The Anticipation of Joy

Luke 2:8-20

I struggle with how I feel about Christmas movies where the dad goes all out to get the perfect toy to prove to their kid how important they are. Fun to watch, but that doesn’t communicate priority. One present once per year is not enough to communicate how much joy someone brings you. If something is truly important to you, it’s noticeable – it changes you – your schedule, your life. When you experience that joy, life becomes different – even if everything stays the same.

The gospel of Jesus Christ is meant for everyone: rich, poor, black, white, strong, weak, healthy, sick, smart, dumb, good, and bad. It doesn’t matter who you are, God’s joy is for you and available to you. That is possibly best seen in the announcement of Jesus’ birth, when the angels heralded a midnight valley full of shepherds.

Joy Comes Outside of Class or Circumstance (v8-14)

Being a shepherd back in the ancient Jewish culture wasn’t that hard. While it was a job that required constant travel, it was much less physically demanding than farming. The responsibilities of shepherding were not overly intense or back-breaking, and plenty of down-time if you’re out in the pasture all the time. Father passes on to son and then so on so the older boys could help in the farming, meaning it was more for the rookie. This would give them time to study and reflect. This is why we see David still out in the fields when Samuel came to anoint the new king. He wasn’t necessarily the least important, but he was lowest on the pecking order.

Joy is bigger than a person’s ethnicity, culture, class or circumstance. Real joy, God’s joy reaches much deeper. Happiness is temporal and dependent on circumstance – you are happy because you get a raise, or because your daughter made a friend. Joy, in contrast, is eternal and based on God. If we have His joy, then it doesn’t matter how much money we have or what’s going on at work, in happiness or sadness we can be full of joy. If we have God’s joy, though, there is one thing. No one can sit still with joy. It moves a person.

Joy Pushes People to Action (v15-20)

The shepherds were not moved to dance, but they did move – in fact, they ran. They ran right to Jesus. Passion engulfed them – enough passion for them to leave their flocks! What stands out loudest about these shepherds was that they heard it and responded. In fact, that might be the key. Work went around the clock: feeding, protecting, shearing, moving, etc. Nighttime was often the most intense and dangerous too. Predators often lurked at night, using the cover of darkness to catch their next meal. Despite having to survive with only starlight and a staff, the shepherds were hard at work when the angels’ trumpets blew.

They risked everything so they could meet this baby whom the angels trumpeted. Passion pushes a person toward action, sometime even irrationally. Jim Elliot was a promising student who studied architecture and gained popularity for his acting and speaking skills. He was going somewhere in life. That is, until he gave it all up to reach the Huaorani tribe in Ecuador, where the warrior tribe killed him at the age of 30. Even then, his wife Elisabeth took up the reins and became part of the team that would reach the Huaorani tribe for Jesus. They abandoned everything for Jesus. The shepherds did the same – they ran to Jesus, shared about the angels and left praising God. They were moved towards action and couldn’t keep it quiet.

When you meet the King of Kings, there is nothing else in this world. It is Him and Him alone. God doesn’t care where you come from or who you are but offers you His joy whole-heartedly. However, receiving His joy means giving Him your all. He comes first.

Next Steps

Remember Arnold in the movie spending no time with his kid to show him that he’s a priority? That’s terrible! Spending time with a person communicates priority. This is what God wants! 2 things to catch today: 1) it doesn’t matter who you are, this gift of joy is for you, and 2) if you receive it, you won’t be able to keep it to yourself. It will change you. If you want this joy and passion in your life, try this:

1. Accept Christ; allow Him into your life – share gospel presentation
2. Spend time with God – enjoy the moments you get with Him – reading, praying, learning, sharing, etc.
3. Give Christ to others – like the shepherds, share your story of joy.

The announcement has been made and the gift has been given. If you want it, it’s all yours – just know that if it is truly and fully yours, you won’t be able to keep it to yourself. Let’s celebrate!