The Advent of Joy – Luke 1:39-56
Our goal is NOT to talk about politics or other churches.
Main Idea: Outside of Christ, the only joy I can experience is the fleeting happiness of idolatry.
I. The Encounter | Luke 1:39-41
Luke and Matthew, unlike Mark and John, record the infancy of Jesus. Luke starts his Gospel before Jesus was even born. Luke (a Gentile) tells the revelation of the coming Messiah from the perspective of Mary, whereas Matthew (a Jew) tells it from Joseph’s perspective as the descendant of David. It is essential to understand what was taking place in Mary’s life in this context. According to Luke’s narrative, the Angel Gabriel had just visited Mary in Nazareth and revealed that she would conceive and bear a son and that His name would be Jesus (1:26-38). In the same encounter, Gabriel also revealed to Mary that her relative (Elizabeth), who was called barren, in her old age, had also conceived a son.
In Luke 1:26-38, the text says Mary was betrothed to a man named Joseph¬–a direct descendant of David. According to Jewish Law, betrothal already established a legal bond between the two parties, so Mary could be called Joseph’s wife even though he had not yet taken her into his home. Mary and Joseph had an exclusive and serious commitment to each other and breaking it would mean that Mary would go through public humiliation. The foreseeable outcome of her pregnancy would be expulsion from Joseph’s house and hence the synagogue. But Mary’s hope was in the Lord, and she found joy in His Word. Only those who hope in the Lord can rejoice even when facing uncertainty.
Having learned from the angel that she would give birth to the Son of God, Mary visited her pregnant relative, Elizabeth, in the hill country. In his narrative of the Gospel, Luke has developed the annunciation of John the Baptist (1:5-25) and Jesus (1:26-38) in two separate lines. In the meeting of Mary and Elizabeth (1:39-56), the two lines converge. The spotlight shines on Mary and Elizabeth, two lowly and shamed women through whom God has chosen to begin the transformation of the world. However, the driving force in the room comes from the unborn in Elizabeth and Mary’s wombs. The moment Elizabeth heard Mary’s voice, the baby in her womb lept with joy, and she was filled with the Holy Spirit. The leaping infant and filling with the Holy Spirit point to divine causation. The joy in the room resulted from the coming of the Messiah to the world.
To Ponder:
1. What reaction has the understanding of the Gospel caused in you the moment you received it?
2. Have you ever experienced joy in the midst of uncertainty, pain or sorrow?
II. The Testimony | Luke 1:42-45
After Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, what did she do? She exclaimed with a loud voice, “blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb” (v.42). The joy of Elizabeth was an unrestrained joy! This is the kind of joy caused by spiritual transformation, from her earlier disgrace (she was barren) to being blessed, heard, and transformed by God. The object of Elizabeth’s worship was not Mary but the fruit of her womb! Elizabeth understood how unworthy she was of having God come to her through the sending of His Son. The testimony of Elizabeth is marked by praise and worship, not toward Mary but toward God’s work through Mary’s faith and obedience (v.45). Faith is an essential element in the correct response to God! Elizabeth served as a witness to the greatness of Jesus and his superiority over creation. Elizabeth was a person sensitive to God’s plan, and she was full of joy at the faithfulness of God in fulfilling His promise of salvation. The joy found in the Gospel is not a “Jesus plus something” type of joy. If we can find joy in things of this world, what is left for God to do in/for us? The testimony of Christmas is not that of blessings received from God but the fulfillment of His promise to bring salvation to the world. According to the Gospel, salvation results from genuine faith in Christ plus nothing else. Only those who respond in faith to the Gospel can experience the same joy Elizabeth had! Only those who have experienced the joy of salvation can truthfully testify of the joy of the Gospel.
To Ponder:
1. Do you see any examples of a “Jesus plus something” approach in our culture today (examples)?
2. How do you express joy in your worship of Christ?
III. The Worship| Luke 1:46-56
True joy can only be found in God’s redemptive work. Biblically, there is a difference between joy and happiness. Joy transcends circumstances because its source is in God Himself. Happiness, on the other hand, bases itself on circumstances. The English word happiness comes from the same root as the word happening, which means that happiness is essentially connected to things that are happening or have happened in the past. The OT connects joy to deliverance and the anticipation of salvation. Biblically, joy can only be found in salvation. Joy is a response; happiness is a consequence.
Verses 46-56 contain a song Mary sang as an expression of her joy. Mary’s song of praise is the first of four hymns that Luke includes in the narrative of the Gospel. The first hymn, Magnificat, derives its name from the Latin verb “to glorify.” This magnificent hymn is a wonderful example of Jewish poetry and highlights God’s power, holiness, and mercy. Mary’s song is a winsome expression of trust and devotion. What the text describes is that Mary was not only singing, but she was primarily worshipping the Lord. She was giving to the Lord her heart. Mary was worshipping He who made a barren woman conceive a child and a virgin become a mother; The God who spoke this world into existence now had His Incarnate Son being generated in a woman’s womb (born of a woman and of the Holy Spirit; truly human; truly divine). Mary knew she was bearing the very essence of God in her womb, knowing that the Lord had fulfilled His promise of salvation to the world.
The Joy of Christmas is not about trees; it is about one tree where the Son of God died on our behalf. It is not about gifts but one gift, the gift of grace in and through Christ alone. It is not about families; it is about one family, the family of God that meets in Christ. The joy of Christmas is not about the pastor’s message but the One True Shepherd’s message of salvation. The joy of the Gospel is not about those who do good but about sinners who confess and repent, “Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance” (Luke15:7). Outside of Christ, the only joy people can experience is the fleeting happiness of idolatry! The world can only provide temporary happiness to you. But only God, in Christ, through the Spirit, can give you joy. May we, like Elizabeth and Mary, trust that God has come to save and free us. May we, like them, give thanks that God has taken away our shame. May we, like them, become a community that supports each other as we hope and wait for Christ to return.
To Ponder:
1. Is there anything that tends to help you lose focus on Christ during Christmas season?
2. Where have you traded the lasting joy of Christ for the fleeting happiness of worldly attractions?