Third Sunday of Advent: Joy

We all experience joy in our lives, even if it’s just for a moment. 

As children, we find joy in the small things: learning to walk, discovering and learning things for the first time, joy in things like ice cream, a parent’s embrace, and playing water games on a warm summer day.

Then there’s joy in graduating, in achieving our goals, in meeting that special someone and falling in love for the first time and eventually, looking into the face of your newborn child.

This week of advent we celebrate joy. There’s a lot of different joys in the Christmas narrative in the Bible, but one joy encapsulates all of them: the joy of that the Messiah is finally coming!

The Joy of Elizabeth and John the Baptist

First, we see the joy of Elizabeth, Mary’s older cousin, when Mary comes to visit her after finding out that she will give birth to the Son of God. 

“And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”

Luke 1:41-45

It has always fascinated me that the baby in her womb leaps for joy, too. The baby is John the Baptist, who will be both Jesus’ cousin and forerunner, the Elijah of his day, prophesying for people to “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!” (Matthew 3:2)

The Joy of Mary, the Mother of Jesus

Then, there is Mary’s song of joy as the reality of her situation sinks in. She expresses her joy in song, in the famous Magnificat:

“My soul magnifies the Lord,

    and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,

for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.

    For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;

for he who is mighty has done great things for me,

    and holy is his name.

And his mercy is for those who fear him

    from generation to generation.

He has shown strength with his arm;

    he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;

he has brought down the mighty from their thrones

    and exalted those of humble estate;

he has filled the hungry with good things,

    and the rich he has sent away empty.

He has helped his servant Israel,

    in remembrance of his mercy,

as he spoke to our fathers,

    to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”

Luke 1:46-55

The Joy of Friends and Relatives, and Zechariah

Then, the story focuses on Elizabeth and Zechariah as their child is born. Friends and relatives rejoice over the birth of John the Baptist, as Elizabeth was well beyond child-bearing years. 

Everyone knows that this child is miraculous and from God, even though John’s father Zechariah cannot tell them (you may recall he was struck dumb when he didn’t believe the angel that his wife would have a child). 

“neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her.”

Luke 1:58

When the child is born and they are naming it, Zechariah writes that the child will be called John as that is what God told Zechariah to name him. Suddenly, he can talk again!

And the first words from his lips are those of joy. Not joy over his newborn son, but over what John will preach and stand for: that John will help prepare people for the Messiah, his cousin Jesus.

The Joy of the Shepherds

This brings us to the last group of people who rejoice in Luke’s account of Jesus’ birth: the shepherds. 

To some, the joy candle is all about the joy of the shepherds when they hear the good news out in the fields at night: 

“the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in the highest,

    and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

Luke 2: 10-14

The shepherds respond by going to find the child (via the angels directions), and then tell the good news to everyone they meet. 

“And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.”

Luke 2:20

But then there’s a curious note in there about Mary pondering these things in her heart. I can see joy in that, too. 

Remember to Rejoice

The main message throughout the Christmas story is that there was and should be much rejoicing in a savior being born into the world: one who would take away sin and defeat death. Christians: remember this joy at Christmastime, and take time to ponder the wonders of this season.

The Magnificat (by Bach):