Rediscovering Joy: The Heart of Christmas Celebrations

Let's go to the Lord one more time in prayer, and then we're going to just praise

God. Look at his word again.

Lord, we just praise you today. We celebrate your birth, and we're reminded

of the great joy that all who witnessed your first moments on earth must have experienced.

And Lord, we're filled with joy today, Lord, this Christmas season,

Lord, just knowing that you've already arrived.

Lord, that you've come to bring redemption, Lord.

You've come to bring forgiveness and salvation to all.

And Father, I pray that we give you praise today, that that joy would flood

our hearts. In Jesus' mighty name, we all pray. Amen. Amen.

Well, again, Eastwood, it's so great to see you today because,

like I said earlier, today we have a reason to celebrate.

And we're officially halfway through our annual journey back to Bethlehem,

if you will, back to where the miraculous birth of Jesus changed the world forever.

And you're probably aware by now that we celebrate this journey through the

season of Advent, which is derived from the Latin word Adventus, meaning what?

Right, coming or arrival. Y'all are doing good. Arrival, that's the specific

event the season of Advent leads us to.

The moment when who arrived? When Jesus arrived. And with him,

all the prophetic hope and promise, again, of a Messiah to redeem the people of God.

So his arrival also gave calls for joy.

And that's what we're talking about today, joy. Remember, the first week we

talked about what? Hope.

Last week we talked about peace. And today we're talking about joy.

And joy in and amongst the people of God who've been waiting so long for their Messiah.

So long for him to come. And today, as we reflect on this great joy,

we recognize that we too, every one of us sitting here, we have a reason,

a great reason to be filled with joy as we celebrate the birth of Jesus.

You know, as the old Christmas song that we sang this morning,

the old Christmas hymn, joy to the world, the what?

The Lord has come, right? He's arrived. Let earth receive her king.

Let every heart prepare him room.

And heaven and nature sing.

So today, as we consider the joy that comes with Jesus, we looked earlier at

a passage from Luke chapter 2 that described an interaction between some angels and shepherds.

Luke 2 · chapter mention

And for context, here's how the passage begins. Let's go back to that,

just verse 8 and 9 of that.

It says, In the same region or country there were some shepherds staying out

in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night, and an angel of the

Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them,

and they were terribly frightened.

Now, when I read that again, and by the way, anybody seen the movie out in theaters

right now, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever? Anybody seen that movie? A few of you have.

I'm always thinking of the little girl who played the angel.

And if you hadn't seen the movie, you got to go see this. And probably some

of you may have read the book back in the day, but you got to see it.

Because I think even with what she did, I just feel like she made sure they

were afraid, at least to start with, before she told them not to be afraid.

But anyway, I think it's understandable here in this passage to imagine that

if you were in the same place and time, think about it for a minute,

as these shepherds, and an angel showed up out of nowhere,

guess what? You'd be terrified too.

In fact, all throughout Scripture, I think we lose sight, I mean,

how majestic angels are.

In fact, every time that it seemed like an angel appeared in Scripture,

what did they have to say?

Don't be afraid or fear not, right? Because tremendous fear and trembling fell

over whoever saw them, right?

However, in this tender moment, the angel speaks tenderly and kindly to the shepherds.

And basically it leads us to the good news that's brought and the great joy

as we see here it says do not be afraid says the angel i bring you good news of great joy,

and immediately the great fear that the shepherds must have been feeling think

about it for a minute it's balanced by good news and great joy what could this

good news be think about it What would these.

Itinerant shepherds have been thinking about? What would they have been imagining

in the presence of this angelic message?

You know, if we discussed earlier a few weeks ago that the arrival of Jesus

brought with it the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies and promises about

the birth of a Savior, a promised Messiah who would actually rescue and redeem the people of God.

The birth of Jesus was an incredible sign of hope.

And we talked about hope in week one, that God had not forgotten his people

or his promise to his people.

So it's clear to us as we look backwards now in time and we see how these events

unfolded to understand that the angels were pronouncing the birth of their promised Messiah.

And it's this specific fact here, church, that was the cause for great joy and celebration.

In fact, it's the reason, get this, Eastwood, that we still celebrate today. Amen.

It's the reason with this season of Advent and other festivities that all go

on around it, that Jesus was born.

Jesus has arrived and he has brought with him great joy, good news, great joy.

And he is both the good news and the reason for great joy that the angel actually

proclaimed here in Luke chapter two.

And we move on to the reason for the season. I know that's a cliche.

We hear that a lot, the reason for the season. But truly, I can't think of a better way to say it.

I think we need to keep it in focus that he truly is. Jesus is the reason.

I love that phrase, though, and it's quick and easy to remember that Jesus is

the source of our joy through this Christmas season.

It's a reminder that the true meaning of Christmas is His birth, right?

That's what it's all about, is His birth and the celebration of His arrival.

It's the central event of our life.

Parties, if you will, or celebrations, or it should be, right? It should be.

The difficult truth, though, is that Jesus can often get lost in the hustle

and bustle, right, of parties, presents, gift-giving, wrapping that need to be done.

And I know I'm not the only person here today probably who feels that this time of year is too hectic.

Anybody with me sometimes? It can be too hectic, right?

If you think about it, the velocity of time from Thanksgiving to New Year's

is such that we just need, I think, that constant reminder that Jesus is the reason for the season.

And sometimes I think we need to go back and we need to realize,

you know, maybe we need a simple Christmas. Maybe we need to be reminded.

Maybe we're caught up too much in this world's celebrations of just this time

of year or of getting presents or whatever, and we come back to the real reason for the season.

It's also a reminder that Christmas is not about gifts, is it?

It's not about presents, wish lists. It's not about stocking stuff on the mantle.

Let's be honest. Christmas has become highly commercialized in many parts of

the world, including here, right?

In fact, it emphasizes on gift-giving consumerism from that point of view and

holiday decorations, right?

And I'm not saying that to point fingers, you know, but simply for us to recognize

this morning that this is just the reality of the culture that we're living in, right?

And just another reason that we need to keep front and center,

church, why we celebrate.

Why do we do all this? Why do we give gifts? Why do we do that?

Why do we plan parties for get-togethers with family and friends?

Why do we go out of our way to make others feel seen and special?

Why is it? We do all of this.

Because Jesus has already given us the greatest gift of all time.

An eternity of worship, Eastwood, is going to be the greatest party ever thrown.

We're talking about the wedding feast of the Lamb, right?

And Jesus saw us. I want you all to get this today. Jesus saw us in our sin,

and he still humbled himself.

He still traded his life so that we could have eternal life.

He humbled himself. He came to us.

He arrived here on earth as that little baby in a manger so that we could have new life.

You know, Jesus arrived. What was his ultimate mission? I was talking with my

Sunday school class this morning about this.

He arrived, but what did he arrive to do? To die, really.

Definitely he arrived to live and show us how to live.

He lived the life that we couldn't live. That's important. He fulfilled the

law where we couldn't. but his whole mission in the end was to die on the cross

in our place, to take upon him the sins of the entire world.

You know, I'm often reminded, y'all think just for a moment,

how do you feel when you choose to sin?

Let's say you choose to have a bad attitude, you choose to sin,

or maybe you just, you know, you know what you're doing is not pleasing to God,

but you choose to do it anyway.

How do you feel when you're, when you just know that you're rebelling against

God? How do you feel inside? how does that sin make you feel?

Miserable, right? There's that weight of sin that.

Now, it's a good thing if you're a believer, you have the weight of sin, right, on that.

You know, it bothers you, right? You have a problem with it, in other words.

But think about the crushing weight of sin, just your sin.

We're not talking about your neighbor's sin. That's just your sin and my sin, right?

That's our sin when we feel that little bit of weight there.

But think about Jesus. when he died in our place on the cross,

he bore upon himself and his body the sins of the entire world all at once.

Just think about that for a moment. Think about the crushing weight of the world's sin upon Jesus.

Scripture says that he became sin

who knew no sin that we might become the righteousness of God in Christ.

Wow. He showed up for humanity in a way that no other human ever could have.

Fully God, fully man. He is the reason he would for this season,

forever and all time, for everyone, all.

And I tell you today, that does bring joy to the world.

Joy to the world. Let's look at this next slide here, because at the beginning

of our time together, I did quote a few lines from this popular Christmas hymn.

And I want to share them again, just really quickly. Joy to the world.

The Lord has come. Let earth receive her king.

Let every heart prepare him room and heaven and nature sing.

Those words remind me of the most popular and oft quoted Bible verse of all time.

Who knows what that is? John 3, 16, right?

For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son,

that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have what? Everlasting life.

We're reminded that the plan was always for the salvation of the world.

The good news and great joy of Luke chapter 2 verse 10 was for all the people.

Luke 2:10

These are the people that God so loved.

These are the people that Jesus came for, that he arrived for.

And the good news, church, is this.

Luke chapter 2 talks about this verse 11 this is the good news we share with

Luke 2 · chapter mention

others. Let's look at it again.

Luke chapter two, verse 11 quickly. Listen to what it says.

For today in the city of David, there has been born for you a savior who is Christ the Lord.

You see, that's the good news. That's the good news that we share with others.

When they ask us why Eastwood, we celebrate Christmas the way that we do.

When they ask us why we go to church and why we get so emotional about putting

the nativity up every year?

The Savior, Christ the Lord, has been born. He has arrived.

He has been born. He has arrived.

That's why we celebrate. Of all the messages, church,

of all the messages in the world being shared, and all the good news,

think about it, that's being streamed on one platform for another,

back and forth, this is the only news that can save.

The only news that can save a lost soul and restore us can reconcile us back to God through Christ.

That's it. He alone is the reason for the season.

We have that great news. We have that joy that we can share with the world.

And I pray this season that we take that into our heart, that we consider that.

Because, yes, we do need to reach out to those who are hurting and those who

just need an extra touch of encouragement.

Maybe you know some people this season that maybe they've lost a loved one.

Maybe they're all alone.

Maybe you can open up, and we can open up our homes and say,

hey, why don't you come and have Christmas with us?

Come celebrate this great joy with us.

And then also people, maybe you

know friends and neighbors that maybe they don't realize this great joy.

Boy, what an awesome time of year to be able to just strike up that conversation

through the act of love that you showed to them, through the act of showing

them love and mercy and grace.

And you're just able to, out of a natural outflow, to let them know that Jesus,

his arrival, is what changed everything for you, what gave you this joy and

this peace and this hope that you have.

You see, the good news that brings great joy again is for all the world to hear. Amen.

This world needs to hear at Eastwood. We don't want to keep it to ourselves, do we?

We don't want to keep it locked up here at Eastwood Baptist Church,

do we? We want to go out into all the world, fulfill that great commission.

As we close today, I just want to share a story with you. Anybody remember the

Reader's Digest, right?

Probably you may still have some of that, but I remember reading those things

in my grandma's bathroom. I shouldn't say that. That was my read.

I think a lot of people have a library. But anyway, that good old-fashioned

Reader's Digest Christmas story.

And this was from one about the joy of Christmas. And the writer shares this.

I thought I would share it with you today.

She said, it had been a tough year for my family.

And whenever my mom looked over at the tree and scattered presents,

she would sigh and warn us there won't be as much for Christmas this year.

Try not to be disappointed.

Christmas had traditionally been a time for my parents to spoil us,

and years past, the presents would pile up and spill out from under the tree,

taking over the living room.

I had heard the phrase, giving is better than receiving, but thought that whoever

had said that must have been out of their mind.

Getting presents was the whole point. It was the reason I couldn't go to sleep on Christmas Eve.

On Christmas morning, we eagerly waited in the hallway until Dad told us everything was ready.

We rushed into the living room and we let the wrapping paper fly.

We made weak attempts to wait and watch while other family members opened their

presents, but as the time passed, we lost our self-control.

Here's another one for you, my mom said, as she handed me a package.

And I looked at it, confused, having spent so much time examining the presents

before Christmas, I recognized this one.

But it had not been mine. It was my mom's.

A new label had been put on it with my name written in my mother's handwriting.

Mom, I can't. I was stopped by my mom's eager, joyful look, a look I could not

really understand, Let's see what it is, honey. Hurry up and open it.

It was a blow dryer. Though this may seem but a simple gift, to me it was so much more.

Being an 11-year-old girl, I was stunned.

In my world where receiving outweighed giving by light years,

my mom's act of selflessness was incomprehensible.

It was a huge act. Tears filled my eyes and I thought in disbelief about how

much my mom must love me to give up her Christmas so I could have a few more presents.

I've always remembered that Christmas fondly. It had such an impact on me.

As an adult with children in my life now, whom I adore, I can understand my mom's actions.

I see how she was not giving up her Christmas as I had thought,

but was finding an even greater joy in her Christmas because giving truly is better than receiving.

My mom's simple act meant the world to me.

I want you all to know, Eastwood, this morning that Jesus gave up his life so

that we could find ours. And you know where we find it?

In him. So that through him we might find eternal joy and salvation, every one of us.

Just think about this year. How might you share this good news of great joy

with somebody else? How might your family, again, be an example of that joy

that you receive through Christ that's unspeakable and full of glory?

I mean, how might you make sure that Jesus stays at the center of your family celebrations even?

Because he truly is the reason. He's the reason we celebrate.

He's the reason we come to this time of year and we think, you know what? He was born.

He came into this world. He arrived to give me hope, to give me peace, to give me joy.

And that love that he shared on us, but while we were still sinners,

what? Christ died for us. He loved us that much.

God demonstrated his love toward us that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

We need to be reminded, church, afresh and anew.

Let that joy fill your heart. Let it fill your steps as you walk out of this

place later today. Let it fill your mission.

Let it fuel your gift giving.

Let it fuel the way you receive.

And remember Jesus above all this season. Remember what he did for us.

And let that produce that great joy that's unspeakable and full of glory.