The Gift – Week 3
JOY
Our happiness and joy are often fleeting, but it doesn’t need to be.
8 That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. 9 Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, 10 but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. 11 The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! 12 And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.” Luke 2:8-12
There’s not a lot of happiness in the process of delivering a baby, but there’s great joy when the baby is born.
For the Jewish people, the prophecies of Jesus hung in the air for hundreds of years and instead of joy there was silence. That can feel like our story too.
The angel says in Luke 2:10 that He’s bringing good news, that will bring great joy to all people. GOOD news! GREAT joy! ALL people!
No matter what you’ve been walking through, Jesus can bring great joy to YOU!
You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever. Psalm 16:11
13 I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13
11 I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow! John 15:11
If you’re a follower of Jesus, then:
- Your joy is not based on circumstances, but on Christ.
- Your joy is not in temporary happiness, but in an unchanging God.
- Your joy is not in our own pursuits, but in God’s promises.
The gift of real joy is only found in Jesus.
Next Steps:
- Don’t let your joy be based on circumstances, temporary happiness, or your own pursuits.
- Cling to Christ and His promises. Remind yourself of what is true this Christmas.