Long Awaited Joy

Psalm 126
126:5 - May those who sow in tears reap with shouts of joy.

This psalm was written after 538 BC when the Jewish exiles returned to their homeland after being in captivity for over a generation. Prophets had promised them that God would bring them back to their homeland, but after so many years of waiting it was hard to have faith that God would keep his promise. When they heard the good news that they were being allowed to return home, they were overwhelmed with joy.

In the same way that the Jews had to wait for God’s promise of deliverance from physical captivity, they also had to wait for deliverance from spiritual captivity. That deliverance came in the form of Jesus the Messiah, who came to set his people free from the hold of sin and death.  But once he came, those who believed in him,  then and now, have the joy of knowing freedom from sin and death.

One of my favorite Advent carols is Come, Thou Long-expected Jesus. It expresses well the joy finding one’s spiritual rest in Jesus.

Come, thou long-expected Jesus, born to set thy people free; from our fears and sins release us, let us find our rest in thee.

 Israel’s strength and consolation, hope of all the earth thou art; dear desire of every nation, joy of every longing heart.

 Born they people to deliver, born a child and yet a king, born to reign in us forever, now thy gracious kingdom bring.

By thine own eternal Spirit, rule in all our hearts alone; by thine all sufficient merit raise us to thy glorious throne. – by Charles Wesley

Long Lasting Joy

John 1:1-5, 14 – 18
1: 14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father.

This verse describes an important belief in Christianity which is the Incarnation. Christians believe that God  the Son  took human form as Jesus. He did this so that he could have a relationship with his people.

This phrase “dwelt among us” literally means to live in a tabernacle or tent among us. This reminds me of the previous times God had tried to live amongst his people. When the Hebrews left Egypt, they constructed a tabernacle for God to exist in a small capacity amongst his people (the story of the Tabernacle begins in Exodus 25). Later, after they had settled permanently in Israel, King Solomon built a Temple to replace the Tabernacle. God (represented by his Cloud of Glory) resided in these sanctuaries so that he could be with his people, but it was not enough because there was always a reminder that God was too high and lofty above us. When Jesus, God’s Son, came instead and in the form of a human, it created a different relationship. God is now one of us, one who can sympathize with our weaknesses and struggles. By being one of us, he could show us grace and truth.  When we receive God’s grace and truth, we experience his joy. This is the source of lasting joy during the holiday season and all year long.

One of my favorite Christmas carols is Joy to the World. It expresses well the joy of all of God’s creation when God the Son came to dwell with his creation, not just in a Tabernacle or tent, but as one of us.

Joy to the World! The Lord is come: let earth receive her king; let every heart prepare him room, and heaven and nature sing.  

Joy to the Earth! The Savior reigns: Let all their songs employ; while fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains repeat the sounding joy.  

No more let sins and sorrows grow, nor thorns infest the ground; he comes to make his blessings flow far as the curse is found.  

He rules the world with truth and grace, and makes the nations prove the glories of his righteousness and wonders of his love. – by Isaac Watts.