Christmas Joy

the laziest are shepherds, who lead an idle life, and get their subsistence without trouble from tame animals; their flocks wandering from place to place in search of pasture, they are compelled to follow them, cultivating a sort of living farm.

Now in Israel there is a long tradition of shepherds who went on to be famous. Abraham, David, Amos...

but that’s the key, they went on to be famous. David was a shepherd when he was a kid… it isn’t highly skilled labor. You don’t earn prestige and honor as the shepherd.

And, let’s be frank, you’re with animals all day long. You stinketh.

Bunch of lazy, stinky, poor shepherds. On the outskirts of Bethlehem, so not even a prosperous, town of less than 600 people.

Christmas lessons:

Goats are weird and sheep are stinky.

When the shepherds dream of “happiness” what do they think of?

Maybe getting crazy rich like Abraham, owning a thousand sheep, in charge of a hundred other shepherds.

Maybe being discovered, like David, as a mighty warrior and then made king.

Maybe getting the gift of prophecy like Amos and their words being recorded for a thousand years.

When they lay down to sleep, do shepherds count sheep? Or are they like “Naw, man, that’s my day job!”

And among all the people, all the people in Bethlehem, all the people in surrounding country… the angels appear. In fact God must have shielded the eyes of surrounding areas or they would have come to see what was going on in the heavens!

He could have chosen anyone, and God chose these few unnamed… nameless… shepherds in a field.

Luke 2:8–20 (ESV)

And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

They aren’t sleeping, they’re working!

And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear.

Because angels are terrifying. It doesn’t say this was one of the human-looking ones. Could be all eyeballs and animal heads, and wings everywhere. Or, more likely, this is our friend Gabriel who’s been making so many birth announcements:

And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.

What are they expecting? What is the great joy? What is the good news?

You, Todd, you’re the next King!

You, Brian, you’re going to be as rich as Abraham!

All your wildest dreams are about to come true!

What are they expecting in response to that announcement?

“Hey, some lady you don’t know is preggers and giving birth. Come check it out!”

That’s a bit strange.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”

I don’t know what they were expecting… but here’s a solid principle for life. If God fills the sky with angels telling you to go check out something cool… just go take a peek!

And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger.

And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child.

And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them.

But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.

And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

Were the shepherds disappointed? Was this the happiness they sought?

Happiness vs. Joy

Our world is consumed with the “pursuit of happiness.” It is a founding principle of our nation, advertised every day… perhaps never so much as at Christmas.

And you’re “supposed” to be happy and fulfilled at Christmas, ‘tis the season… but it’s a trap.

Happiness is an emotion.

Joy is a state of being.

The angel didn’t promise happiness, she announce “Good news… of great joy… for all peoples.” What does that mean?

Joy is not an emotion, it is a state of being.

Joy is the sure knowledge of the King and our welcome in the Kingdom. Joy to the world, joy to you and me, joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory.

Joy to the world! And the shepherds heard and received this… as joy to them. This is your new state of being!

Did they get it all? I’m sure they didn’t… but they understood enough. The Messiah is born, the Anointed One, the Appointed Savior in our hour of need, ushering in the Kingdom of Heaven...

The world has changed, the universe is different, they are different. Joy!!!

Luke 2:20 M:BCL

The sheepherders returned and let loose, glorifying and praising God for everything they had heard and seen. It turned out exactly the way they’d been told!

Jesus said it this way in his most famous sermon. The word “blessing” is deeply related to “joy”.

Xara and Makarios… you hear that?

It is a privileged or “joyous” state of being. And Jesus starts his sermon announcing the radical new state of being of the world… the new availability of the Kingdom of God.

It is here… and it’s yours...

The radical availability of the Kingdom of God… to the "least” and to the “all of us”:

Matthew 5:2–12 ESV

And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Blessed are the shepherds… Blessed are you. Rejoice, as in “take joy”.

This is Jesus’ Oprah moment. “You get blessings, you get joy, you get the Kingdom, you all get all of it!!!”

“Rejoice and be glad!”

Joy, unspeakable joy! This is the revelation of God. To the hungry, to the mourners, to the poor in cash and spirit, to the persecuted...

To the shepherds… and so to everyone.

Rejoice and be glad, for the Kingdom is yours, the King is born.

If the stinky shepherds can rejoice, so can you.

I don’t know what your year has been like… or this week, or this morning.

Maybe from here you can see all the blessings, all the gifts and goodness of God… and you feel the joy.

Maybe you’re in a tough spot… and maybe this is a tough season.

Wherever your emotions are… and those are real, not telling you not to feel all the things, feel all the things...

But know this: the King is born, a Savior born to us, and He has invited you into His Kingdom. That is joy to the world… and it is joy to you. Enter into it, rejoice and be glad.

Sometimes we use the phrase “sit in the suck” (Can I say “suck” in church? Oh well).

Don’t. Sit in the joy. This season we reflect on Immanuel, God with us… that is the state of reality, and joy is our new state of being. Rejoice and enter in to it. Sit in the joy.

You don’t have to pursue it. Joy came to you. Open your eyes and see it, rejoice.

Hear about it. Read about it. Imagine it in the movie in your mind. Tell about it. Sing about it!

Practice the joy, for it is the joy of our salvation!

1 Peter 1:8 ESV

Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory,

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