“And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.”~Lk. 2:10
My son Andrew, his lovely wife Sharon, and I were discussing how few decorations were being displayed, at our last Christmas season. And also how little joy is manifest in the mass of individuals. I don’t know but would guess this is a universal problem, not just geographical, for us who live in the U.S.A. It’s a joyless world in which we live! But thank God there are small pockets of saints to be found in every corner of this sin-cursed earth that radiate the “joy of the Lord.” A joyless Christian is a misnomer.
One of the angels announcing Jesus’ birth to the shepherds made clear the “great joy” associated with this special event was “to all people.” True, authentic, lasting joy is to be found only in Jesus! But He was rejected, other than for a remnant of believers. The early church in Acts 4, quoting Psalm 2, tells us religious Israel, the political leaders, and people in general were “against” Him. The world against an infant child who would grow to be the only Man who could give them “joy unspeakable.”
When Jesus first came on the world scene, as a man, and John introduced Him as, “The Lamb of God,” it was not the first time the Baptist had been in His presence. For while both were in their mother’s womb, in their embryonic stage, John leaped in his mother’s womb for joy, when Mary entered the home of Elizabeth. When that babe who possessed Eternal Joy entered into the world He brought that joy with Him: to give to every man and woman who would receive it. Joy is yours for the asking! And may I add, the taking—by faith!
“These things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.”~ Jn. 17:13