GIFTS MOST PRECIOUS: #4 The Gift of Joy

By Dr. Gilbert W. Stafford

Scripture: Luke 1:44; 1 Peter 1:8

JOVIALITY AND JOY

At this time of year, people in general often enjoy singing “’Tis the season to be jolly, Fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la.” And Christians in particular sing “Joy to the world! The Lord is come…Joy to the world! The Savior reigns.” For believers and non-believers alike this is the season of merriment, parties, and festivities. It is the one time in the course of the year when we want everybody to be happy.

It is as though all of us, regardless of our religious orientation, have a glimpse, however dim, of the fact that God has a very good gift for us. Christians see clearly that it is the gift of “joy unspeakable and full of glory,” as 1 Peter 1:8 (King James Version) puts it.

Indeed, the birth of Jesus brought “joy unspeakable” to many, beginning with a baby still in the womb. When Mary, pregnant with Jesus, visited Elizabeth, also pregnant with John the Baptist, Elizabeth felt her baby leaping inside her womb with gladness in the presence of Mary’s baby. According to Luke 1;44, Elizabeth said to Mary: “As soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy.” Mary herself, then, responds by singing to God, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior” (Luke 1:46-47).[1] When later the Christ child was born in Bethlehem, the shepherds outside of town tending their flocks by night, heard also about this joy. They had been terrified by the strange things happening in the sky but had been told by an angel, “Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people” (Luke 2:10). And then again, some days after the birth, when the wise men from the east finally arrived at the place where the Christ-child was, Matthew 2:10 says that they too “were overwhelmed with joy.”

We are not surprised, then, to learn that near the end of this incarnational life, Jesus prayed that his followers would have his “joy made complete in themselves’ (John 17:13). And the apostle Paul in Romans 14:17 tells us that the kingdom of heaven which Jesus came to establish is "“righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (emphasis mine). In Galatians 5:22 where he lists the fruit of the Holy Spirit in our lives, one of them is joy. Acts 13:52 refers to the disciples being “filled with joy and the Holy Spirit” (emphasis mine).

The basic difference between the “Fa-la-la-la-las” of the so-called “season to be jolly” and the “joy unspeakable and full of glory” is this. The first is merely a seasonal emotion; the latter is a long-term reality.

It may be that you don’t feel like singing “Fa-la-la-la-la” this Christmas. The seasonal party clothes don’t fit the circumstances of your life right now. But I have good new for you. The “joy unspeakable and full of glory” that God gives in Christ is a gift that fits all circumstances of life regardless of whether they are pleasant or not so pleasant.

And so, let’s take another look at this gift of joy. 

FIRST, IT IS CONNECTED WITH THE PERSON AND WORK OF CHRIST.

It was Christ who brought joy to the baby in Elizabeth’s womb. John leaped for joy in the presence of Jesus.

I shall never forget the woman on crutches due to an accident caused by her use of alcohol, coming forward at the end of a service. She was suffering in many ways: she was in physical pain; she was embarrassed because until that time she had kept her alcoholism a secret; she was struggling with complicated family problems and professional uncertainties. But that morning as she sat dejected on the back pew she heard about the forgiving and transforming love of Jesus. And in his presence her hobble on crutches turned into leaps of joy as she came to the realization that this Jesus who forgives and transforms would give her a new lease on life. With joy she came leaping forward to embrace him as her Savior and Lord. O yes, she still had to recuperate from the broken bones—that was no Fa-la-la-la-la experience. She still faced legal

procedures—that was no reason to be jolly. And yes, family issues and professional uncertainties still had to be dealt with—this was not the time for a giddy party. While that Sunday morning was no Fa-la-la-la-la time, it was an authentic experience of “joy unspeakable and full of glory,” for in Christ she had experienced forgiveness. She had tapped into his transforming power. In him she had found hope for the future. In Christ’s glorious presence she leaped with gladness because in him she had found the source of true joy that lasts not just for a season but forever.

SECOND, THIS JOY ABOUT WHICH WE ARE TALKING IS A GIFT OF GRACE. 

It is nothing we work up. It comes from beyond our own limited resources. It is not understandable in light of our external circumstances.

In the biblical accounts, the baby in Elizabeth’s womb didn’t conjure up his joy; it just happened. And, Mary, the mother of Jesus had every reason not to be full of joy, and yet she was. And the shepherds though afraid, received a message of joy from beyond themselves. And the magi, no doubt worn by much travel, were overwhelmed by an uncommon joy. Nobody worked it up. It was a gift of grace.

I read recently about a young lawyer who set up practice in a town that was new to him. The townspeople, however, were troubled about the fact that every time they saw him he had a sad look and always walked with his head low. He was Mr. Joyless. One day, in a conversation with a local artist, he told how in his first years as a lawyer he had made a terrible mistake which had destroyed his self-confidence. The artist immediately sensed that this was the reason the lawyer had such a melancholy demeanor, and so he decided to act on his intuition. A few weeks later he invited the lawyer back to his studio to see a portrait he had just finished. When it was unveiled, the lawyer saw that it was a portrait of himself. In the picture, though, he stood straight with shoulders thrown back and with a face which exuded confidence and hope. The lawyer stared at the portrait for awhile and then said, “If you see that in me, I ought to be able to see it in myself. If you think I can be that man, then, I can be that man. What’s more, I shall be that man.”[2] Mr. Joyless was transformed into Mr. Joy. It happened because someone gave him a gift of grace.

The joy that Christ brings, my friend, is always a gift of grace. He shows us what we can, by grace, be and become. Once we see that, we too become people of joy and confidence.

THIRD, THIS JOY TAKES US BY SURPRISE 

Often it is discovered in unusual ways, under exceptional conditions, and at odd times.

In the biblical accounts, it happened as two pregnant women greeted each other. It happened to a lowly peasant girl carrying a baby of mysterious origins. It happened on a night when strange things were taking place in the skies over the Judean hills. It happened when wealthy wise men from the east ended up in the little, rural town of Bethlehem. Regardless of the unusualness of all of these circumstances, the people involved nevertheless discovered “joy unspeakable and full of glory.”

For Darlene and me it happened on a Christmas in Boston, Massachusetts when the circumstances of life didn’t allow us to be with family. For two people who had always been accustomed to extended family celebrations, the thoughts of spending Christmas Eve alone was something we dreaded. We decided to attend the Christmas Eve service in historic Old South Church in Boston where the pastor read a wonderful story especially written for his parish as his annual gift to them. By the end of the service, snow was paralyzing the grand old city. Even so, we made our way over to Old North Church where we were among the very few who were able to get there. We had a private box pew where we enjoyed the once a year lighting of the candle chandeliers, and the grand old organ as it accompanied the marvelous anthems of the choir. That Christmas Eve we discovered in a most surprising way the true joy of Christmas. It is a Christmas that both of us still cherish and which we would take nothing for. We were surprised by joy in a story, in the delightfulness of the snowfall, in the elegant beauty of Old North Church.

That’s the way it is with the joy that God gives. It is given to us in the most surprising ways.

THE GIFT OF JOY THIS CHRISTMAS 

As you head into Christmas, are you willing to receive the gift of joy when it comes? Christ can turn the hobbles of your life into leaps of joy when you come into his forgiving, transforming, and hope-inspiring presence. This Christmas you can experience not just the season to be jolly, but “joy unspeakable and full of glory.”

PRAYER 

Let us pray:

Gracious Lord, work in our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we will leap for joy in the presence of Christ our Savior. Train us to receive this good gift even in the unusual circumstances of life. In the name of Christ, we pray. Amen.

[1] New Revised Standard Version used here and throughout unless otherwise indicated.
[2] A story attributed to Margaret Slattery by Oswald C.J. Hoffmann, Hurry Home Where You Belong (St. Louis: Concordia, 1970), p.53f. Adapted.

Script 2608 (GWS)
December 22,1996
SERIES: GIFTS MOST PRECIOUS
4. The Gift of Joy
Scripture: Luke 1:44; 1 Peter 1:8 

FREESTANDING COMPONENT OF THE PROGRAM 
Dean and I pray for each and every one of you a blessed and joyous Christmas. The whole CBH staff led by James Martin, our executive, join us in this prayer.

As of January, new leadership will be coming to this program. After a decade of service on CBH, it is time for me to bring closure to this part of my ministry. I shall continue teaching full time at Anderson University School Of Theology where I serve as Professor of Christian Theology and Dean of the Chapel. In addition I will continue preaching, writing, and leading conferences.

You will enjoy the fine preaching of Jim Lyon who is a winsome communicator of the gospel. As CBH enters into its sixth decade of ministry, it will do so under his capable and creative leadership. Jim Lyon is a forward looking pastor, an involved citizen of his local community, and a Christian visionary. Join me as we prepare to welcome in January both a new voice and a new format for CBH.

Once again, from our house to yours, our prayer is that you will have a truly joyous Christmas.