Advent; Joy in My Anguish ~ 20231217 ~ Pastor Rodney Zedicher ~ Ephraim Church of the Bible ~ www.ephraimbible.org
23/12/17 Joy in My Anguish; Audio available at: http://www.ephraimbible.org/Sermons/20231217_advent-joy.mp3
Christmas Anguish
Christmas. What kind of emotions does Christmas stir up in you? Fear? Anguish? Turmoil? Despair? Luke places the Christmas story in its historical context.
Luke 1:5 In the days of Herod, king of Judea,…
Antipater the Idumean, whose father had been forcibly converted to Judaism under the Hasmonean dynasty (167-37BC), rose to power and was named the first Roman Procurator of Judea by Julius Caesar. After his assassination (43BC), his son Herod (the Great), who had worked to rid Judea of Hasmonean influence, rose to power and was appointed first ‘king of the Jews’ by the Roman Senate in 40BC. Herod had married Mariamne, a Hasmonean princess, his favorite wife, whom he later murdered out of jealousy, along with several of his own sons.
This is the Herod to whom Matthew refers:
Matthew 2:1 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” 3 When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him;
Herod’s lethal jealousy was already well known in Judea. It is understandable for all Jerusalem to be troubled at the news that a legitimate rival to Herod’s throne had been born. The execution of every boy under 2 in the regions of Bethlehem (Mt.2:16) is not so surprising, knowing Herod’s character.
Back to Luke’s account, we read these familiar words:
Luke 2:1 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And all went to be registered, each to his own town.
A decree from the Roman Caesar to take a census, for the purpose of exacting taxes from his subjects. This is a reminder that the Jews were not free in their own land. They were under foreign dominion, under pagan rule.
Remember when Jesus taught his followers:
Matthew 5:39 But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40 And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. 41 And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.
Jesus said this in the context of Roman rule, where Roman soldiers had the right to demand supplies from the people they ruled, and to compel anyone to carry his supplies for him.
And this is just one small part of a much longer history that Daniel saw in advance of the land being trampled in conflict between the Ptolemies and Seleucids, between South and North, Egypt and Syria.
This was a war torn region, subjugated by foreign powers, being taxed by the conquering nation. This is the context of Christmas.
Christmas Announcements of Joy
It is into this context that the announcement of joy comes. When the angel announced to Zechariah in the temple the birth of the one who would prepare the way for the coming of the Lord, he said there would be joy.
Luke 1:14 And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth,
Mary, pregnant with Jesus, visited her relative Elizabeth who was pregnant with John the Baptist.
Luke 1:39 In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, 40 and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41 And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, 42 and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43 And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45 And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”
John in utero leaped for joy at the proximity of the Lord. Later, when the crowds were turning from John to follow Jesus,
John 3:27 John answered, “A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven. 28 You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.’ 29 The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom's voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete. 30 He must increase, but I must decrease.”
The voice of Jesus brought John great joy, the kind of joy that the best man has at the celebration of the consummation of the relationship of the groom and his bride, when the groom shows up at the wedding. The presence of Jesus brought great joy.
Back again to Luke, the birth announcement on the dark Judean hillside;
Luke 2:8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.
Good news of great joy; joy for all the people. Good news of great joy proclaimed even to stinky shepherds with their sheep. Christmas is a message of great joy announced into the background of great anguish. What was the message?
Luke 2:11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”
To you, to you shepherds, is born a Savior, a rescuer, the Davidic King, the long awaited promised Messiah, the Lord, YHWH himself. Born. YHWH born as a baby, wrapped up in strips of cloth, placed in a manger, a stone food trough that animals eat from. The bread of life who comes down to give life to the world (Jn.6:33,35). The bread of life, humble, placed in a food trough for animals.
This is good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For ordinary shepherds, for foreign dignitaries, for his oppressed people and for their oppressors, for all who would believe in him.
Luke 2:16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. 17 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
The wise men in Matthew 2, who traveled from the east to find the one born King of the Jews,
Matthew 2:9 After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.
Jesus brings joy, even into troubled circumstances.
Unspeakable Joy!
Jesus spoke to his disciples in John 15 about abiding in him;
John 15:11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.
What kind of joy does Jesus bring? Fullness of joy, maximum joy, to the fullness of our capacity to experience joy. Jesus promises to put his own joy into his followers.
But what does this joy look like? It doesn’t look like we would expect. In John 16, he goes on to warn of the persecution that is coming to his followers, and of his own rejection.
John 16:6 But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart.
These chapters are leading up to the cross, but the disciples are not yet understanding what he is saying. Jesus describes the kind of joy he brings.
John 16:20 Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy. 21 When a woman is giving birth, she has sorrow because her hour has come, but when she has delivered the baby, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world.
Joy like natural childbirth. There’s a few of you here that understand what that means! This is not temporary sorrow that goes away and is replaced by joy. It is deeper and more profound than that. This is sorrow, weeping, lamenting, grief, mourning that turns into joy. The sorrow is an essential part of the joy. This is sorrow that changes, becomes something other than what it was, deeper, richer, more beautiful; sorrow that becomes joy.
John 16:22 So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you. 23 In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. 24 Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.
The sorrow of the followers of Jesus is going to change, like the mother in childbirth, sorrow will become unquenchable joy, full joy.
Jesus came to bring us life abundant, fullness of joy. Not escape from sorrow, but he transforms our anguish and turns it into joy.
Joy Through the Anguish of the Cross
Jesus’ life began with announcements of joy. Luke’s gospel begins with the announcement of joy and gladness at the birth of the forerunner, and John himself leaping for joy in the womb of his mother, and the proclamation of good news of great joy to the shepherds, joy that shall be to all people.
Matthew’s gospel begins with the wise men from the east rejoicing exceedingly with great joy upon finding the one who was born King.
Luke’s gospel ends with the disciples who talked with the Lord on the road to Emmaus returning to Jerusalem;
Luke 24:36 As they were talking about these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, “Peace to you!” 37 But they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit. 38 And he said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? 39 See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” 40 And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. 41 And while they still disbelieved for joy and were marveling, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?”
Then,
Luke 24:50 Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them. 51 While he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven. 52 And they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, 53 and were continually in the temple blessing God.
Matthew’s gospel ends with the women going to the tomb of Jesus Sunday morning, finding the stone rolled away,
Matthew 28:5 But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. 6 He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you.” 8 So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples.
Good news of great joy that shall be for all the people. Joy deep and rich and weighty and wide does not avoid the cross; rather it flows through his suffering, out of the agony of Jesus on the cross, that turns sorrow into fear and great joy. The gospel begins and ends with joy, but at the heart of this joy is the agony of the cross.
Jesus came to put his joy inside of us, that our joy would be full. Do you have it? Do you have this joy? His joy in you?
Joy to the World
Joy to the world, the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room
And heaven and nature sing
And heaven and nature sing
And heaven, and heaven, and nature sing
Joy to the world, the Savior reigns!
Let men their songs employ;
While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy
Repeat the sounding joy
Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy
***
2023.12.17 Sermon Notes
Advent; Joy in My Anguish
Christmas anguish;
Luke 1:5; Matthew 2:1-16; Luke 2:1-3; Matthew 5:39-41
Announcements of great Joy
to Zechariah; Luke 1:14
to Elizabeth and Mary; Luke 1:39-45
to John; John 3:27-30
to Shepherds; Luke 2:8-20
of the Wise Men; Matthew 2:9-10
Joy like the best man at his friend’s wedding
John 3:27-30
The Bread of life placed in a manger
John 6:33, 35
Jesus’ own joy in us; joy out of sorrow like childbirth
John 15:11; 16:6, 20-24
The gospels begin and end with joy
Luke 24:36-41; 50-53
Matthew 28:5-8
Joy comes through the agony of the cross
***
Pastor Rodney Zedicher ~ Ephraim Church of the Bible ~ www.ephraimbible.org