Advent 2009:: The Coming JOY Tuesday

Read Luke 2:8-10

God is aboout replacing fear with joy. That is what happened that night on the hillside with the shepherds. Luke 2 says, "the glory of the Lord shone around them." The glory is the presence of God, and it caused them to be afraid. The angel's first words were, "fear not." The angel then said, "I bring you good news of great joy." The angel is speaking the words of God, and essentially they are: "I want to replace your fear with joy."

Their fear came from the knowledge of themselves. When faced with the presence of God, the immediate response in scripture is fear. From Abraham to Moses to Isaiah to these shepherds, they were all afraid when the encountered God. They were afraid because of their sin. But the message of Christmas is: "Fear not, the long expected Savior is here."

That is joy! Moving from "I am dead" to "I have been completely accepted" is God replacing fear with joy. It is the message of Christmas.

Sin is born in our mistaken thought that we can provide pleasure for ourselves. All sin is a conscious or unconscious statement to God that we know how to give ourselves pleasure better than He does. The result is a disconnect with God, from the source of true joy. God has not come to ruin you; He has come to get you back. Our King is here.