Good News of Great Joy

December 9th, 2008

There they were, the delightful angelic host, adorned in shining white, for their very first public stage appearance on Friday morning, in front of an adoring audience of proud parents.  It was the occasion of the Rustington Play Centre nativity.

I bring you news of great joy that will be for all people. The day before, Heather and I had attended two funerals, where there were tears. Life is often hard and tough. Is there really joy to be found?

As Rodney pointed out last Tuesday evening, when we come to understand the true depths of the mission of this new born baby Jesus, the Son of God; when we appreciate the significance of his terrible suffering and separation from God on our behalf so that we can be forgiven, then we begin to experience real joy.

Throughout the Bible, joy is consistently a hallmark of the people of God, but this is accentuated in the New Testament and in the early church, and accompanies the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Paradoxically, joy may even be the result of suffering and sorrow for Christ’s sake. Joy comes from a daily relationship with Him and a rejoicing in his salvation.

On this second Sunday in Advent, we specially reflect on God’s gift of good news and great Joy, and His instruction to rejoice!  In Philippians 4:4, Paul tells us to get our thinking straight, and to rejoice, and concentrate on the good and true and positive things. And I note that Paul wrote this whilst unjustifiably locked up in a first century stinking cell prison.      

David Thatcher
 

Filed under: Thought of the Week