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You have made known to me the path of life; You fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures in your right hand. Psalm 16:11

The third week of Advent’s theme is joy. This verse out of Psalms reminds us that God is the one who fills us with joy and he does it by offering his presence. We have all heard Philippians 4 telling us to “Rejoice always.” As Christians we are supposed to be joyful, right? Often our circumstances don’t incite joy because we live in a fallen world. Experiencing unpleasantness should be an indicator to us that we need to fight for joy by abiding in God (John 15:5). We feel joy in God’s presence and he is the only one that can fill us with joy.

Joy to the world!  The Lord is come:

Let earth receive her King;

Let ev’ry heart prepare him room.

And heav’n and nature sing,

And heav’n and nature sing.

And heav’n and heav’n and nature sing.

 

Joy to the earth!

The savior reigns: Let men their songs employ;

While fields and floods, rocks hills, and plains

Repeat the sounding joy.

Repeat the sounding joy.

Repeat, repeat the sounding joy.

 

No more let sins and sorrows grow.

Nor thorns infest the ground, 

He comes to make his blessings flow

Far as the curse is found.

Far as the curse is found.

Far as, far as the curse is found.

 

He rules the world with truth and grace.

And makes the nations prove 

The glories of his righteousness

And wonders of his love,

And wonders of his love,

And wonders, wonders of his love.

 

We sing Joy to the World but how many of us actually feel that joy? Do we stop to think why we should have joy? This song addresses four reasons for having joy as Christians. 1.) Jesus loves us so much that he endured hardship to save us. 2.) Jesus is the best king that this world will ever receive. 3.) We are able to repent of our sins and become more like Jesus. 4.) God has given us his Word and many psalms and songs in which we can repeat the sounding joy.

Reason #1: Joy to the World, the Lord is come tells of the joy we have because Jesus came to earth. We are able to celebrate and have hope for this reason alone. If Jesus never came to earth, we wouldn’t be able to have any joy at all. There would be no hope or future for us. Jesus had the glory of Heaven and decided to leave and endure so much pain:

He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, a man of suffering and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem. Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. Isaiah 53:3-5

The Lord is come seem like four very simple words but there is so much packed in there. Thanks be to God, the Lord has come. Thanks be to God, that he loves us so much he would endure affliction for our sake. Joy to the world, the Lord is come!

Reason #2: Let earth receive her King produces complete peace when we understand that this King is not like other kings. This King is the perfect Savior who does no wrong and loves us. He is always fair, always kind, always just, and always loving. This is a King that we want to serve! Joy to the earth, the Savior reigns and he rules the world with truth and grace paint the picture of how wonderful Jesus is. What a gift to worship and serve a master that is perfect in every way.

Reason #3: Because Jesus came to the earth, we no longer let sins and sorrows grow nor thorns infest the ground. We can feel his blessings flow far as the curse is found. The third reason to have joy is that Jesus made a way for us to repent and be right with God. We are allowed to have our sins washed white as snow. It doesn’t always feel like a blessing to repent, but it is a blessing because it is the way provided to be made right with God again:

“The redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who repent of their sins,” declares the Lord. Isaiah 59:20

Reason #4: Repeat the sounding joy, repeat the sounding joy, repeat, repeat the sounding joy tells of our need for reminders. We can have joy because God gives us his Word and psalms and music to remind us what a great Savior and Lord that we have. At Christmas we remember the joy that we have because Jesus came into the world to save us from our sins, be a mediator for us in prayer, be an example of how to live, and he fully understands our afflictions.

Why do we have joy? Joy to the world, the Lord is come! We have joy because the Lord has come and transformed our lives. All heaven and nature can sing of the glory of Jesus Christ. Praise be to God!

Journal Prompts

1.) What do you take the most joy in: is it a food you eat, a person you spend time with, or a number on a scale?

Read Deuteronomy 28:47, 1 Chronicles 15:16, 16:27, Psalm 16:11, 19:8, 30:11, 33:1, 51:12, 66:1, Isaiah 12:3, 51:3, Luke 1:14, 1:44, 1:58, 2:10, John 16:24, Romans 12:12, 15:13, Hebrews 12:2, James 1:2, and 1 Peter 1:8

2.) Spend some time thinking about why Jesus is a superior King to any other ruler on earth.

 

Dear Heavenly Father,

We praise your name. We are so thankful for the gift of Jesus. There is none like him and we are the recipients of the grace that he brought. Thank you for making a way to you. Thank you for the cleansing of our sins. Please help us to repeat the sounding joy of Jesus’s arrival this Christmas season.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.  Isaiah 9:6-7

The second week of Advent’s theme is peace. Peace is something that I think most people would like a little more of. Parents want a house with peace and quiet, law enforcement would like the peace kept, and hospice workers try and help people remain at peace for the remainder of their time on earth. While most people want peace, peace is something that most people lack. Our lifestyles are go, go, go 24/7. The access to internet and all the disturbing headlines have left us all less than peaceful.

I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day is a song that cries for that peaceful feeling. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote this song on Christmas Day in 1863 several years after his wife died. He was strolling the streets hearing the church bells proclaiming, “Peace on Earth, good will to men.” While hearing this message, his own heart was a bundle of sadness and unrest. It seemed to stand in direct contrast to what the church bells were proclaiming.

I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day

Their old familiar carols play,

And wild and sweet the words repeat of

Peace on Earth, good will to men.

 

I thought how, as the day had come,

The belfries of all Christendom had rolled along

Th’Unbroken song of

Peace on Earth, good will to men.

 

And in despair I bowed my head:

“There is no peace on earth,” I said,

For hate is strong, and mocks the song of

Peace on Earth, good will to men.

 

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:

“God is not dead, nor doth he sleep;

The wrong shall fail, the right prevail, with

Peace on Earth, good will to men.”

 

Till, ringing singing on its way, 

The world revolved from night to day

A voice, a chime, a chant sublime, of

Peace on Earth, good will to men. 

 

We all feel this, don’t we? Not all of us have lost a spouse like Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, but we all feel the effects of the fall. We aren’t promised our loved ones forever. There is turmoil in our families and in our friendships. Our sin gets in the way of our relationships creating an environment that isn’t peaceful at all.

It is healthy to understand the depth to which we have fallen. It is healthy to look around and see the sadness and hurt caused by our sinful natures. We with Henry Wadsworth Longfellow can despair, “There is no peace on earth.” When we take time to see how hopeless our situation is, we are more thankful for the gift that Jesus is in our lives.

Even though there is darkness, we take heart that we have a Savior that makes everything new. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow starts to remember as the bells keep ringing: “Then pealed the bells more loud and deep, God is not dead nor doth he sleep. The wrong shall fail, the right prevail with peace on earth, good will to men.” This world is a broken place. God has given us his Word to remind us that all is not lost. He is coming back for us and we will enter his rest where there will be peace forevermore.

As Christians it is our job to remind each other of this hope that we have in Jesus.

Christ is faithful as a son over God’s house. And we are his house, if we hold on to our courage and the hope of which we boast. Hebrews 3:6

Encourage one another daily, as long as it is called today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first. Hebrews 3:13-14 

Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 5:19-20

May the bells repeat the refrain of peace on earth, good will to men for us this Christmas season. Even if our hearts are in despair and we can’t see past all the darkness, may the bells keep repeating their refrain until our hearts have peace in Jesus. When we look around we are sure to find unrest instead of peace, but if we look to Jesus may our hearts find rest in him.

Journal Prompts

1.) Take a few minutes and examine your heart. Are you feeling peace or are you feeling the stress and tension that the sin of this world brings?

Read Psalm 4:8, 34:4, 85:8, 119:65, Isaiah 9:6-7, 26:3, 53:5, Luke 1:79, 2:14, John 14:27, 16:33, Romans 5:1, 8:6, 14:17, 15:13, Ephesians 4:3, Philippians 4:7, Colossians 3:15

2.) What are some ways that you can keep Jesus in the forefront of your mind to experience more peace this Christmas season?

 

Dear Heavenly Father,

We praise your name and we are so glad that you are peace. We know that you can see the state of our hearts and we pray that your peace would wash over all of our hearts and minds this Christmas season. Help us to place our eyes on you, the author and perfecter of our faith rather than on this sin stained world.

We pray this in Jesus’ name,

Amen

We hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. Romans 8:25

This first week of Advent is all about hope. O Come, O Come Emmanuel points to the hope that we have in Jesus. We often can get off track and put our hope in things that can’t save us. I pray that this Advent season we will direct our hope to the one who truly can save.

As the stage was set for Jesus to be born in Bethlehem all those years ago, God’s people were in a rough spot. God had called Abraham and told him that he would make a great nation out of him (Genesis 18:18). After that time God’s people ended up in slavery in Egypt where Moses needed to bring them out. When they finally received their promised inheritance, they had become entitled and wouldn’t obey God’s judges, prophets, or kings. The Israelites (God’s people) were eventually attacked and pulled from their land. They were allowed to return to the promised land and rebuilt their temple after 70 years in exile. Many years later they were under harsh Roman rule and hadn’t heard directly from God in hundreds of years. They were clinging to the hope of a Savior, one who would restore Israel.

O Come, O Come Emmanuel has a haunting melody. It makes us feel the Israelite’s yearning and hope for the coming Savior. Read through the lyrics and as you do, think about the longing the Israelites must have felt all those years ago and think about our longings as we wait for Christ to come again and make everything right for all of eternity.

 

O Come, O Come Emmanuel,

And ransom captive Israel,

That mourns in lonely exile here,

Until the Son of God appear,

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel

Shall come to thee, O Israel

 

O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free

Thine own from Satan’s tyranny;

From depths of hell Thy people save,

And give them victory o’er the grave.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel

Shall come to thee, O Israel.

 

O come, Thou Dayspring, from on high,

And cheer us by Thy drawing nigh;

Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,

And death’s dark shadows put to flight.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel

Shall come to thee, O Israel.

 

O come, Thou Key of David, come

And open wide our heav’nly home;

Make safe the way that leads on high,

And close the path to misery.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel

Shall come to thee, O Israel.

 

O come, Adonai, Lord of might,

Who to Thy tribes, on Sinai’s height,

In ancient times didst give the law

In cloud and majesty and awe.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel

Shall come to thee, O Israel.

 

The old testament has plenty to say about the promise of Jesus. The names of Jesus that start out each verse point to the promises of Jesus coming to save us from our sins.

Emmanuel – God with us  (Isaiah 7:14)

Thou Rod of Jesse – Promised King from the line of David (Isaiah 11) (Matthew 1)

Thou Dayspring – The Sun rising or a new era (Luke 1:78)

Thou Key of David – The authority and power of David (Isaiah 22:22) (Revelation 3:7)

Adonai – My Lord –Hebrew name for God

Jesus came to suffer and die for our sins so that we can be made right with God. When he came to earth, he walked with men and when he left for heaven he gave us the Holy Spirit to guide us. As a result of Jesus’ coming, God is with us as we walk on this earth. Jesus fulfilled all the prophecy from the Old Testament. He came through David’s line and he holds the power and authority of David. His coming ushered in a new era and we know that he is our Lord. All of the hopes God’s people had in the Old Testament are wrapped up in Jesus. All of the hopes that we have today in salvation and forgiveness of sins are wrapped up in Jesus.

Jesus is our ultimate hope then, now, and forever. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel!

Journal Prompts:

1.) What are your hopes this holiday season?

Read Psalm 33:20, 33:22, 42:5, 62:5, Jeremiah 14:22, Micah 7:7, Romans 4:18, 5:2, 5:5, 12:12, 15:12-13

2.) In what areas are you misplacing your hope?

 

Dear Heavenly Father,

We praise your name for the amazing rescue plan you put into place before the foundation of the world. We are so thankful for the gift of Jesus (Emmanuel, Rod of Jesse, Dayspring, Key of David, Adonai). We are thankful that we have a hope that will never be snuffed out. We pray that you would prepare our hearts and minds this advent season to remember Christ’s offering and to ready ourselves for his second coming. We want our hearts to be in obedience to you. Please help us to not be distracted this holiday season but to be in worship of Jesus, our only hope.

We pray this in Jesus’ name,

Amen

The purpose of the advent season is to celebrate the coming of Jesus. We remember the gift of God’s plan to send Jesus to save us from our sins and we look forward to his second coming. It is a time of the year set apart to remember our need for a Savior and that our Savior has come. Jesus’ perfect life and resurrection from the dead conquered sin and repaired the severed relationship between God and his people. Jesus will forever be our hope.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

I don’t know about the rest of you, but about mid-November I started to feel anxious. I started thinking about Christmas cards, decorations, baking, gifts, gatherings, and programs. While these are all great ways to remember Jesus and his promised return, I can often get lost in all the festivities of the season and I don’t take time to stop and celebrate Jesus’ coming. My goal in this advent series is to provide space for us to stop and meditate on why we celebrate. Each week we will examine one Christmas song, look at what Scripture says about it, and provide time to journal and reflect on God’s promises.

Here is the plan for the next four weeks:

•  Week 1: Hope (Monday, November 29)
  • O Come, O Come Emmanuel
• Week 2: Peace (Monday, December 6)
  • I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day
• Week 3: Joy (Monday, December 13)
  • Joy to the World
• Week 4: Love (Monday, December 20)
  • O Holy Night

Before Advent starts we can reflect on some of the prophesy in Isaiah about the promised coming King:

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. Isaiah 7:14

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned. Isaiah 9:2

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.  Isaiah 9:6-7

Isaiah 11 

Isaiah 52 and 53

I will post every Monday of the Advent season on this blog. I would love it if you would come along this journey with me and please share with anyone you think would enjoy reading as well.