A lesson about joy at this time of year first brings to my mind the declaration of the angel in Luke 2:10 as he appeared to the shepherd.
That night the angel shared “good news of great joy that will be for all the people.” The underpinning of all the joy we can experience is because of the life and work of Christ.
Psalm 95 is a call to worship God by the priest. The people are called to shout joyfully and triumphantly. As the lesson truth tells us, our joy is possible because God is our salvation. The second line of verse one repeats the first line using different but synonymous adverbs.
Keep in mind that Psalms is a poetic book, but that in no way undermines the fact that it is Holy Spirit inspired scripture. God is described as “the rock of our salvation.” Throughout Psalms God is described in terms of strength: rock, refuge, tower, fortress, deliverer, shield, etc.
We can see the development of this theme of Christ as the Rock, Isaiah 28:16 foretells the precious cornerstone that is laid in Zion. In Acts 4:11 and I Peter 2:4-8 Jesus is the chief cornerstone that was rejected by men but is the foundation of our spiritual house.
The setting the worshippers enter is the throne room of a king. Imagine the reverence and awe of entering the presence of a king much less the King of Kings. Their response is a song of unsurpassed joy and exuberance.
Verse 2 also tells us the attitude of their hearts was one of thanksgiving. Psalm 100:4 affirms this ideal as it reminds us to enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. This description causes me to pause for a moment and reflect on my attitude as I enter worship. Does entering to worship bring me more joy than anything else during the week? Am I allowing others, or my own worries distract me from my purpose? Am I here to worship God or have I placed my personal preferences in worship above Him? Verse 3 closes with the reminder that the LORD is great and there is no other god like Him.
The lesson brings us next to Luke 2:4-7. Luke 2 is an account of the greatest of all joyous events, the birth the Messiah who is the Savior. In the preceding psalm, worshippers enter God’s presence. In this text, the Lord enters into humanity’s presence, in the flesh. This is the first advent we are now celebrating. This is the incarnation. In these four verses Luke relates the details of Christ’s birth. These details point the reader back to the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy regarding Christ’s birth. (See Micah 5:2, Isaiah 11:1, Jer. 23:5-6) These seemingly random events that caused hardship for Mary and Joseph were a part of God’s perfect plan. The census, the traveling to Bethlehem, the place of birth were all appointed by and orchestrated by God.
Verse 6 says the time came for Mary to give birth. Perhaps there is a deeper meaning here. Christ’s birth came in the exact moment in the fullness of time as part of God’s sovereign plan.
Verses 4-7 tell us about the arrival of Christ, but verses 8-14 describe the proclamation of His birth by the angelic host. It is both ironic and yet fitting that the announcement of Christ’s birth would first be announced to shepherds. It is ironic that the King of Kings would associate Himself with these humble field hands. Yet it is somehow fitting that the Lamb of God would be presented to shepherds. Think about it: some of the sheep these men cared for may have been raised to use as sacrifices in the temple one day.
The spectacular announcement was made in a spectacular way. An angel surrounded by the glory of the Lord appeared first. The shepherd’s initial terror was met by surprising words of encouragement and excitement.
The birth of Christ was also accompanied by signs: He was born in Bethlehem (as prophesied in Micah 5:2); and He could be identified by the details of His birth; the swaddling clothes and the manger bed would be hard to mistake! The announcement was concluded by a multitude of rejoicing angels. The shepherd’s story concludes with the shepherds visiting the baby and leaving to share their story with all who would listen (see vv. 15-18). The greatest of all gifts is eternal life. This gift brings a joy to the believer’s heart. We may not always feel joyful, but the source of our joy can never be taken from us.
This may be a tangent, but I gained some insight as I reflected on Nehemiah. In Nehemiah 8:10 we read that “the joy of the LORD is our strength.” In Nehemiah, the priest Ezra had read the Law to the people and their response was one crying and despair because they recognized their disobedience.
Their joy (and strength) was found in repentance. The following thoughts about joy from a devotion by Meg Bucher help explain: ‘Joy isn’t something we create, earn, or deserve. Though we have nothing to give, and no ability to stop sinning,
Christ reached down . . . He came down and died for us. Like Nehemiah, we need a plan to reconstruct ourselves from the inside out. Christ’s sacrifice on the cross allows us the opportunity to come to the end of ourselves and submit our efforts to "fix" and "do" with His strength to carry out God’s purpose in our lives.
Joy doesn’t just happen. It’s a product of a plan to restore our souls.
An active choice to seek God’s wisdom in exchange for our own. Joy is a result of a disciplined, prioritized life guided by the Holy Spirit.”
Blessings to all and thanks for reading,
Chris Larsen
