Advent 2: JOY
Passages (NIV): Luke 2:8-18
Preacher: Mark Kingston
Happy, Merry, Joy: What's the Difference?
We often use "happy," "merry," and "joy" as synonyms this time of year, but they are actually quite different.
Happy is fragile; it depends on what happens to you, rising and falling with luck or good circumstances.
Merry is deeper, a glad-hearted, warm, pleasant feeling often experienced around a good table with loved ones.
Joy is the deepest. It’s not tied to the moment, but to the ending. Biblical joy is what you can feel today - even when things are tough - because you know God’s promise to make the future whole. That’s why we light a candle for joy.
Three Joyful moments in the Shepherds’ Christmas Story (Luke 2:8-18)
The angel’s announcement to the shepherds in Luke 2:8-18 was "Good news that will cause great joy". This highlights three key shifts that cause great joy:
"Today... a Savior has been born". After four hundred years of silence, the day finally arrived! That sense of a long-awaited moment finally showing up creates joy.
The "To You". The announcement ("A Savior has been born to you") was given to the shepherds—men on the margins whom polite society ignored. Joy begins when you realize you are not disqualified; the invitation carries your name.
"The Savior". They didn't get a coach, consultant, or judge; they got a Rescuer. Religion often gives you instructions on what you need to do to get out of the "cave". But a Saviour climbs down into the cave, lifts you up, and carries you out. They got a rescue, not a to-do list.
Three Ways to Increase Joy
We can prepare for Christmas by intentionally rediscovering joy. Here are three simple things we can do:
Stop Trying to Manufacture It: Joy is a gift!. Jesus says He wants His joy in us, so that our joy may be complete (John 15:11). God fills us with joy (Romans 15:13). If you're feeling empty, simply ask, "God, fill me with Your joy".
Cultivate Joy everyday by being specifically thankful. In the original Greek, the words for grace, thanksgiving, and joy all grow from the same root. So, receive grace, name the gifts, give thanks, and joy will follow. Be specific—attend to the little things, like the warmth of your coffee or a beautiful sunset. Thankfulness shifts your gaze from your problems to God's goodness, and joy is the natural result.
Feast Against the Darkness. Find excuses to put on a feast to enjoy with others. Setting a table in hard times is quiet defiance. Jesus did this—He gathered His friends, broke bread, and drank wine on the night He was betrayed, setting a table in the hardest moment of His life. We practice this joy by feasting together, to taste the promise that better is yet to come.
Let me finish with this blessing from Paul: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him” (Romans 15:13)
REFLECTION QUESTIONS
Finding Joy in the Dark
Have you ever experienced joy even when life felt dark or hard, not just when things were going well? What happened, and what did that joy feel like in your body and heart?Knowing How the Story Ends
Joy grows when we know the story God is telling, especially the promises about how He will make all things whole again. How well do you know those promises, and what might help you become more familiar with the hope-filled ending God has revealed?Hearing “Today… to You”
Most of us know what it feels like to be sidelined, overlooked, or quietly excluded. What is it like to hear that the Christmas story includes you by name?Asking to Be Filled
How would you describe your joy levels right now, honestly and without pretending? If they are low, what would it look like to keep asking God to fill you with His joy and peace this Christmas until something begins to shift?Practising Joy on Purpose
Joy is often cultivated, not stumbled upon. This week, how might you lean into joy by learning the story more deeply, thanking God for specific gifts (especially the little things you might otherwise miss), or setting a table and sharing a meal with others as a quiet act of hope?
WATCH THE SERMON
There was a technical problem with our recording this week - so no sermon video this week.
