I don’t know why but I get a tingly feeling inside of me every time I walk by my advent wreath and see the constant glow of my electric candles. Their glimmer makes me pause, makes me be still and know He is God. These advent and Hanukkah observances are echoes of Jesus for me. They prepare my heart and point me to the Lord’s coming. This week we lit a pink candle. It is the candle of joy and the shepherd’s candle. Those two go together don’t you think, shepherd and joy. Or maybe not. The shepherds life wasn’t too joyful before the Angel’s announcement. Their days were long, their work exhausting, and their social life null and void. These shepherds were outcasts. But one silent night their life’s focus changed.
”In the same region, shepherds were staying out in the fields and keeping watch at night over their flock. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people: Today a Savior, who is Messiah the Lord, was born for you in the city of David. This will be the sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in cloth and lying in a feeding trough.” Suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying: Glory to God in the highest heaven, and peace on earth to people He favors! When the angels had left them and returned to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go straight to Bethlehem and see what has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” They hurried off and found both Mary and Joseph, and the baby who was lying in the feeding trough. After seeing them, they reported the message they were told about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.“
Luke 2:8-18 HCSB
Again we have the magic of Christmas. God using mysterious and supernatural forces to change the trajectory of people’s lives. One minute they were keeping their wayward sheep from danger and the next moment an angel of the Lord stood before them. They were terrified. The angel’s familiar greeting, “Don’t be afraid!” “Listen I’m going to give you some good news that will invoke great joy in you” (my paraphrase) In an instant all was different. Their work life became a joy. The glory of the Lord shone around them. All the Christmas light fights in every neighborhood cannot even reflect what THE GLORY OF THE LORD would actually look like. The word glory also holds a connotation of being weighty, holding weight, filling up space. Not only could they see God’s glory shining but they could feel the weight of His Presence. Joy flooded their being and you could see it in their actions. God showed up for them, and their joy caused them to act.
So what is this joy the angels sang of? It is more than just a happy feeling. Its source is deep within, and it is not dependent on outward circumstances. Being joyful is a lasting emotion because it is based on being aware of God’s presence and knowing God will fulfill all His promises. It is God who puts joy in us.
JOY TO THE WORLD THE LORD HAS COME