The Joy of the Lord
The Liturgical Pivot Toward Joy
The season of Advent serves as a period of intentional reflection, a rhythmic downshifting designed to orient the human heart toward the hope, peace, joy, and love found exclusively in Jesus Christ. While the initial stages of this season often emphasize a reflective, even penitential, posture—acknowledging the profound need for a Savior—the progression of Advent eventually pivots toward the theme of joy. This transition is not merely a change in mood but a theological declaration that the arrival of the Messiah provides a satisfaction that the world cannot replicate.
In the biblical tradition, joy is distinct from fleeting happiness. The Old Testament concept of Simha and the New Testament concept of chara both point to a deep-seated jubilation, delight, and satisfaction. Much like the concept of Shalom, which denotes a wholeness where everything is as it should be, biblical joy is the sense that all is right because the soul is reconciled to its Creator. This joy is rooted in the kindness of God, who saved humanity not on the basis of righteous deeds, but according to His own mercy through the renewing work of the Holy Spirit.
Titus 3:3-7 (NASB) For we also once were foolish ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another. But when the kindness of God our Savior and [His] love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to [the] hope of eternal life.
The Proclamation to the Marginalized
The birth narrative of Jesus begins with a striking choice of audience. The first individuals to receive the news of the Savior’s birth were not the religious elite, the politically influential, or the wealthy, but shepherds tending their flocks in the fields. In the social hierarchy of the first century, shepherding was a humble, often overlooked profession, yet God chose these perceived misfits to witness the arrival of the King. This underscores a central theological truth: the joy of the Lord is accessible to all, regardless of status or merit.
When the angel of the Lord appeared to the shepherds, the message was one of liberation from fear and the announcement of “good news of great joy.” This joy was tied to the identity of the child born in the city of David—a Savior who is Christ the Lord. The subsequent appearance of a heavenly host praising God served as a cosmic validation of this earthly arrival, signaling that peace was now available to those with whom God is pleased.
Luke 2:8-14 (NASB) In the same region there were [some] shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. But the angel said to them, ’Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. ‘This [will be] a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.’ And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.’
Upon hearing this message, the shepherds demonstrated an immediate urgency. They traveled to Bethlehem, found the child in the manger, and became the first heralds of the gospel, sharing the angelic testimony with Mary, Joseph, and all who would listen. Their reaction—glorifying and praising God—sets the pattern for a proper response to the Incarnation: an encounter with Christ inevitably leads to a life characterized by worship and the proclamation of joy.
Luke 2:15-20 (NASB) When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds [began] saying to one another, ‘Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.’ So they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger. When they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child. And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart. The shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them.
The Wise Men and the Contrast of Motives
While the shepherds represented the marginalized within Israel, the Magi from the East represented the seeking of the Gentiles. These scholars and sages followed a celestial sign to Jerusalem, inquiring after the one born “King of the Jews.” Their arrival highlights the universal scope of Christ’s reign, as men from distant lands recognized the theological significance of the star. However, their arrival also exposed a sharp contrast in human motives. While the Magi sought to worship, King Herod sought to destroy, viewing the Messiah as a threat to his earthly power.
Matthew 2:1-6 (NASB) Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, ‘Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.’ When Herod the king heard [this], he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. Gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They said to him, ’In Bethlehem of Judea; for this is what has been written by the prophet: ‘AND YOU, BETHLEHEM, LAND OF JUDAH, ARE BY NO MEANS LEAST AMONG THE LEADERS OF JUDAH; FOR OUT OF YOU SHALL COME FORTH A RULER WHO WILL SHEPHERD MY PEOPLE ISRAEL.’’
When the Magi finally located the child, the scriptures record that they “rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.” This was the joy of fulfillment; they recognized that the promises of the Old Testament had taken on flesh. Their response was one of total surrender, as they fell to the ground in worship and presented gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh—symbols of royalty, deity, and the sacrificial death the Savior would eventually endure.
Matthew 2:10-11 (NASB) When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. After coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell to the ground and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
The Source and Perfection of Joy
The theological weight of the Christmas narrative is found in the purpose of Christ’s coming. Joy is not merely the backdrop of His birth; it was the motivation for His entire redemptive mission. The author of Hebrews notes that Christ endured the agony and shame of the cross because of the “joy set before Him.” This joy was the prospect of reconciling humanity to the Father and restoring the broken relationship caused by sin. By conquering death and ascending to the right hand of God, Christ secured an eternal foundation for human joy.
Hebrews 12:2 (NASB) fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
This joy is perfected through the practice of abiding. In the Johannine tradition, Jesus describes Himself as the true vine, inviting His followers to remain in Him. The purpose of this spiritual union is the fullness of joy. It is a joy that is not produced by human effort but is a fruit of the Holy Spirit dwelling within the believer. Consequently, the Christian can experience inexpressible joy even in the midst of trials and suffering, because their satisfaction is anchored in the person of Christ rather than in temporal circumstances.
John 15:11 (NASB) ’These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and [that] your joy may be made full.
The Hope of the Second Advent
The joy of the first Advent—the birth of Christ—serves as a precursor to the joy of the second Advent. While the first coming provided reconciliation, the second coming promises the total restoration of all things. The biblical narrative concludes with the return of the King, the establishment of a new heaven and a new earth, and the final eradication of sorrow and sighing. For the believer, the ultimate hope is the promise of dwelling in the presence of God, where there is fullness of joy and pleasures forevermore.
Isaiah 51:11 (NASB) So the ransomed of the LORD will return And come with joyful shouting to Zion, And everlasting joy [will be] on their heads. They will obtain gladness and joy, And sorrow and sighing will flee away.
Ultimately, the joy of the Lord is a gift offered to those who recognize their need for a Savior. It is found not in religious performance or worldly success, but in the humble acceptance of the gospel. Through the Incarnation, God entered human history to provide a hope that is steadfast, a peace that surpasses understanding, and a joy that remains complete through all eternity.
Psalms 16:11 (NASB) You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.