Joy to the world!

Joy rises out of goodness.

It's a highly positive emotion that comes when we encounter and expect “the good.”

So, when it comes to the “joy of the Lord,” we can understand it as that great feeling we receive when opened to the goodness of God.

And balancing the “encounter and expect” sides of joy is incredibly important when we consider joy in the light of Advent.

The Joy of the First Coming

In Luke 2:10, the birth of Jesus is described as “great joy for all the people.”

That’s a pretty good description, all things considered.

The wait is over. The horrible reign of sin is coming to an end. The Messiah is here, and the day of righteousness and peace that He’ll bring is closer than ever before.

I think this is the kind of joy many of us are familiar with. The joy that comes not just from hearing good news but from seeing it with our own eyes. That uncontrollable, positive sensation that overflows when we’re hit with something really, truly good.

Advent reminds us to rejoice because God has come! But it also reminds us that joy has more dimensions than just the present.

The Joy of the Second Coming

The joy of Advent isn’t just about what God has already done; it’s also about what God is going to do.

Because, sometimes, maybe even most of the time, joy doesn’t look like the joy I just described - that of shouting and dancing and singing and so on.

Sometimes joy looks like quiet endurance, sometimes joy looks like getting out of bed even when things are at their worst. Sometimes joy is praying with tears, but praying nonetheless.

Normally, when things get difficult, it’s easy to see life as cruel or meaningless. And, yes, life is often cruel, but it’s far from meaningless. 

As followers of Jesus, we know that life has a beautiful meaning. We know this because of the person of Jesus Christ and what He taught. That He has come to reconcile humankind to God and to give us never-ending, abundant life in fellowship with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

He began this process with His earthly ministry, which culminated in His death and resurrection. Now He is healing the wounds in the human soul and, through us, is healing the wounds that afflict the entire world.

And, yes, He will see this work to completion when He comes again.

This is the joy of the Second Coming. The joy that guides us through the difficulties of a fallen world as we follow Jesus. 

The Apostle Paul summed it up quite well in Philippians 4:4 when he said: Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.

And to what end are we rejoicing?

That of love.

More on that tomorrow.

For now, be blessed.

Jon,

Theophilus Newsletter