JOURNEY
TO THE MANGER-III: JOY
Introduction: People have
pursued joy in every avenue imaginable. Some have successfully found it while
others have not. Perhaps it would be easier to describe where we cannot find
joy:
Not in Unbelief -- Voltaire was an infidel
of the most pronounced type. He wrote: "I wish I had never been
born."
Not in Pleasure -- Lord Byron lived
a life of pleasure if anyone did. He wrote: "The worm, the canker, and
grief are mine alone."
Not in Money -- Jay Gould, the
American millionaire, had plenty of that. When dying, he said: "I suppose
I am the most miserable man on earth."
Not in Position and Fame -- Lord
Beaconsfield enjoyed more than his share of both. He wrote: "Youth is a
mistake; manhood a struggle; old age a regret."
Not in Military Glory -- Alexander
the Great conquered the known world in his day. Having done so, he wept in his
tent before he said, "There are no more worlds to conquer."[1]
Where
then is real joy found? Two weeks ago, we entered on a prophetic trail with an attempt
to understand and retrace our historical heritage. That has put us on a journey
to the manger. We began the Church
tradition of Advent by lighting the candles in the Advent wreath.
The
first purple candle represented Hope; the second purple candle encouraged us to
get ready for the second advent of our Lord. How about the third pink candle?
Why the pink color, and what does it represent? The reason for a Pink Candle: “The
third Sunday in Advent is called in Latin Guadete (or Rejoice). Additionally,
one of the four purple candles in the Advent wreath was changed from purple to
pink on the third Sunday in Advent.
Even
today, the third candle in the Advent wreath is commonly referred to as the joy
candle. Amid solemnity, the church recognized that Christians are never people
without joy. When true repentance occurs, joyful obedience is the result; thus,
there is a joy to be celebrated even in the most penitential times.”[2] Moreover, joy is
not only a fruit of the Holy Spirit’s work in the life of an individual
believer but also a characteristic common in God’s Kingdom.
It
would be helpful to retrace the prophetic trail and see where it will lead us
to this time. In 737 B.C, a minor prophet named Micah prophesied that the
Messiah would come from this otherwise insignificant community. Micah 5:2, “But
you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, are only a small village among all the people of
Judah. Yet a ruler of Israel, whose origins are in the distant past, will come
from you on my behalf.”
Our
Journey to the Manger leads us to a small town called Bethlehem in Judea,
David’s ancient home. In the passage we read, we will meet some heavenly hosts
and ordinary shepherds. Let’s pay attention to the message the angels spoke
about, and how the shepherds proclaimed it.
I. THE PECULIAR MESSENGERS
Vs.8,
“That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their
flocks of sheep.” Imagine you were living in the capital of the USA. You have
received an important message that would impact not only our nation but the
whole world, where or to who you would deliver the news first? Would you try to
take it to the Whitehouse or a homeless shelter nearby? When God wanted to give
a message that would impact the whole earth, He bypassed the wise and the
mighty in the palace and chose a group of ordinary and innocent shepherds.
You
may be wondering why the shepherds? It is not uncommon for God to do things
strangely. That is how God often works; he hides his secrets from those who are
wise in their own eyes and reveals them to the innocent. The Bethlehem
shepherds became the first recipients of God’s divine revelation. Recently I studied a bit about shepherds.
The
desert is featured in many biblical narratives. Shepherds learn to endure and
survive in the desert. In the wilderness, God called His people to do
extraordinary things. It is where, while managing the sheep, Moses got his
mission to lead the Israelites out of slavery. The Israelites have learned
valuable lessons of what it is to trust and obey God for forty years.
After
spending 40 days in fasting, praying, and being tempted by the devil in the
wilderness, Jesus began His ministry. Wilderness does something to a person’s
soul. “It is a place of death. Deserts bring people quickly to the end of their
self-sufficiency and independence.”[3] The shepherds in our story
were ready to be trusted with the divine message.
II THE OBEDIENT ANGELS
Bethlehem
was nearby Jerusalem, and many of the sheep used in the temple sacrifices came
from there. The surrounding hills were prime grazing land, and shepherds worked
in the area day and night, all year round tending their flocks. That night was different from other nights.
Luke observes the angelic activity by saying, “Suddenly, an angel of the Lord
appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They
were terrified.”
History
tells us that for about four hundred years, there was absolute silence from
heaven. There was no prophecy or direct word from God as if the heavens were
shut down. All of a sudden, we see the sky is engaging with the earth once
again. The heavenly agents, the obedient angels, became super active; they were
moving back and forth, delivering messages from God.
Vs.
10-12, “but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you
good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah,
the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will
recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of
cloth, lying in a manger.”
In
the passage we read, an angel on that starry night delivered mega news to a
group of innocent shepherds. The angel said, “I bring good news of great joy to
all people.” What is this good news all about? How can a baby that was lying in
a manger possibly bring great joy to all people? The good news was the birth of
the future Messiah.
Three
ancient prophecies (Isaiah 7:14, Isaiah 9:6, and Micah 5:2), of hundreds of
years before, were fulfilled in those two verses. Mary gave birth to a son and
wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger. As the angel was
delivering the good news, Vs. 13-14, “suddenly, the angel was joined by a
multitude of other angels praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest
heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”
These
past few days, whatever TV or Radio channel you turned on, “you may have heard
the news of the impeachment of the president.” For some, it is terrible news,
and for others, it is good news.” On the contrary, the story of the baby in a
manger is good news for all people.
Once
the obedient angels went back to heaven, the shepherds hurried to Bethlehem and
saw the baby lying in the manger. After seeing the baby, the shepherds told
everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this
child.
All
those who heard the story of the first witnesses were amazed. Mary kept all
those facts in her heart and pondered on them often. The shepherds went back to
their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as
the angel had told them.
Do
you think that the story was buried with the shepherds only? No, the shepherds
may have passed it on to their children and children’s children. The story of
the Messiah continued.
The birth of our savior is indeed
good news that will bring great joy to all people. How?
III CULTIVATING
JOY
In
the beginning, I raised a question, where then can we find real joy? First,
let’s address what Joy is and how is it different from happiness? Happiness comes from outside, while joy from
within, that keeps the person in a state of grace. Happiness is caused by luck,
whereas soul-satisfying incidents cause joy. Happiness is more momentary, while
joy is long-lasting.[4]
In
the Bible, the Greek word Chara means joy and rejoicing. It is a feeling of
inner gladness or delight. Chara comes from another root word Charis, which
means grace as if Joy is a direct result of God’s grace. This was what said of
Jesus in John 1:14, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We
have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the
Father, full of grace and truth.”
So,
where can we then find real joy? This joy is not the same as the joy found in
this world. The real joy that Jesus came to provide us with is full and
everlasting. How do we cultivate this lasting joy? Firstly, we recognize that
joy doesn’t come from material things, but by knowing and believing in God who
created all things.
Secondly,
Joy comes by accepting the finished work of Jesus on the cross to forgive our
sins and receive His grace. Thirdly, by asking the Holy Spirit to produce this
deep-seated joy within us. Fourthly, remember joy is one of the signs of the
Kingdom of God. “For the Kingdom of God
is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and
peace and joy in the Holy Ghost.” Romans 14:17. Fifthly, we will be joyful when
we serve others.
Christmas
is not all about Santa Clause, Rein Deer, Christmas Tree, Decorations, and
gifts. It is about the greatest gift that God sent to bring joy to the world
that is living in despair and darkness. Some of us received that gift. If you
haven’t received it, you can receive it today.
Ask
Jesus to come into your heart, and you will be saved. This joy of salvation is
not meant for us alone but to share it with others. Let’s be the messengers of
hope, peace, and joy. Let the joy of our Lord become contagious. Let’s look for
ways to bring comfort to those who are lonely, depressed, struggling and
hurting “I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy
and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope
through the power of the Holy Spirit.” Rom 15:16.
[1] The
Bible Friend, Turning Point, May, 1993. http://www.eSermons.com
[2] https://www.seedbed.com/pink-candle-advent-wreath/
[4] http://www.differencebetween.net/miscellaneous/difference-between-joy-and-happiness/#ixzz680ZJbIuU
