The Great Joy of Christmas
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Intro: This world has witnessed many nights since it was created by God. Many of those nights passed without anything remarkable taking place. Others saw profound changes in history take place.
One day Noah was loading animals in an ark as the world laughed and mocked him. The next morning when they woke up, it was raining and didn’t stop for 40 days/nights and the earth was flooded and everyone perished except those on the ark.
On April 14, 1865 America went to bed thankful that the long, bloody War Between the States was finally over. America awoke the next morning to discover that President Abraham Lincoln had been assassinated.
On December 6, 1941 America went to bed watching war spread across Asia and Europe, and thankful that, for the time being, America was being left out of the conflict. They awoke the next morning to news of the surprise Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, and avoiding war was no longer a possibility.
On June 5, 1944 the world went to bed wondering when Adolph Hitler and his Nazi armies would be defeated and the people of Europe delivered from his iron grip. The world awoke the next day to news of the Allied invasion at Normandy on D-Day.
On September 10, 2001 most Americans went to bed after watching the Denver Broncos open their NFL season with a win over the New York Giants, in their new stadium, Invesco Field at Mile High. Only to wake up on Tuesday, September 11, 2001, where at 8:14 am, Islamist terrorists killed nearly 3,000 people and injured more than 6,000 others in the worst attack against the homeland in our nation's history.
I just mentioned some nights that brought about radical changes to the world. Other nights have brought incredible things to pass, and the world failed to notice. One such night is the night Jesus Christ was born.
It was an ordinary night from a human standpoint. The shepherds are watching their sheep. The people in the villages and towns of Israel have gone to sleep after another long, hard day. The High Priest and religious leaders sleep as though it was any other night. King Herod has no idea that his kingdom has been invaded, and that a new King is about to be revealed. The world drifted off to sleep not knowing that God was conducting eternal business in their very midst. They did not know that a Savior was being born in Bethlehem.
The night Jesus was born had all the appearances of being just another common, ordinary night. Yet, the events that occurred that night are unlike another night in human history.
Text. Luke 2:8-11
8 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.
9 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.
10 Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.
11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
If we were shepherds in the field that night we would no doubt be as afraid as they were. It would be like seeing a UFO or being visited by an alien from outer space! But the angel of the Lord calmed them with a message from God, “I bring you good tidings of great joy”.
The word “Joy” is used 158 times in 150 verses of the bible and is defined as;
The feeling and expression of the inner celebration and satisfaction of the soul that transcends circumstances. Joy is the overflow of life, the stability inside despite chaos on the outside. To rejoice and be glad.
Joy is ultimately grounded in the work of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. Here are some examples of Joy in the Scriptures;
Joy in the abundance of blessings from God
Joy in victory over the enemy
Joy in the building/completion of the temple
Joy in the house of David as God blesses his king
Joy in rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem
Joy in shouts of praise in worship
Joy in marriage to the wife of your youth
But the greatest joy for all people is found in the birth of a Savior
1. Great Joy for the shepherds: 10a
1. Great Joy for the shepherds: 10a
Good Tidings- comes from the Greek word that gives us our English word, “evangelize”. So to “evangelize” is to give good tidings/Gospel to men.
There is no greater news that can be shared to anyone than that Christ has come to earth to save men from their sin!
Context; The glad tidings here is this message delivered to a group of people who were outcasts in their society. By virtue of their duties, shepherds were considered ceremonially unclean by the Jews. Their work prevented them from regular attendance at the Temple where they could be cleansed. As a result, these men were considered the lowest of the low.
It amazes me that the people who were raising the sheep for temple sacrifices were considered spiritual outcasts. Yet joy must have filled their soul to know that after 400 years of silence, God's glory appears in the fields of Bethlehem not in judgment of man but in salvation for man. It is these men that heard the glad tidings first. It was these men who received the message of peace from the angel of the Lord.
[v.11] The message is a personal message [“you”] first to these shepherds as individuals.
A message of Salvation; a Savior is born in Bethlehem!
21 And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”
A message of fulfillment; Who is the Christ! The “Anointed One of God”.
6 For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
A message of hope; The Lord! Jehovah [433 times in scripture]
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
John 3:16–17 (NKJV)
16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
What a picture of “Great Joy”! What an act of “Amazing Grace”!
The good news that brought great joy to these shepherds was that even though they were spiritual outcasts by the people they were never forgotten by God.
2. Great Joy to All People: 10b
2. Great Joy to All People: 10b
The glad tidings of Great Joy didn’t stop with just the shepherds, it is meant for “All People”
Just this last week in the news, we have seen in our nations government, indictments of the presidents son [Hunter Biden], the formal impeachment inquiry into our president [Joe Biden], and the four trials that former president [Donald Trump] is facing concerning the 2020 election and the Jan 6th capital riots. That’s not including all the indictments that are in the local paper this week [32]. All these cases will go to the appropriate courts and the law of the land will judge each one accordingly. Most will not be happy nor have great joy after verdicts are handed down and those verdicts will not only impact individuals, but some will affect the nation as a whole and it’s future.
Now let’s play out these same roles in our lives here this morning according to the Law of God;
__________________________, have you ever told a lie in your life?
What do we call people who tell lies? A liar
__________________________, have you ever used the Lord's name in vain?
Blasphemy is a very serious sin!
__________________________, have you ever stolen anything?
What do you call a person who steals? A thief
__________________________, have you ever murdered anyone?
Mt 5:22 “whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of judgment”
If we are to be judged by the law of God, Ten Commandments, by the Supreme Court Judge in heaven, Christ Himself, being found guilty of these sins, without grace, how would we fair on that day? You would be found guilty and cast into Hell!
But let me give you some good tidings. A Savior is born who is Christ the Lord! God has regarded our lost condition and did something about it.
Jesus Christ was born to suffer and die for you. He paid your fine in His life's blood, so you could leave the courtroom, not guilty, pardoned from all sin. That is good news that brings GREAT JOY!
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Regardless of a person’s past, or of how low they may have fallen in life, there is still hope for everyone in Jesus!
Regardless of where you are in life this morning, there is a place for you in the love of God.
Close;
The “Great Joy of Christmas” is God’s gift of a Savior.
It has been said, if our greatest need had been information, God would have sent an educator. If our greatest need had been technology, God would have sent a scientist. If our greatest need had been money, God would have sent an economist. But our greatest need was salvation and forgiveness, so God sent a Savior. That’s the real story of Christmas.
“Unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord.”