You have two images in front of you. Can you tell the difference between them?
The world seeks joy. It includes words like "joy to the world" in their holiday celebrations. But the huge difference between these two slogans is the presence of the Lord!
In Isaiah 9:3 God promises the provision of joy. But you will notice that it is conditional.
You shall multiply the nation, You shall increase their gladness; They will be glad in Your presence As with the gladness of harvest, As men rejoice when they divide the spoil. (NASB)
Do you see the conditional statement? The joy of verse 3 is conditioned on the presence of God. “They will be glad in your presence.” Joy doesn't float in with the strains of holiday music around Thanksgiving. It doesn't arrive with our plans for the season. Joy is uniquely tied together with the presence of Jesus.
The event of that first Christmas is the fulfillment of God’s promise to bring joy. In Luke 2:10, the angel makes a well-known announcement: “Fear not, for I bring you tidings of a great joy which shall be for all the people; for to you is born this day in the city of David, a savior who is Christ the Lord.”
The formula is simple: Joy comes from Jesus Christ.
Carried over to the present day, the extent to which we will experience joy at Christmas is conditional. It depends upon whether we will allow Jesus Christ into our plans and schedules.
Christmas is the celebration of Jesus’ birth. And yet, it’s easy to lose sight of this precious event because of our hectic pace.
We’re all going to be busy. Buying presents, driving here and there, writing cards, standing in lines, taking exams. Soon enough some of us will be busy cooking, hosting parties, visiting relatives, putting up the tree and participating in church activities. We are all familiar with the memes that depicts the frustration that can be associated with the Christmas season. Let's not be these guys!
What can easily happen is that we get so caught up in the busyness, it becomes possible to leave quiet moments with Jesus out of the celebration.
That’s why Isaiah 9:3 is a good reminder. It tells us that joy is the result of being in the presence of the Lord. That the wonder and excitement of Christmas is not going to be found in an Amazon sale, but in moments of worship and fellowship in the company of Jesus.
I want to encourage you to plan a time with Jesus for your family. Songs. Candles. Scripture reading. I’m a big supporter of families celebrating communion at home. Communion has its origins in the Jewish Passover which was not a church event, but a family-centered time of celebration. We’ve somehow institutionalized it and taken it out of the home. But without wanting to sound preachy, worship of Jesus begins with the family. Thus in Deuteronomy 11, God's people are instructed:
18 Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. 19 Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 20 Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates,
Allow the intentional act of setting aside time to love and worship Jesus to be part of your Christmas and New Year season.
