THE REAL JOY OF CHRISTMAS (Luke 2:8-16) INTRODUCTION: Can you imagine Christians not celebrating the joy of Christmas? Well, they have not always done that. There was a period of time when Christmas was actually outlawed in England and in the New World! During the Middle Ages in England many notable events took place at the Christmas season. King Henry II was crowned on Christmas Day, AD 1154. King John signed the Magna Charta on Christmas Day, AD 1214. The English stage got its start at Christmas time when Queen Elizabeth, the daughter of King Henry VIII, organized actors and presented Christmas plays at Greenwich and Hampton Court. But when Oliver Cromwell came to power, the Puritan ministers preached against Christmas merriment, blasting it as a heathen practice. They said Jesus wouldn't approve of the celebration. And, under Oliver Cromwell, Parliament passed a state law prohibiting religious festivals and the celebrating of Christ's nativity. And that attitude towards Christmas was brought to the New World. A paragraph from an early law book of the Massachusetts Bay Colony reads as follows: For preventing disorders arising in several places within this jurisdiction, by reason of some still observing such festivals as were superstitiously kept in other countries, to the great dishonor of God and offence of others, it is therefore ordered by this Court and the authority thereof, that whosoever shall be found observing any such day as Christmas or the like, either by forbearing of labor, feasting, or any other way, upon such accountants as aforesaid, every person so offending shall pay of every such offence five shillings, as a fine to the county. Yes, you heard that right. In 1659 the Puritan government of the Massachusetts Bay Colony actually banned Christmas. Cotton Mather, New England's most influential religious leader, told his flock in 1712 that "the feast of Christ's nativity is spent in reveling, dicing, carding, masking, and in all licentious liberty...by mad mirth, by long eating, by hard drinking, by lewd gaming, by rude reveling!" December 16, 2018 Corntassel CP Church Page 1
This attitude towards Christmas was more in New England where the Puritans were. In Jamestown was a different attitude. These Englishmen celebrated Christmas more openly and with more reveling. In his Poor Richard's Almanac of 1739, Philadelphian Benjamin Franklin wrote of Christmas: "O blessed Season! Lov'd by Saints and Sinners / For long Devotions, or for longer Dinners." Well, I m happy to report that most of the descendants of the Puritans today do celebrate the joy of Christmas and it is not against the law, although for many it is still more of a time for long dinners and unchristian revelry. I believe that Christmas should be a time of great joy. It is a time to celebrate the greatest news on earth. In Luke's account of the angels' announcement to the shepherds they said "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. They didn t just say joy, they said Great joy! Joy has always been a mark of the people of God and of God Himself. Deuteronomy 16:15 HCSB You are to hold a seven-day festival for the LORD your God in the place He chooses, because the LORD your God will bless you in all your produce and in all the work of your hands, and you will have abundant joy. Psalms 4:7 HCSB You have put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and new wine abound. God is a God of joy. Psalm 104:31 tells us that He rejoices over His work. Joy has always been part of the nature of God and of the experience of God's people. The New Testament continues this theme of joy for the Christian. Jesus came to fill our joy to the brim he says. In John 15:11 Jesus told his disciples, These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full." Jesus wants us to have "fullness of joy" and Christmas is a time to reflect on and to express this fullness of joy. Let s reflect on the real joy of Christmas. REAL JOY OF CHRISTMAS IS THE JOY THE FATHER HAS First, the real joy of Christmas is the joy that the Father has over one lost sinner being found. December 16, 2018 Corntassel CP Church Page 2
Jesus spoke three parables in Luke 15 to teach the joy that the Father has over finding something that is precious to Him that was lost. When the shepherd found the lost sheep he called his friends and neighbors and say to them, Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost! When the woman found her lost coin she called her friends and neighbors and said to them, Rejoice with me, for I have found the piece which I lost! When the lost son returned to the father he killed the fatted calf and called his family and said, let us eat and be merry; for his my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found. Christmas joy is entering into the joy of the Father who has found His lost sheep; His lost coin; His lost son. Christmas is where God the Father sent the Good Shepherd into the world to find his lost sheep. Joy was in his heart, anticipating his lost sheep being found. So should we have joy as we anticipate more of God s lost sheep being found. We enter into the real joy of Christmas when we come to know the joy of the Father, who has sent the Good Shepherd to find His lost sheep. REAL JOY OF CHRISTMAS IS THE JOY OF HAVING ETERNAL LIFE Secondly, the real joy of Christmas is when we know that we have eternal life. The ultimate purpose for God sending His Son was that we might have life eternally and this gives us fullness of joy. Listen to the apostle John in I John 1:1-4 (1 John 1:1-4 NKJV) That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life; {2} the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us; {3} that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. {4} And these things we write to you that your joy may be full. Notice in verse 4 it says that John wanted the Christians to know the Eternal life that their joy may be full. Eternal life is the most precious gift we can have and it is what will bring us "fullness of joy, when we know that we have it. In Luke 10 it tells us that one day Jesus sent the seventy out do the work of the kingdom of God. When they returned they were thrilled at the power which God allowed them to have. They said that even the demons were subject to them in Jesus' name. But Jesus reply was: Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, December 16, 2018 Corntassel CP Church Page 3
but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven." (Luke 10:20) Is your name written in heaven? -- then you have cause to have the real Christmas joy. If your name being written in heaven is not that meaningful to you today, it will be on the great Day of Judgement. I was reading again yesterday from Revelation 20. It gives the scene of the great White Throne Judgement. In verse 15 it says, And anyone not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire. On that day you will greatly rejoice to see your name written in the book of life! Jesus has come to give us the gift of eternal life. Our joy is fulfilled by receiving this eternal life in Christ. This is the joy of Christmas. REAL JOY OF CHRISTMAS COMES AS WE LIVE IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD Thirdly, the real joy of Christmas comes as we walk daily in God s presence. In Psalms 16 it says, In your presence is fullness of joy. What was the secret of experiencing this joy? It was living a life trusting God each day. Listen to Psalm 16 Psalms 16:1-11 HCSB (1) Protect me, God, for I take refuge in You. To live in God s presence is to trust Him as your Refuge. (2) I said to Yahweh, "You are my Lord; I have nothing good besides You." To live in God s presence is to see Him as your highest Good. 5) LORD, You are my portion and my cup of blessing; You hold my future. To live in God s presence is to trust Him with your future. (7) I will praise the LORD who counsels me even at night my conscience instructs me. To live in God s presence is to praise Him for His counsel. (8) I keep the LORD in mind always. Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. To live in God s presence is to always keep Him in mind. (11) in Your presence is abundant joy; in Your right hand are eternal pleasures. December 16, 2018 Corntassel CP Church Page 4
The Psalmist s secret of fullness of joy was how he walked in the presence of God each day. He put his trust in God. He put his delight in God. He put his life in God s hands. He put the Lord on his right hand forevermore. In other words he lived his life in a close walk of fellowship with God. In verse 9 he concludes, Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices. Christmas means that we can have the fullness of joy no matter what our circumstances, because we can have the Lord with us and in us. A prominent Christian leader had the reputation of being a very joyful Christian. In fact one little girl who saw him told her mother that this man must go to heaven each night, because he was so joyful each day. This leader had a saying about the secret of joy in your life. He said, "Joy is the flag which is flown from the castle of the heart when the King is in residence there" When the King is in residence in our heart joy will be shown in our life. One evidence that you are in the kingdom is joy in your life according to Romans 14:17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Live your life in the presence of God and you will know the real joy of Christmas. CONCLUSION: You may say, "Sure, but you don't know what I have to go through each day." Or you may say, You don t know who I have to live with each day? Yes, that's right, I don't know what you have to go through, but are you going through more that what Christ went through? Are you being rejected by someone? Christ was rejected by his people and friends. Are you suffering physically? Christ suffered beatings and the cross. Are you suffering pressures of making a living? Christ did not have a place to lay his head. He had to find food and shelter each day. He was a homeless person throughout His adult life. Yet, through all these things He had joy and He wants to give you his joy. "These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full." (John 15:11) Yes, Christmas is a time of great joy. Not because of the parties, gifts, Santa, etc.; but because it is the time to reflect on God s joy over one sinner who repents, when we know that we have received God s gift of eternal life, and when our relationship to God is one where He is our delight, pleasure, and hope for the December 16, 2018 Corntassel CP Church Page 5
future as well as walking in His presence each day. This is real Christmas joy that the angels sang about. This is the fullness of joy of Christmas. Do you want more joy this Christmas? Then let the Good Shepherd find you. Then meditate on the gift of eternal life. Then live each day in the presence of God. Then you will have more joy this Christmas and each day of your life. Let us thank God for the real joy of Christmas and present ourselves to Him as a living sacrifice. Amen? Amen! December 16, 2018 Corntassel CP Church Page 6