Good News and Great Joy

“Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.” - Luke 2:10-11

In the Christmas season, the word “joy” is scattered all over wrapping paper, on cards, in Christmas songs, and on ornaments. Even Christmas characters, such as the Grinch or Ebenezer Scrooge, are seemingly transformed by letting the joy of Christmas penetrate their hearts. Joy is inevitably tied to the Christmas season, but why? And how do we actually experience it?

Have you ever been to a celebration where the host is so caught up in putting on the event that they forget to spend time with their guests? I don’t want to go through the Christmas season in a hurry and forget to slow down and spend time with the person I am making an effort to celebrate. I think it’s the moments where we spend time with our Savior, where we experience his joy, that we are actually preparing for the Christmas season. God desires for us to receive his complete joy and we find it by abiding in him.

Psalm 16:11 - “There is fullness of joy in his Presence.” 

C.S. Lewis states this another way, writing, “If you want to get warm you must stand near the fire: if you want to be wet you must get into the water. If you want joy, power, peace, eternal life, you must get close to, or even into, the thing that has them.”

To find joy we must draw close to God, but I don’t think joy is meant to stop there. There’s something communal about the gift of joy.

If you’ve been reading through Luke with us then you’ve probably read Mary’s song (Luke 1:46-55). I think that we can learn a lot from Mary about how to live in the joy of the Lord. To begin, Mary’s joyous praise is a response to her cousin, inviting Elizabeth into the joy God has given her. I think there’s an invitation to share our joy with those around us, especially during this season. There’s a quote from an old hymn that goes something like this, “joy is the flag flown high from the castle of our hearts that shows the King is in residence.” Joy, especially when chosen in difficult circumstances, shows that we trust God with our life and it becomes a testimony to those around us of God’s faithfulness. I think Mary’s trust in the Lord is apparent because of the way she expresses her praise.

“Mary says,
My soul glorifies the Lord
    and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has been mindful
    of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
    for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
    holy is his name.
His mercy extends to those who fear him,
    from generation to generation.
He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
    he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
He has brought down rulers from their thrones
    but has lifted up the humble.
He has filled the hungry with good things
    but has sent the rich away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
    remembering to be merciful
to Abraham and his descendants forever,
    just as he promised our ancestors.” 

Mary chooses to praise God even though her whole world has been turned upside down. There are so many unknowns that are out of Mary’s control, yet she is drawn into a place of praise as she turns her thoughts towards God, singing of his character, and recognizing that this is ultimately his story. Her words echo that of her ancestors as she remembers all the times that God has been faithful to his people. Her thanksgiving begets joy and her joy begets praise.

I think that as we fix our thoughts on God, Mary’s song gets to echo from our hearts as well.  Our souls get to glorify the Lord and our spirits get to rejoice in God our Savior. The Mighty One has done great things for us. We get to praise his holy name. He has been merciful to us, from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds in the past and will perform mighty deeds in the future. He is the God that lifts up the humble, fills the hungry, and keeps all of his promises.

It’s my hope that in this  season we choose to spend time with Jesus and follow after Mary’s heart by focusing, remembering, thanking, and praising God.  When we do, great joy will flow out of us no matter our circumstances. There is always a reason to praise.

Author | Marlena Sculac