Theme: Joy that transforms
Advent Themes: First Hope, Then love, and today followed by joy, with peace still to come next week.
Zephaniah 3:14-20; Isaiah 12:2-6; Phillipians 4:4-7; Luke 1:39-49.
On the third Sunday of Advent we are invited to reflect on the joy that we have access to because of our faith in Jesus. One of the defining characteristics of Christ-followers was and still is their joyful demeanor. Even with the struggles of this past year and now with news of the new Omicron covid strain, because of Jesus there is hope and a deep inner Joy for the Christian.
Philippians 4:4-5 says, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.”
The readings this week speak of the deep transforming Joy that knowing God brings even in the most trying of circumstances.
Zephaniah 3:14-20. New International Version
14 Sing, Daughter Zion;
shout aloud, Israel!
Be glad and rejoice with all your heart,
Daughter Jerusalem!
15 The Lord has taken away your punishment,
he has turned back your enemy.
The Lord, the King of Israel, is with you;
never again will you fear any harm.
16 On that day
they will say to Jerusalem,
“Do not fear, Zion;
do not let your hands hang limp.
17 The Lord your God is with you,
the Mighty Warrior who saves.
He will take great delight in you;
in his love he will no longer rebuke you,
but will rejoice over you with singing.”
18 “I will remove from you
all who mourn over the loss of your appointed festivals,
which is a burden and reproach for you.
19 At that time I will deal
with all who oppressed you.
I will rescue the lame;
I will gather the exiles.
I will give them praise and honour
in every land where they have suffered shame.
20 At that time I will gather you;
at that time I will bring you home.
I will give you honour and praise
among all the peoples of the earth
when I restore your fortunes[a]
before your very eyes,”
says the Lord.
Footnotes
-
Zephaniah 3:20 Or I bring back your captives”
Comment:
Verse 20 is a promise that brought great hope and Joy to the people of Israel who were exiled from their homes when they received this prophecy. But Zephaniah’s prophecy also bought other words of hope to the people who undertook to honour the covenant made with God :
v15. The removal of judgment and the turning away of enemies
v16. The promise of rejoicing and renewal
v17. An end to disaster
Isaiah also speaks of Joy to be found by those who put their trust in God.
Isaiah 12:2-6. New International Version
2 Surely God is my salvation;
I will trust and not be afraid.
The Lord, the Lord himself, is my strength and my defense[a];
he has become my salvation.”
3 With joy you will draw water
from the wells of salvation.
4 In that day you will say:
“Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name;
make known among the nations what he has done,
and proclaim that his name is exalted.
5 Sing to the Lord, for he has done glorious things;
let this be known to all the world.
6 Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion,
for great is the Holy One of Israel among you.”
Footnotes
a.Isaiah 12:2 Or song
St Paul, writing from prison, a place where it would be easy to focus on the negative, introduces the idea that there is strength and power to be found by choosing to focus on praise and rejoicing; Not for the suffering but in the Lord. i.e. in all that the risen reigning Jesus is and has done!
Philippians 4:4-7. New International Version
Final Exhortations
4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
D . Miall Edwards in the International Standard Bible Dictionary is quoted as saying,
“Christian joy is no mere gaiety that knows no gloom, but is rather the result of the triumph of faith over adverse and trying circumstances, which, instead of hindering, actually enhance it.”
And so to the gospel reading, where Mary expresses her Joy at news of being the Mother of God's Son Jesus, even in the most trying of circumstances.
Luke 1:39-49. New International Version
Mary Visits Elizabeth
39 At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, 40 where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! 43 But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45 Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”
Mary’s Song
46 And Mary said:
“My soul glorifies the Lord
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48 for he has been mindful
of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
holy is his name.
Comment:
Mary speaks of her Joy:
v46: “and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 48 for he has been mindful for the Mighty One has done great things for me— holy is his name.”
Questions:
1)What are some things, events, and people that make you feel joyful?
2)Is there a difference between joy and happiness
or pleasure? If so, what is it?
3) We’ve just heard part of Mary’s joyous song when she meets with her cousin, Elizabeth. Did Mary have reason to be joyful? What were her circumstances at the time? Unmarried and pregnant!
Uncertainty in the future? So how could Mary have joy?
Perhaps Mary was focussing upon the moment. Upon what was happening then and NOW
4) Joy can be deeper; a sense of longing, a pang in the heart; you can even have “tears of joy”
The Isaiah scripture we read earlier talks about God’s promise to create a new heaven and a new earth. Does this sound like something that would make you joyful? Why or why not?
4) What brings you joy right now?
5) What would bring you joy in the future?
6) Having certainty in GOD, past, present, and future helped Mary to trust that God was doing great things for her. What are some ways that we can cultivate more joy in this season of Advent?
The author Brenda Kladerud said this about advent,
“One thing that sometimes happens as we get ready to celebrate Jesus’ birth is that we expect to be happy all the time. Joy is not the same as happiness. Joy is a deeper feeling created by knowing that God cares for us. Joy is remembering that God sent Jesus so we would always know of God’s care”.
7) Poem, “True Joy” by M. Jolynn Rawson-Hunt (slightly edited)
“I’ll be happy once I’ve done this certain thing”:
We all say this often not realizing what it brings.
We look only to the future for our happiness,
Letting life slip through our fingers in its fullness.
Will we really feel complete when the task is done,
Or look back and see how we missed so much fun?
Self-consumed so we can’t see anything else,
Hurting those we love as well as ourselves.
So often, others see what’s in front of our face,
But we’re too blind to look because we’re snared in the race.
What is this life supposed to be about?
Is it money, fortune, fame, or a big house?
When speaking to a man on his dying bed,
None of those answers are what he said.
Family, love, laughter are true joy in the making;
God’s precious gifts, free to all for the taking.
8) What does the Bible say about Joy?
Biblical joy goes far beyond momentary happiness, for example the happiness a child might experience when they unwrap a gift that they’d hoped for on Christmas day.
It is an extreme happiness that cannot be deterred by present circumstances. This type of joy comes from God alone. Joy can often be experienced when a Christian thinks about salvation, eternal life, or Jesus.
It is an eager anticipation about wonderful things to come. The shepherds experienced this as they ran to Bethlehem to see Jesus.
9) The Bible tells us that:
• God fills us with joy (Romans 15:13). We cannot will ourselves to experience joy. It comes from God alone.
• It’s a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22). We experience more joy when we spend time with God. We have to keep in mind that joy only comes from God, and when we spend more time with Him, we allow Him to fill us with more of it.
• No one can take joy from us (John 16:22). Given to us by God Himself, no one has the ability to rob us of our joy. No matter what circumstances we encounter, no one can take this away.
• Joy rests in things from God such as salvation and righteousness (Psalm 51:12).
• Joy appears more than 100 times in the Bible.
10).Why Does This Matter?
This matters because, while we wait for Christ to come again, we don’t have to despair. God has given us a joy that no one can take away. No matter what happens in this dark world, no matter what Covid variants may come along, we can experience light. We have his light even in the darkest moments.
Joy is the gift of God to us all as we anticipate the coming of our Saviour.
Psalm 51:12 says, “Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.”
11). Prayer
Lord, we thank You for restoring the joy of our salvation? Help us to be willing to follow you with all we have. As we read the Scriptures that remind us who you are and the ways you love us, ignite in us a sense of joy that overflows out of our hearts! Let this holy joy be contagious and spill over onto the lives of those around us. May your peace that surpasses all understanding be upon us...especially as we're wrapping up a year that has felt very scary and uncertain. Encourage our hearts with the knowledge that with you we can live in your perfect peace, no matter our circumstances. We thank you for the joy and peace you give! Amen
12) Happiness is to know the Saviour