and no cattle in the stalls,
18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord,
I will be joyful in God my Savior.
When I started searching for occasions for joy, I ran into several quotes that give a different angle to consider.
Billy Sunday is quoted in Robert Morgan’s “Nelson’s Complete Book of Quotes”: “If you have no joy in your religion, there’s a leak in your Christianity somewhere.”
Oliver Wendell Holmes is quoted by Morgan as well: “I might have entered the ministry if certain clergymen I knew had not looked and acted so much like undertakers.
Vance Havener, in his book “The Secret of Christian Joy,” states: “The Church suffers today from a saddening lack of old-fashioned, simple-hearted, overflowing, Christian joy. We have plenty of knowledge, plenty of enthusiasm and denominational zeal, but Christians and churches that started out in revival fires are living in smoke.”
So what should we do on any occasion, good or bad?
Psalm 32:11 NIV
11 Rejoice in the Lord and be glad, you righteous;
sing, all you who are upright in heart!
Isaiah 51:11 NIV
The ransomed the Lord will return.
They will enter Zion with singing;
everlasting joy will crown their heads.
Gladness and joy will overtake them,
and sorrow and sighing will flee away.
1 Thess 5: 16-18 NIV
16 Be joyful always,
17 pray continually,
18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
Benediction
Romans 15:13 NIV
13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
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