Advent 2019: JOY

Introduction 

Ba humbug. Do you remember who said that? Ebenezer Scrooge. Regardless of whether or not you’ve read or seen any rendition of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol every westerner knows what scrooge means. It’s ingrained in our vernacular. A scrooge is someone devoid of joy. And I hate to be the bearer of bad news but we have a scrooge in our midst. I hesitate to do this because I love the guy, but unfortunately I have to let you know that Pastor Kevin is a scrooge. He doesn’t like the Christmas movie Elf.

The truth is that scrooge is deep down inside all of us, isn’t he? I mean, let’s be honest, joy has become a bit of a holiday buzzword, but can we honestly say it’s always how we feel? I feel incredibly unqualified to stand before you this morning and talk about joy. Why is it that so many Christians aren’t marked by joy? I don’t know if it’s American evangelicalism in general, or our tradition specifically, but how many Christians do you know that radiate joy? I’m not talking about plastic happiness, or obnoxious positivity. I am saying if you were to analyze their life, believer and unbeliever alike would remark that their life, or your life, is marked by joy? 

This morning we’re meditating on joy in our celebration of advent. If anyone in the world has any reason to have joy, it’s a follower of Jesus Christ. Deep, abiding, unshakeable joy is rooted in the person and work of Jesus Christ. When the angels announced the birth of the Son of God, they brought good news of great joy. 

The setting is familiar enough to anyone who has at least watched A Charlie Brown Christmas. Joseph goes to Bethlehem to be registered and brings his pregnant virgin fiancé, Mary, with him. The baby is born and then the scene shifts out to the field where the shepherds are watching their flocks. Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them. And we come to our text for this morning.

The angel encourages them “fear not.” The appearance of an angel is enough to strike fear into their hearts, but they mustn’t be afraid. And then we have this beautiful little often overlooked interjection, behold. It could be translated, “look, see.” It’s considered antiquated now in English, but it is such a fitting little word. We are invited here to behold, to take hold of and thoughtfully consider what is about to be said. Dear friends, please don’t neglect the art of beholding.

The message to behold is good news of great joy that will be for all the people. The verb is εὐαγγελίζομαι, which is literally, “I announce the gospel to you.” And it’s a gospel of great joy, mega joy. And then we have these three titles, these three names about this baby who is born and this is where the good news of great joy lies. You see, the Christmas narrative is not meant simply to give you the holiday feels. The birth of Jesus doesn’t fall under the category of Santa, Rudolph, and Frosty. This is about the savior, the Christ, the Lord.

Savior

To feel the full weight of Luke’s words we have to remember the historical setting for the birth of Jesus Christ. Verse 1 clues us in when Caesar Augustus decrees that the world must be registered. NT Wright explains the significance:

“Augustus was the adopted son of Julius Caesar. He became the sole ruler of the Roman world after a bloody civil war in which he overpowered all rival claimants. The last to be destroyed was the famous Mark Antony, who committed suicide not long after his defeat at the battle of Actium in 31 BC. Augustus turned the great Roman republic into an empire, with himself at the head; he proclaimed that he had brought justice and peace to the whole world; and declaring his dead adoptive father to be divine, styled himself as ‘son of god.’ Poets wrote songs about the new ear that had begun; historians told the long story of Rome’s rise to greatness, reaching it’s climax (obviously) with Augustus himself. Augustus, people, said, was the ‘saviour’ of the world. He was its king, its ‘lord.’ Increasing, in the eastern part of his empire, people worshipped him, too, as a god.”

This is the historical and political setting into which Jesus Christ is born. This is the backdrop to the nativity story. This is the political climate against which the angels declare the birth of the savior. Caesar Augustus is not the savior of the world, this baby is.

The reason that you might lack joy this morning is you might be one who hasn’t been saved. You need a savior. Because of your sin you stand in rebellion to God. You are enslaved to unrighteousness and you need an exodus. Your soul is in chaos and you need the creator to order it. The good news that brings great joy is that God has come in the flesh.

This is what the angel told Joseph when he was preparing to divorce Mary; you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. This is the work Jesus has come to do. The promise passed down from the garden in Genesis 3.15 is that we need a savior and the savior is coming. How can this baby save us? What makes him the one? The answer is in the next two descriptors – he is the Christ and he is the Lord.

Christ

Jesus is the promised Christ. The word Χριστὸς is the Greek translation of the Hebrew word messiah, which means, “Anointed one.” This baby is the true and final anointed one. There were three anointed offices in the old covenant – prophet, priest, and king. Luke is revealing that Jesus is the final fulfillment of these old covenant offices. He is the true anointed human representative on behalf of God’s people.

Prophet

Jesus is our true prophet. Not only does he perfectly speak the Word of God, he is the Word of God. In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God (John 1.1). As we read the Scriptures even today Jesus is speaking God’s Word to us. As the Bible shapes you, that’s the voice of Jesus nourishing your soul. Jesus is our prophet.

Priest

Jesus is also our priest. The book of Hebrews spends a great deal of ink describing the priestly work of our Lord Jesus Christ. But Jesus wasn’t just the one who made the sacrifice; Jesus was the sacrifice. Behold the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world! Jesus died in the place of sinners. He was the substitutionary atonement for our sins. Even now he makes intercession for you as you repent of your sins to God. Jesus is our true priest.

King

Jesus is not merely our prophet and priest; he is also our King. When Jesus resurrected he ascended to the throne of David at the right hand of his Father. Right now he rules the world with truth and grace. Notice that the angels even hint at this in their declaration. First of all they announce the birth of the Christ in the city of David. And they’re announcing it to the shepherds who come in from the field, just as the shepherd boy David came in from the field to be anointed king. Jesus is God’s king by virtue of his resurrection and ascension. When he returns he will raise the dead, judge the world, and make all things new. He rules now as the king of your heart and his church. Jesus is our true king!

The Lord

But it’s not enough that there would be a man to perfectly execute these offices. In order for God and man to be reconciled this man would have to be God. And that’s why it’s important that Jesus is not only Christ, but he’s also Lord. The Greek word for Lord is κύριος. It’s used in LXX to translate YHWH. The angels are announcing that YHWH, the covenant God of Israel is the baby in that manger.  

Creator

YHWH really is the hero of the OT but his two pillar works are creation and the Exodus. Luke is showing us that Jesus is the creator God. John does the same thing at the beginning of his gospel. This is so shocking because the incarnation is the declaration that creator became creation. The second person of the holy trinity became flesh and dwelt among us. But it had to be, for there was no other way to inaugurate a new creation. The nativity is the announcement that the creator became creation in order to bring the new creation.

Redeemer

And just like YHWH led Israel out of the first exodus, Jesus has come to lead the final Exodus. He is not only creator, but also redeemer. Through his death and resurrection this baby will lead us out of the slavery of sin and death. He will save us from our sins.

This is why the nativity story is good news of great joy. God has become man to save us. We have a prophet, priest, and king to mediate the new covenant on our behalf. We have a savior who is Christ the Lord.

Conclusion

Has your life been changed by this good news of great joy? You don’t need the ghost of Xmas past, present, and future to give you joy; you need a prophet, priest, and king. If you’re not a follower of Jesus, look to his broken body, shed blood, and empty tomb. It is good news of great joy. If you’re a believer but you’re lacking joy because of sin, repent. Use the Eucharist to pray, “Lord, restore the joy of my salvation.” Christ Community Church, can you imagine what would happen if our body was marked by deep, abiding, unshakeable joy? Can you imagine how attractive our community would be to a joyless world? Let’s do it! Let’s be the church that lives out the advent hymn:

Joy to the world the Lord has come
Let earth receive her King
Let every heart prepare him room
And heaven and nature sing