This is number four in our Advent journey (Portraits of the King) and this week we are looking at Jesus, God’s unspeakable joy.
Here we are, one week until Christmas wading through all the things. There is such a myriad of emotions welling up because honestly, this has been a long hard year. Have you had your fill of loss and disappointment? Yeah, me too. So, how about this: let’s change the narrative. Let’s talk about joy.
Sometimes the voice of pain can become much louder than the voice of truth, but I want you to know that sorrow doesn’t get that final word. Difficulty and sorrow will touch our lives, but we can live over it when we choose joy.
Joy is not just a feeling of happiness attached to the good things of life, it’s connected to the goodness of God. The life we really long for is found in the Lord, because He is the source of joy. Sure, it’s true that we can feel joy when good stuff happens, but it’s also true that joy doesn’t have to wait until everything is great. We do that sometimes though, don’t we? Disallow and disqualify joy because of the presence of pain and loss?
The thing is, the unspeakable joy of God, is a gift that we can choose to unwrap in the midst of sorrow and hard things. It doesn’t mean we ignore sorrow, it just means we need learn how to also acknowledge the good because good is present with the bad. Pain has a way of being loud, but it doesn’t have to be the only voice in the room.
Jesus, the savior of the world came to bring light and life to a dark and dying world. It doesn’t get much better than that, does it? Emmanuel, God in flesh and blood, is the source of holy goodness and his presence exudes unspeakable joy.
Jesus, God’s unspeakable joy
I love the way unspeakable joy broke through the darkness the night Christ was born. The scriptures give us such a vivid and powerful example of how this gift of joy can work in broken places.
Honestly, I think joy began to bubble up when the angel appeared to Mary. It was such a profound assignment; how could she deny God? Put yourself in her place. How would you respond to the invitation of God, knowing full well it would completely upend every dream, desire, and hope you’d ever had?
I don’t know about you, but the idea of being invited into God’s divine work sounds nice. There is something special, honorable even, about being trusted with important aspects of God’s plans, yet that kind of ask always requires absolute surrender.
The scriptures tell us that Mary responded to the LORD, giving up life as she knew it in exchange for the more of God. What courage! I cannot imagine what it must have been like to tell Joseph that she was pregnant by the Holy Spirit. Or how difficult it must have been to explain it all to her family? Yet, she did and in the midst of all of it, this was her response.
Oh, how my soul praises the Lord. How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior! For he took notice of his lowly servant girl, and from now on all generations will call me blessed. For the Mighty One is holy, and he has done great things for me. He shows mercy from generation to generation to all who fear him.
Luke 1:46-50
Mary said yes to God’s unspeakable joy, by choosing to trust His word and live from His promise. The same true for us; we can embrace joy by trusting God.
Joy trumps fear
Joy is just as loud as fear and when joy is rooted in the Father it is much stronger than our innate fight or flight reflex. I don’t say that to minimize some of the challenges of fear or anxiety, because I know that fear can paralyze the soul. But, joy can override fear.
Did you catch that? It’s not that fear disappears, it just that choosing joy means fear doesn’t get to call the shots. I don’t know about you, but that feels empowering.
The truth of the matter is, we all struggle with fear from time to time. We were created with a fear reflex, which was designed to be helpful. Yes, fear is an indicator, and when treated like that it is a powerful tool. The problem comes when we rehearse fear and ignore joy.
Fear focuses on one part of the data, while joy focuses on the greater truth. When we lift our eyes up and see the greatness of God we find joy and we find this joy in His presence.
The shepherds, in Christ’s birth story, demonstrate this principle so well. Imagine the terror of seeing angelic beings. We read the Christmas story and it all feels so normal, but put yourself in the story. How would you respond if angels showed up in your backyard announcing the birth of the Messiah?
As the shepherds stood on the hillside, the message of unspeakable joy was much louder than the unexpected presence of heavenly beings. While fear and terror were present, it was the joy of the Lord that drove the shepherds to Bethlehem so they could see this glory with their own eyes (Luke 2:8-20).
Joy soothes the sorrow
Sometimes in the midst of grief and loss, joy can feel hard to reach. Can I just say this? Joy is rooted in Jesus, which makes it accessible. It is a gift, and by design, it works to bring healing and strength to our open gaping broken.
Joy soothes the sorrow and brings strength in the darkest moments. It doesn’t erase pain, but it does keep us from plummeting to the depths of despair. And, in my experience it is much easier to gain leverage and strength from joy then by rehearsing the disparaging thoughts. When things are hard we need to keep drawing from the promises of God—that’s where the truth is!
We see this in Joseph’s part of the story. Imagine the sorrow and grief upon learning that his fiancé was pregnant. All his hopes and dreams cut down with the news that Mary had been unfaithful. Humiliated and broken he began to formulate a plan to get as far away from the situation as possible until the angel of the Lord came to him in a dream.
In the midst of sorrow and disappointment, the Lord came with a message of unspeakable joy. The assignment was an invitation to follow the joy of the Lord into a life-long divine encounter that would change everything (Matthew 1:18-21). The goodness of God enlightened Joseph with truth putting him on the same page as Mary, but God waited for Joseph to decide.
Joseph chose joy. In the middle of all the pain, he chose to believe God and follow Him through the mess. Joseph’s obedience earned him a close and personal encounter with Christ the Messiah.
Choosing the unspeakable joy of Jesus
Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” He said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior–yes, the Messiah, the Lord—had been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!”
Luke 2:9-11
Honestly, I don’t think you and I are any different than any of the Christmas story characters. Fear and disappointment touch all of us, but we face the same options as Mary, Joseph, and the shepherds. Will we choose the unspeakable joy of Jesus, or will we choose the world?
It really is that simple, which doesn’t mean the practice easy, but it does clarify things. Choosing Jesus is about absolute surrender and we get to practice that every single day of our lives.
Mary and Joseph didn’t have any idea how all the details of raising God’s holy Son would work out, but they were committed to seeing it through. When they accepted the assignment of the Lord, they determined to live wholly surrendered to the unspeakable joy of God.
I don’t think that means they lived in perpetual bliss filled with overwhelming happiness because their lives were far from ideal, safe, or easy. I’m sure going on the run to protect Jesus from Herod’s hitmen wasn’t on Joseph’s mind when he said yes to God. And let’s be honest, it could not have been easy to raise Jesus, knowing his assignment was to save the world—not pressure there, right?
Choosing Jesus doesn’t mean we get to bypass brokenness, it just means we get the gift of joy to carry along with us. The unspeakable joy of God always leads us into the presence of God.
How Great Our Joy
While by the sheep we watched at night
Glad tidings brought an angel bright
How great our joy (great our joy)
Joy joy joy (joy joy joy)
Praise we the Lord in heaven on high
(Praise we the Lord in heaven on high)
There shall be born so he did say
In Bethlehem a Child today
How great our joy (great our joy)
Joy joy joy (joy joy joy)
Praise we the Lord in heaven on high
(Praise we the Lord in heaven on high)
There shall the Child lie in a stall
This Child who shall redeem us all
How great our joy (great our joy)
Joy joy joy (joy joy joy)
Praise we the Lord in heaven on high
(Praise we the Lord in heaven on high)
This gift of God we’ll cherish well
That ever joy our hearts shall fill
How great our joy (great our joy)
Joy joy joy (joy joy joy)
Praise we the Lord in heaven on high
(Praise we the Lord in heaven on high)
Theodore Baker | Public Domain
Let every heart prepare him room
I love the last verse of that old Christmas hymn. The unspeakable joy of the Lord is a gift. And not just a gift, but the gift.
What does it look like to cherish this gift of joy in the middle of a mess when everything feels impossibly hard?
I think it just begins with making room. We invite him in and then purpose our hearts to listen and follow, one step at a time. Jesus, God’s unspeakable joy is light and life. His presence is inspires hope and plants peace.
Lean in and receive this great gift of unspeakable joy even in the middle of messy, broken, pandemic Christmas, because God is still doing great things that will overshadow all the fear, trauma, and loss.
Christ the Messiah has come to redeem, restore, and renew. He is the source of joy, infusing revival and wholeness. So, go ahead and make room for the joy, revel in the inexplicable kindness of God, and press into His presence.
If you missed the other parts of this series you can catch up by clicking the links below and I’d love to hear about your experiences and encounters of this Advent Journey.
Jesus, the only hope | Portraits of a King
Jesus, the Prince of Peace | Portraits of a King
Jesus, the extravagant love of God | Portraits of a King