Advent 2011: Week Three, Joy to the World

The third week of Advent is about joy. The third Sunday is also known as John the Baptist Sunday in the Christian church calendar, because it was John who came as the one to prepare hearts for Christ. It is recorded in John 3.22-36 that John said his joy was made complete as the friend of the bridegroom, because he had kept the bride safe and prepared the way so that the groom could claim his bride. John’s role was finished and now the bridegroom must become the focus, John must decrease as Jesus increased. That he said would result in all who believe being given the Spirit without measure, and eternal life. For this reason, no Advent season would be complete without John the Baptist. In Luke 1.39-80 it says,

In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and she exclaimed with a loud cry, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord." And Mary said,

"My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.
For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
for he who is mighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
And his mercy is for those who fear him
from generation to generation.
He has shown strength with his arm;
he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;
he has brought down the mighty from their thrones
and exalted those of humble estate;
he has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has helped his servant Israel,
in remembrance of his mercy,
as he spoke to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his offspring forever."

And Mary remained with her about three months and returned to her home.

Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son. And her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her. And on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child. And they would have called him Zechariah after his father, but his mother answered, "No; he shall be called John." And they said to her, "None of your relatives is called by this name." And they made signs to his father, inquiring what he wanted him to be called. And he asked for a writing tablet and wrote, "His name is John." And they all wondered. And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, blessing God. And fear came on all their neighbors. And all these things were talked about through all the hill country of Judea, and all who heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, "What then will this child be?" For the hand of the Lord was with him. And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying,
"Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,
for he has visited and redeemed his people
and has raised up a horn of salvation for us
in the house of his servant David,
as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old, that we should be saved from our enemies
and from the hand of all who hate us;
to show the mercy promised to our fathers
and to remember his holy covenant,
the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us
that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies,
might serve him without fear,
in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.
And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High;
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,
to give knowledge of salvation to his people
in the forgiveness of their sins,
because of the tender mercy of our God,
whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high
to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the way of peace."

And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.

When a child comes into the world it is always joyful, but in that first encounter between Mary and Elizabeth, both with child, there is a supernatural joy shared by these two women. In any other set of circumstances these two women in first century Palestine might be less than cheerful. Mary is under suspicion of adultery or at least fornication. Elizabeth is old, and her pregnancy could be dangerous, but these two women are filled with joy because they are carrying the hope of the world, the prophet who will announce the Messiah, and the Messiah himself.

We know that for Mary it was not easy, because her husband to be, Joseph, questioned her fidelity, and did not except her explanation of her pregnancy until an Angel of the Lord spoke to him. We can infer that neighbors still sat in judgment unconvinced. Then before long she had to journey to Jerusalem and to Bethlehem, a long difficult journey, even if you are not pregnant. Within two years they will have to flee for their lives to Egypt. Yet often we forget that when these Bible personalities entreat us to live lives filled with joy that they did not live pampered or unfettered lives. Instead they entreat us to live in joy in spite of circumstances. Like the circumstances of a teen mom whose character has been impugned, or like Paul, writing us about joy from prison where he would soon loose his life.

In contrast, happiness, is the temporary feeling created by chance occurrence. The root word, hap means chance; luck; occur by chance. It is also the root of happen, happenstance, haphazard, and hapless. Words that we generally associate with chaos and pain. Joy is a state of blessedness. It is a decision to recognize what is good regardless of happenstance. So when the Bible tells us about people of old having joy, it is not some carefree flippant attitude in the midst of crises, nor a sheltered existence, but it is the recognition that regardless of life’s events there is something to be glad about. In this case, their joy is that a Savior is to be born, Christ the Lord. Joy to the World the Lord is come, let earth receive her king. Let every heart prepare him room, as heaven and nature sing, Joy to the World. When Isaac Watts penned those words to that famous carol he was himself under scrutiny for his non-conformist views. Yet he too knew the joy of the Lord in the midst of his circumstances, in much the same way Mary burst into song after greeting Elizabeth.

Mary sang and she was joyful because God chose her, a girl of humble means, to bear the Son of God. Even though at the moment life was hard she noted that one day, in retrospect, they would call her the most blessed of women. In Catholic, Orthodox and other old order churches Mary is esteemed, while sometimes in Protestant churches the fear that she will be worshipped is so strong that they give her no honor at all. Nonetheless, Mary knows that in-spite of her circumstances that God has blessed her, and ultimately the world around her, despite those difficult and trying events. Mary knew that God did not impunge her character; only people did that.

Have you ever considered that God is doing something marvelous a midst our difficult and trying events? I am convinced that God never wastes a hurt. No matter who or what inflicts it, God will use it in our lives to bless us, grow us, and shape us.

The theme of her second verse was that this child would level the playing fields. Remember the words of Isaiah that John the Baptist, the voice of one calling in the wilderness, would make straight and level the path of the Lord, every valley filled, every high place made low. Our God levels the playing field of life, by making it possible that everyone can come to him regardless of life station.

Then Mary ends with the reminder that I have tried to capture all through this Advent season. God helped Israel, he remembered them with mercy, just as he promised to Abraham, and the descendants of Abraham (even those of us who are children of Abraham by faith). God was faithful, and kept his word, so there is much to be joyful about. We should have confidence that he will do it again. The whole world should be filled with joy. Therefore every heart ought to prepare him room.

That was the mission of John the Baptist from birth. Elizabeth’s friends and neighbors were amazed that God would give her a child in her old age. They thought that was the blessing. Then on the eighth day after his birth, preparing to circumcise him, they asked his name. “John” she said. The priest and those involved wanted to name him after his father, Zechariah, but Zechariah, scribbled out, “His name is John.” When he did, the Lord opened his mouth, and Zechariah prophesied what John the Baptist, his son, would him self proclaim in thirty years. Zechariah had been mute since the angle told him his wife was with child and he doubted, now suddenly he can speak. God has loosened his tongue, and the neighbors were freaked out, the priests were in an uproar. Everyone asked, “Who is this child that was conceived in old age, that his father could not speak until he had faith, and that his circumcision comes amidst prophetic words?”

Zechariah said, this child is the prophet of the Most High sent to prepare the way of the Lord. He will proclaim, salvation, forgiveness, and the tender mercies of God. He will give light to those in darkness and in the shadow of death, and guide them in the path of peace. He will prepare room in every heart for the coming Messiah. He will level the paths, and he did.

Then in chapter three it records that he took aim at the self-righteous and called them a brood of vipers, and that he told them that they could not rest on their lineage, but that God could raise up children of Abraham from anywhere he wanted to. When the people asked what should they do, he spoke he told them to make room in their hearts for their neighbor who had nothing. He told them to make room in their hearts for others by not taking advantage of their authority. He told them, even King Herod, to stop living immoral lives. He leveled the paths from King to Peasant. Regardless of their station in life he told them to prepare room for God in their hearts by treating everyone as though they are made in the image of God, because, in the words of 1 John 3 from last week, you cannot love God and hate your neighbor. Likewise you cannot be joyful in all circumstances if you let circumstances dictate your responses to life. Preparing him room means bringing justice to those who have none, living holy, asking for forgiveness, and seeking knowledge of God.

The message is still the same. In the midst of Advent or any other time of year. Preparing him room, making room for God in our lives includes resisting the pressure to give in to circumstances over what is right. It means that doing right does not depend on anyone but you. Damn the outcome! Damn the circumstances! Do what is right . . . In Matthew 11.12 it says, “From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force.” The NIV says it best, “the kingdom of God has been forcefully advancing.”

Coming to Christ is easy, living it out is hard. Having joy in spite of circumstances, doing the right thing, preparing him room by doing right by others? This is the real spirit of Advent, it is the spirit of Christ, and Christmas. Because Christmas is about more than presents under a tree or jingle bells. One more present will not bring joy to the world, but a joyful believer, living out the mission of Christ, will level the paths, make straight the way, and bring hope and love to a world without any of the above.

Here the words of John the Baptist.

"The voice of one crying in the wilderness:

'Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight.
Every valley shall be filled,
and every mountain and hill shall be made low,
and the crooked shall become straight,
and the rough places shall become level ways,
and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.'"

This Advent are you preparing the way of the Lord in your heart? Are you acting justly? Do you extend mercy? Has the plight of the those who are in humble circumstances touched you? What about joy? Are you choosing joy, or are you wallowing in your circumstances? What about the circumstances that you let control your responses to others? Have you let others steal your joy, thus inadvertently making them god over your life? As you celebrate this Christmas season, prepare the way of the Lord in your life and the lives of others by choosing joy rather than yielding to circumstances.