Monday, December 23, 2024
Joy
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. Luke 2:10
This week we will consider the joy that came to the world at the birth of the king, and we will think about the even greater fullness of joy that will come at his second advent. The angel declared that the news he brought was good news of great joy. He declares this will be for all the people. The good news is that Jesus is born. The King has come into the world he created. He has come to make it possible for there to be reconciliation with God. He has come to bring light into the darkness. He has come to bring salvation. He has come to set his people free. He has come to bring real joy into the life of any and all who will believe. The good news is that Jesus is the promised Messiah. The night sky erupts and the light of heaven bursts into the world as the army of heaven declares truth. Glory to God in the highest! Could I ask you to imagine the joy of heaven? Imagene the joy this angel had in declaring this to the shepherds. Imagine the joy that floods through the angelic army as they serve the Almighty One and declare his glory. Imagine what it truly means when we pray, “Thy kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven.” Joy! I ask myself if I have this joy. I know the same truth this angel knew. I know that there is good news of great joy for every person that I meet. Does his light radiate from me as I make this truth known in the same way in which it radiated from the angel? Is his glory evident as the joy of my life? Do we, as a people of God (his army on earth) radiate his joy and light to a world that so longs to be free? At just the right moment, the sky burst open, and the declaration was made that things are different. Joy has come into the world. Jesus.
Tuesday, December 24, 2024
Thrill
O holy night! The stars are brightly shining; It is the night of the dear Savior’s birth. Long lay the world in sin and error pining,
Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth. A thrill of hope- the weary world rejoices, For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn!
Fall on your knees! O hear the angel voices! O night divine. Truly He taught us to love one another; His law is love and His gospel is peace. Chains shall He break, for the slave is our brother, And in His name all oppression shall cease. Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we; Let all within us praise His holy name. Christ is the Lord! O praise His name forever! His pow’r and glory proclaim.
The lyrics above were first written as the French poem Cantique De Noël in 1847 by Placide Cappeau. In 1813 the lyrics were translated into English and in 1906 on Christmas Eve it became the first song ever sent through the air waves via radio waves.
On this Christmas Eve, we will sing the song in our services. As you consider this day, which we set aside to remember the birth of the King, think about the words of this song. He appeared and the soul felt its worth. What a thrill of hope comes as we rejoice into this weary world when the lies are dispelled, and we embrace the love of God that is demonstrated for us in the coming of the Messiah into our world and our soul feels it’s true worth. Raise some sweet hymns of joy today in gratitude to the King!
Wednesday, December 25, 2024
Receive
And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. Luke 2:6-7
While it is true we do not know the day Jesus was born, I am grateful that we set aside a day to remember. This year we have been considering the truth that a King is born. Mary and Joseph have been entrusted with being the ones to raise this child. They have been given a special revelation through the messenger of God that this is the Son of God who has come into the world. The King of the Jews has entered the world he created. There is a great intimacy that is revealed in the verses we are looking at today. Mary and Joseph, in a sacred moment, are the first to receive their King and all the joy that comes with receiving. Later revelation will make clear that in so doing, the parents became the children of God and joint heirs with the infant King. The good news of the coming of the King is for all people. But the transformation of rebirth is reserved for those who receive him. As many as receive him he gives the right to be called children of God (John 1:12). Receiving comes in a moment of incredible intimacy. It is a moment in time where you open yourself to the God who created you and receive his authority over every aspect of your life, repenting of your autonomous sinfulness. As I wake up on Christmas Day, in these first few moments of remembering the birth of the King, I sit in conversation with him, telling him how grateful I am for our relationship. How grateful I am that he is the one who is my King. How grateful I am that he loves, leads, and guides me. How grateful I am that he has rescued me. I ask that this day, once again, I may live in the love, hope, peace, and joy of the coming of the King and that I may radiate him in great fullness. Merry Christmas. May you know his presence in a very special way in your homes and gatherings.
Thursday, December 26, 2024
Revelation
And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. Luke 2:20
Please read and/or listen to Luke 2:8-20 today. The shepherds find great joy in the revelation that has come to them. They have had a very special visit indeed! Special revelation has come to them about the baby who has been born. He is the Savior. He is the Messiah. He is the Lord. As far as we know, they are the first, outside of the family, to know about the birth of this King. The Good Shepherd’s birth was revealed to the shepherds of Bethlehem first. The lowly birth was revealed to the lowly servants. These shepherds were more than likely caring for the lambs that would be used for sacrifice. They would carefully look over each birth to find those that were worthy of sacrifice. They would go to Bethlehem and find a baby in a manger wrapped in cloths. They would see the only true spotless lamb. The Lamb of God who would take away the sins of the world. He would be the fulfillment of the promise. When they were given this revelation, they went to see. They responded to the revelation, and they saw just what had been revealed to them and they went away praising God and telling others. That night, as the sky burst open with the news of joy, their lives were forever changed by what they heard and what they saw. How have you responded to the revelation you have been given of the coming of this King?
Friday, December 27, 2024
Worship
And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. Matthew 2:11
Please read and/or listen to Matthew 2:1-12 today. As you read, look for joy in the account. The wise men experienced great joy as their experience meeting the King exceeded all expectations! At the same time, I can imagine it wasn’t at all what they expected, yet Scripture is silent on that. As we consider the wise men as part of the birth narrative of the Messiah, we realize they came at a later point than the shepherds. Mary and Joseph would have already been to the temple for the sacrifice and the encounters with Simeon and Anna found in Luke 2. This would mean that when the wise men came Jesus was at least six weeks old. In a caravan of unknown size, they made their way through the narrow streets of the small town to the house where Jesus was, and they fell down and worshiped him. They had come a long way for this moment. I wonder how many people from the town followed along to find out what they were doing there? I wonder how many people along the way they had talked to about the one who had been born King of the Jews. I wonder what joy filled their hearts to have worshiped the one true king. What has been your journey to the king? Have you been seeking the one who has been born King of the Jews? Have you found him? Have you found the joy that comes from finding him? Have you fallen before him in worship? How is your life different because of him? Rejoice!
Saturday, December 28, 2024
Joy to the World
Joy to the world the Lord is come Let earth receive her king Let every heart prepare Him room And heaven and nature sing
Joy to the world the savior reigns Let men their songs employ While fields and floods rocks hills and plains Repeat the sounding joy
He rules the world with truth and grace And makes the nations prove The glories of His righteousness And wonders of His love
Please read and/or listen to Psalm 98 today focusing on verses 4-9 which were the text that inspired Issac Watts to write the song “Joy to the World” in 1719. It is not a song about the birth of Christ. It is rooted in the Psalm, not the gospels. Because of the music and the Christmas release date in 1911 on a Victor Records single, the song became known as a Christmas song, in part because of the line, “the Lord is come.” This song is a song that declares the deliverance and worship of the King expecting a future and complete reign. This is a psalm that is rooted in the faithfulness of God and the anticipation of a joyous, future reign.
As we leave the advent season, we do not leave the anticipation. Rather, because of the undeniable fulfillment of the promises that were revealed at the first advent, we, who are true followers of Jesus, wait in great anticipation, as does creation (Romans 8:19), for Jesus to come again! Then will the songs of joy truly ring in fullness on earth as they do in heaven. Then will the songs of men rise with the songs of angels and then will earth receive her King. Then he will rule the world. Then we will see the glories of his righteousness in breathtaking fullness. Then the Savior will reign in glorious majesty on earth. Then we will repeat the sounding joy! Maranatha! Our Lord is coming!
Tomorrow we will focus on celebrating what a difference it makes that the King is born!