The theme for the fourth week of Advent is joy. Admittedly, Christmas is a mixed bag — a mix of joy and sorrow. We rejoice as we gather with family and friends. But we are sorrowful when things are not right with family and friends. If family members have passed away, Christmas is just not the same without them.
Christmas is a time of fun activities with programs and parties and shopping. It is also a time of insane activity filled with noise and confusion such as programs and parties and shopping. We have mixed feelings at Advent. Allow me to use a familiar Christmas hymn as an example.
O come, O come, Emmanuel
And ransom captive Israel That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel
If you listen to the lyrics and sense the mood from the tune of the song, this is kind of a sad song. It is a song of longing and desperation. Israel prays, “O come Emmanuel! Your people are captive in a foreign land. Emmanuel, set us free!” Other stanzas of the song call for Emmanuel to give us life, to give us victory over the grave! The refrain always interjects that Israel should rejoice in spite of her trials. Why? One day, Emmanuel is coming.
We sing this song every Advent season. It points us to the birth of Jesus. We should feel the sadness of this song and share with Israel in their longings. We long for Jesus to free us from the trials and injustices of this life. We long to be set free from our battle against our sin. We yearn for the new heavens and new earth. We also feel sadness, knowing that the vast majority of Israel has not recognized that Jesus is Emmanuel. We should pray for the Jewish people to believe in the Messiah, Jesus Christ, who has already come once.
We feel joy in this song, knowing Messiah has come. Jesus has come and dealt with our sins on the cross. He has adopted us as sons and daughters. We have a secure home in heaven. Jesus is coming again! While the song has elements of sadness, it also has elements of joy.
What is Joy?
Joy and happiness are similar. Happiness is an emotion of pleasure and contentment. We think of happiness as a good and desirable emotion. However, happiness is based on happenings, on circumstances. It is based on our current earthly realities. If circumstances are in our favor, we are happy. However, if circumstances are not in our favor, if we experience tragedy, illness, or loss, our happiness goes away.
Joy is like happiness in that it is an emotion. It is an intense emotion of pleasure. However, for the believer joy is not vulnerable to the ups and downs of our circumstances on earth. How can that be? Joy is based on spiritual realities, realities that never change. For example, Jesus says:
I am with you always (Matthew 28:20)
I will never leave you or forsake you (Hebrews 13:5)
Whoever comes to me I will never cast out (John 6:37)
I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand (John 10:28).
These precious realities are true regardless of our earthly circumstances. Circumstances on earth change. Our health declines. Our wealth disappears. Relationships go up and down. Stuff breaks. However, our salvation in Jesus is secure. He loves us no matter what. While circumstances make us sad, we have unchanging joy in our Savior, Jesus Christ.
On that first Christmas night we are told in Luke 2:8-11:
And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear.
And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
Although the shepherds were terribly afraid, the angel told them not to fear. Why? He has news. Good news. Good news of great joy. What is this good news of great joy?
“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”
We have true joy, true contentment, true satisfaction in our Lord Jesus Christ. The things of this earth may fail, but Jesus gives us joy because His promises are not conditional or temporary. They are everlasting and true. Let us rejoice in our Savior today.
Mark Cymbalak
holds an BA from Bob Jones University with additional class work from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. He served as a part time paid elder at Black Earth Congregational Church/Curtiss Street Bible Fellowship. In 2006, Mark became a full time paid elder and pastor at Curtiss Street Bible Fellowship until his retirement in 2020.