PROMISES KEPT: JOY Matthew 1:21
Pastor Dennis Bone
12-13-15
As we celebrate the third Sunday in Advent, we are reminded of our theme this year of “Promises kept” and turn our attention to the topic of joy. The joy of Advent or the joy of Christ’s coming is declared and manifest in the words of Matthew 1:21, when the angel appeared to Joseph and told him God’s miraculous plan for him and his wife to be Mary; and God’s wonderful purpose for their son Jesus. The angel spoke to him saying: “She (Mary) will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
Jesus purpose in coming into this world is to save, or to be a Savior. He specifically comes to save people from their sins, thus the key message of Advent is forgiveness. It is this divine forgiveness, that God sent His Son to attain for His people, that brings us joy. There is no true joy or lasting joy apart from the forgiveness of sins, through the salvation of Jesus Christ our Savior. So as we consider the joy of Advent; and focus our attention primarily on this great verse from Matthew this morning, I want us to reflect upon two main points: the way to joy and the wonder of joy. Joy is often defined as happiness; but the essence of biblical joy is defined by forgiveness.
Advent reminds us first of the way to joy; and we see this way or this path that God makes for us in God’s promise and in God’s program, both key components of Matthew 1:21. Joseph wasn’t very “happy” when he found out Mary was pregnant. Who could blame him, circumstances seemed to be against him. In his mind there was only one way that this could happen, and it wasn’t him. In the midst of his anger, sorrow and disappointment the angel spoke to him words of joy.
This of course was a unique situation – a one of a kind redemptive event – but it should remind us that true joy is not based on circumstances; it’s always based upon God’s promises. True joy will always transcend circumstances, even the most difficult ones, because joy is based upon the person and promise of God. Advent is a story of joy based upon the greatest of all God’s promises being fulfilled in the coming of Jesus. The specific promise of Isaiah 7:14: “The virgin will be with child and give birth to a son” is now about to become a present reality as the angel says to Joseph: “She (your wife to be Mary) will give birth to a son.”
This will be your joy – not just the birth of your child, but the birth of your Savior – and it will be our joy as well. Joy to the world, Jesus the Savior has come. This promise first of all takes us back to the Old Testament, where we see the prophetic word of joy. God’s promise is proclaimed in the word of the Old Testament Scriptures, testifying to the joy that God’s people had in this great promise; and the great joy it would bring to God’s people in the future. Isaiah says: “In that day you will say: ‘I will praise you, O Lord. Although you were angry with me, your anger has turned away and you have comforted me. Surely God is my salvation.’ With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.” With joy the people of God looked forward to this joy to come, in the coming of the Savior.
Second we see the angelic word of joy as God’s promise is announced. The angel announces it to Joseph here in Matthew’s gospel; the angel announces it to Mary in Luke chapter 1; and then the grand announcement in Luke 2:10: “The angel said to them . . . I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.’”
It’s a joyous message because it’s God’s way to joy for all the people who hear it, from that first announcement to the shepherds, to its continued announcement today through the good news of the gospel. This angelic word of joy leads us to a third point: the living word of joy as God’s promise is fulfilled. Jesus not only brings us joy but He is the personification of joy in that He is God with us. He represents the joy of being one with His Father; and this joy is what brought about Advent; and the goal of Jesus bringing us this same joy with God as our Father. The way to joy is only through Jesus, because He is the only one who can unite us to God the Father and bring us true and lasting joy, because only He is the Savior. Only He can forgive our sins.
Thus joy is a central aspect of the preparation; of the announcement and of the fulfilling of God’s promise that Mary will give birth to a son. God’s promise brings us to God’s program; and the reason for this birth: “He will save.” The angel says, “You will give him the name Jesus (which means the Lord saves) because He will save His people from their sins.” The way to joy is only through the program of Jesus’ salvation. God’s program was not the one that the people of Jesus’ day expected or wanted; they wanted joy but they didn’t know the way to joy. So God sends them a messenger named John the Baptist to prepare this way by pointing out their need to be saved. The problem was that John’s message was not exactly politically correct, nor was it the “feel-good” greeting that people want to hear in the holiday season.
It seems today, much like in the first century, a lot of people don’t want to hear about their sin, and as such don’t fully understand Jesus’ salvation or the way to joy. The way to joy comes first by seeing the light in the midst of darkness.
The angel tells John’s father Zechariah, in Luke 1, that John will be the one to prepare people for this coming Messiah; and this coming Christ will be the one who gives his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of sins . . . and will shine light on those who live in the shadow of darkness and guide them into peace. The way to joy is to get out of the darkness of this world and into the light of God’s grace. John pointed the way; Jesus provided the way.
Second, the way to joy comes through repentance in the midst of sin. John’s message seemed harsh to many because he called people to turn away from the darkness of their sin and to redirect the focus of their lives to the coming of Christ. God’s program is the coming of His kingdom, thus John says: “Repent for the kingdom of God is at hand.” Seeking joy or happiness apart from repentance is the lie of the world because it gives people the false impression that you can find happiness or contentment and peace somewhere other than Christ and the absolute need for divine forgiveness and an inward change of heart. That’s what the people in the first century wanted from their Messiah. They didn’t want to change their hearts or their lives; they wanted to change their circumstances or situation in order to be happier.
Isn’t this what so many people still want today? C.S. Lewis said, “I often wonder whether all the pleasures of this world are not just substitutes for joy.” Thus we too see during the Christmas season the substitution of parties and presents for the person of Christ; we see resolutions for a coming New Year substituted for repentance and change. Long ago Thomas Aquinas said this: “Man cannot live without joy; therefore when he is deprived of true spiritual joy it is necessary that he become addicted to carnal pleasures.” Fifteen hundred years later the same is true and much more apparent.
C.S. Lewis also said, “Joy is never in our power, but pleasure often is.” The way to joy is based upon God’s program and His agenda, not man’s selfish substitutions or short-term distractions that don’t satisfy and don’t save. Thus we see a third point: the way to joy comes through the cross in the midst of self-righteousness. Jesus said, “I have come to give you joy,” but I am going to do it through dying on the cross. You will not find joy doing it your own way, or the way that seems right to you; or expecting me to do what you want me to do, but you will find joy when you deny yourself, and your sin, and follow me.
Jesus comes to accomplish the way to joy for us by saving us from our sin, thus we will never find true joy in ourselves or in the things of this world, but we will in the redemption of Christ, which is God’s program for Advent, and is declared to Joseph in these words: “He will save His people from their sin.” When we believe and embrace by faith these powerful truths of Advent, seen in God’s promise and God’s program, we should be struck by awe and wonder in what God has given to us in His Son. As those who have experienced the joy of our salvation through Christ, during Advent we should again consider the wonder of joy; and what we have in Christ because Jesus came to save us and forgive us of our sin. This forgiveness is an awesome and wonderful thing; and it should always make us joyful at all times and in every circumstance of our lives.
The reason for this is as Christians we live in the joy of God’s presence and the joy of God’s providence. By faith in Christ we get to experience the fruit of Christ’s salvation; and a big part of this fruit is the fruit of joy. First we experience God’s presence in our lives because of Jesus’ forgiveness, as we again read in Matthew 1:21: He will save us from sin.
Jesus saved us by paying the penalty of our sin in order that God may grant us forgiveness of our sin. Thus first the joy of this forgiveness brings us peace. We not only receive peace with God – the objective and legal peace of justification – but also the peace of God’s presence with us in our lives. The wonder of joy is that our God lives in us and with us. This is why Paul tells us to rejoice in the Lord always, because His presence gives us an unbelievable peace.
Second, the joy of forgiveness brings praise. The Psalmist reminds us often of how good and fitting it is to praise the Lord because of His lovingkindness and forgiveness. Isaiah calls us to go out with joy and to be lead forth in peace because of God’s redemptive work of forgiveness for His people in the Messiah. And Paul often reminds us that our praise and worship of God is based upon God’s forgiveness of us; and His presence with us by His Spirit. And then third, the joy of forgiveness brings purpose. Nehemiah says: “The joy of the Lord is our strength.” You remember that he says this to the people immediately after Ezra reads the law of God to the people and they rejoice in the forgiveness of God. And this joy of forgiveness gives them renewed purpose in their work.
In 2 Corinthians 5 Paul reminds us that it’s the love of Christ that moved Him to become sin for us, and reconcile us to God. And it’s the joy of this forgiveness that then moves us or compels us to live for Him. It gives us a clear purpose in this life. Thus the way to joy is through a changed life received through the salvation of Christ; and the wonder of joy is demonstrated through a changed life that serves Christ. The second point to see about this wonder of joy is that we now live in the light of God’s providence, as a part of Jesus’ church. Again we turn back to Matthew 1:21; and we read: “He will save His people.”
As Christians we are now belong to God’s people – His church – the people He has called out to belong to Him; and to inherit the promise. We now have the joy of God watching over us as His people, because He has saved us in Christ, and now we can rest in His providence and in the joy He will never leave us or forsake us; and that nothing can separate us from the love of God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
As a result we now experience the joy of worshipping God through Jesus. Peter tells us that because of Jesus we are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for we are receiving the goal of our faith and the salvation of our souls. This joy is so wonderful that we can’t fully comprehend it or even express it as we should until we get to heaven. One of the reasons for this is that we are also experiencing the joy of suffering for God because of Jesus. The wonder of joy is seen in the fact that as Christians we are called to “count it all joy, even when we face all kinds of trials.” Suffering is not designed to make us less joyful, rather it’s meant to make us more thankful for what we have in Jesus; and how He is making us stronger and more mature through them. It’s this attitude and perspective that proves the wonder of joy.
And then, as I mentioned already, we experience the joy of serving God in the name of Jesus. We now find joy in serving our God because God’s Son Jesus Christ served us – by coming into this world at Advent in order to save us from our sin, and to give us the joy of salvation.
John Piper beautifully sums it up when he says: “The aim of God in creating and redeeming us is the delight or joy He Himself enjoys in seeing His creatures delight and find joy in Him.” God rejoices when we find joy in Him!
©You’re welcome to recycle these resources for your church free of charge. However, if you find them useful, please consider making a donation to the ministry of GCC.
Pastor Dennis Bone
12-13-15
As we celebrate the third Sunday in Advent, we are reminded of our theme this year of “Promises kept” and turn our attention to the topic of joy. The joy of Advent or the joy of Christ’s coming is declared and manifest in the words of Matthew 1:21, when the angel appeared to Joseph and told him God’s miraculous plan for him and his wife to be Mary; and God’s wonderful purpose for their son Jesus. The angel spoke to him saying: “She (Mary) will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”
Jesus purpose in coming into this world is to save, or to be a Savior. He specifically comes to save people from their sins, thus the key message of Advent is forgiveness. It is this divine forgiveness, that God sent His Son to attain for His people, that brings us joy. There is no true joy or lasting joy apart from the forgiveness of sins, through the salvation of Jesus Christ our Savior. So as we consider the joy of Advent; and focus our attention primarily on this great verse from Matthew this morning, I want us to reflect upon two main points: the way to joy and the wonder of joy. Joy is often defined as happiness; but the essence of biblical joy is defined by forgiveness.
Advent reminds us first of the way to joy; and we see this way or this path that God makes for us in God’s promise and in God’s program, both key components of Matthew 1:21. Joseph wasn’t very “happy” when he found out Mary was pregnant. Who could blame him, circumstances seemed to be against him. In his mind there was only one way that this could happen, and it wasn’t him. In the midst of his anger, sorrow and disappointment the angel spoke to him words of joy.
This of course was a unique situation – a one of a kind redemptive event – but it should remind us that true joy is not based on circumstances; it’s always based upon God’s promises. True joy will always transcend circumstances, even the most difficult ones, because joy is based upon the person and promise of God. Advent is a story of joy based upon the greatest of all God’s promises being fulfilled in the coming of Jesus. The specific promise of Isaiah 7:14: “The virgin will be with child and give birth to a son” is now about to become a present reality as the angel says to Joseph: “She (your wife to be Mary) will give birth to a son.”
This will be your joy – not just the birth of your child, but the birth of your Savior – and it will be our joy as well. Joy to the world, Jesus the Savior has come. This promise first of all takes us back to the Old Testament, where we see the prophetic word of joy. God’s promise is proclaimed in the word of the Old Testament Scriptures, testifying to the joy that God’s people had in this great promise; and the great joy it would bring to God’s people in the future. Isaiah says: “In that day you will say: ‘I will praise you, O Lord. Although you were angry with me, your anger has turned away and you have comforted me. Surely God is my salvation.’ With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.” With joy the people of God looked forward to this joy to come, in the coming of the Savior.
Second we see the angelic word of joy as God’s promise is announced. The angel announces it to Joseph here in Matthew’s gospel; the angel announces it to Mary in Luke chapter 1; and then the grand announcement in Luke 2:10: “The angel said to them . . . I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.’”
It’s a joyous message because it’s God’s way to joy for all the people who hear it, from that first announcement to the shepherds, to its continued announcement today through the good news of the gospel. This angelic word of joy leads us to a third point: the living word of joy as God’s promise is fulfilled. Jesus not only brings us joy but He is the personification of joy in that He is God with us. He represents the joy of being one with His Father; and this joy is what brought about Advent; and the goal of Jesus bringing us this same joy with God as our Father. The way to joy is only through Jesus, because He is the only one who can unite us to God the Father and bring us true and lasting joy, because only He is the Savior. Only He can forgive our sins.
Thus joy is a central aspect of the preparation; of the announcement and of the fulfilling of God’s promise that Mary will give birth to a son. God’s promise brings us to God’s program; and the reason for this birth: “He will save.” The angel says, “You will give him the name Jesus (which means the Lord saves) because He will save His people from their sins.” The way to joy is only through the program of Jesus’ salvation. God’s program was not the one that the people of Jesus’ day expected or wanted; they wanted joy but they didn’t know the way to joy. So God sends them a messenger named John the Baptist to prepare this way by pointing out their need to be saved. The problem was that John’s message was not exactly politically correct, nor was it the “feel-good” greeting that people want to hear in the holiday season.
It seems today, much like in the first century, a lot of people don’t want to hear about their sin, and as such don’t fully understand Jesus’ salvation or the way to joy. The way to joy comes first by seeing the light in the midst of darkness.
The angel tells John’s father Zechariah, in Luke 1, that John will be the one to prepare people for this coming Messiah; and this coming Christ will be the one who gives his people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of sins . . . and will shine light on those who live in the shadow of darkness and guide them into peace. The way to joy is to get out of the darkness of this world and into the light of God’s grace. John pointed the way; Jesus provided the way.
Second, the way to joy comes through repentance in the midst of sin. John’s message seemed harsh to many because he called people to turn away from the darkness of their sin and to redirect the focus of their lives to the coming of Christ. God’s program is the coming of His kingdom, thus John says: “Repent for the kingdom of God is at hand.” Seeking joy or happiness apart from repentance is the lie of the world because it gives people the false impression that you can find happiness or contentment and peace somewhere other than Christ and the absolute need for divine forgiveness and an inward change of heart. That’s what the people in the first century wanted from their Messiah. They didn’t want to change their hearts or their lives; they wanted to change their circumstances or situation in order to be happier.
Isn’t this what so many people still want today? C.S. Lewis said, “I often wonder whether all the pleasures of this world are not just substitutes for joy.” Thus we too see during the Christmas season the substitution of parties and presents for the person of Christ; we see resolutions for a coming New Year substituted for repentance and change. Long ago Thomas Aquinas said this: “Man cannot live without joy; therefore when he is deprived of true spiritual joy it is necessary that he become addicted to carnal pleasures.” Fifteen hundred years later the same is true and much more apparent.
C.S. Lewis also said, “Joy is never in our power, but pleasure often is.” The way to joy is based upon God’s program and His agenda, not man’s selfish substitutions or short-term distractions that don’t satisfy and don’t save. Thus we see a third point: the way to joy comes through the cross in the midst of self-righteousness. Jesus said, “I have come to give you joy,” but I am going to do it through dying on the cross. You will not find joy doing it your own way, or the way that seems right to you; or expecting me to do what you want me to do, but you will find joy when you deny yourself, and your sin, and follow me.
Jesus comes to accomplish the way to joy for us by saving us from our sin, thus we will never find true joy in ourselves or in the things of this world, but we will in the redemption of Christ, which is God’s program for Advent, and is declared to Joseph in these words: “He will save His people from their sin.” When we believe and embrace by faith these powerful truths of Advent, seen in God’s promise and God’s program, we should be struck by awe and wonder in what God has given to us in His Son. As those who have experienced the joy of our salvation through Christ, during Advent we should again consider the wonder of joy; and what we have in Christ because Jesus came to save us and forgive us of our sin. This forgiveness is an awesome and wonderful thing; and it should always make us joyful at all times and in every circumstance of our lives.
The reason for this is as Christians we live in the joy of God’s presence and the joy of God’s providence. By faith in Christ we get to experience the fruit of Christ’s salvation; and a big part of this fruit is the fruit of joy. First we experience God’s presence in our lives because of Jesus’ forgiveness, as we again read in Matthew 1:21: He will save us from sin.
Jesus saved us by paying the penalty of our sin in order that God may grant us forgiveness of our sin. Thus first the joy of this forgiveness brings us peace. We not only receive peace with God – the objective and legal peace of justification – but also the peace of God’s presence with us in our lives. The wonder of joy is that our God lives in us and with us. This is why Paul tells us to rejoice in the Lord always, because His presence gives us an unbelievable peace.
Second, the joy of forgiveness brings praise. The Psalmist reminds us often of how good and fitting it is to praise the Lord because of His lovingkindness and forgiveness. Isaiah calls us to go out with joy and to be lead forth in peace because of God’s redemptive work of forgiveness for His people in the Messiah. And Paul often reminds us that our praise and worship of God is based upon God’s forgiveness of us; and His presence with us by His Spirit. And then third, the joy of forgiveness brings purpose. Nehemiah says: “The joy of the Lord is our strength.” You remember that he says this to the people immediately after Ezra reads the law of God to the people and they rejoice in the forgiveness of God. And this joy of forgiveness gives them renewed purpose in their work.
In 2 Corinthians 5 Paul reminds us that it’s the love of Christ that moved Him to become sin for us, and reconcile us to God. And it’s the joy of this forgiveness that then moves us or compels us to live for Him. It gives us a clear purpose in this life. Thus the way to joy is through a changed life received through the salvation of Christ; and the wonder of joy is demonstrated through a changed life that serves Christ. The second point to see about this wonder of joy is that we now live in the light of God’s providence, as a part of Jesus’ church. Again we turn back to Matthew 1:21; and we read: “He will save His people.”
As Christians we are now belong to God’s people – His church – the people He has called out to belong to Him; and to inherit the promise. We now have the joy of God watching over us as His people, because He has saved us in Christ, and now we can rest in His providence and in the joy He will never leave us or forsake us; and that nothing can separate us from the love of God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
As a result we now experience the joy of worshipping God through Jesus. Peter tells us that because of Jesus we are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for we are receiving the goal of our faith and the salvation of our souls. This joy is so wonderful that we can’t fully comprehend it or even express it as we should until we get to heaven. One of the reasons for this is that we are also experiencing the joy of suffering for God because of Jesus. The wonder of joy is seen in the fact that as Christians we are called to “count it all joy, even when we face all kinds of trials.” Suffering is not designed to make us less joyful, rather it’s meant to make us more thankful for what we have in Jesus; and how He is making us stronger and more mature through them. It’s this attitude and perspective that proves the wonder of joy.
And then, as I mentioned already, we experience the joy of serving God in the name of Jesus. We now find joy in serving our God because God’s Son Jesus Christ served us – by coming into this world at Advent in order to save us from our sin, and to give us the joy of salvation.
John Piper beautifully sums it up when he says: “The aim of God in creating and redeeming us is the delight or joy He Himself enjoys in seeing His creatures delight and find joy in Him.” God rejoices when we find joy in Him!
©You’re welcome to recycle these resources for your church free of charge. However, if you find them useful, please consider making a donation to the ministry of GCC.
