Unspeakable Joy

"... and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy." ( Psalm 19:5b ) 

Often when people hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ presented to them, they make the mistake of thinking that they will consider it to see if it "fits" them and their family. They will take into account how Christianity will help them achieve their goals and dreams; they might ask it they can still live in a particular lifestyle or ask if they have to give up this or that thing before they commit. 

Sometimes people will have kids and think that they need to raise them in church because they need to learn moral values, to make sure they build good character. I thought this. 

When I'm sharing my faith with someone who is closed off to Christianity I tell them that they need to at least investigate the claims of Jesus Christ because he was the most influential person to ever walk the face of the planet. No one man left greater and deeper footprints in all of human history in every facet of human life, and they owe it to themselves to check out those claims. There is too much at stake not to do that. 

Even though this knowledge alone will not save a person, I still stick by my plea. 

Why? Because looking into the evidence for Jesus has been known to lead skeptics to further study into the Scriptures ( sometimes attempting to disprove him )  and thus right into the saving grace, knowledge, and arms of Jesus Christ, not only as their Savior, but as the Lord of their lives. He has to be both. In their pursuit of denying him, they became passionate followers of him. I think of Tolkien and C.S. Lewis and others.

We can't think of the Gospel as something we look into to see if it "agrees" with us. That's missing the entire point of the Christian faith. For one thing, it will never "agree" with us entirely. How will it change us? The Gospel of Jesus Christ isn't something we "take up" - rather, it's something that takes us up. The late Dr. Tim Keller continually stressed that point in his preaching.  

When you sense you are being called and overwhelmed by a power greater than yourself, it's starting to happen. God is drawing you. 

Believe.

Ezekiel 11:19: "And I will give them one heart, and a new spirit I will put within them. I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh"

Ezekiel 36:26: "And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh." 

God draws us and that drawing looks different for all of us. 

However, our struggles, questions, and suffering do not cease when we are drawn by God into this kingdom. No, in many ways, they are just beginning. When we become disciples of Christ, we quickly learn that as Paul said in Romans 8:17: "If we are children of God, then we are fellow heirs with Christ, providing we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him."

Paul goes on to say that he considers that the suffering we face in our lives is not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us." ( verse 18 ) 

In this life, we are to "look to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. ( Hebrews 12:2 )  

The Christian life is joy and suffering. 

That's the cost of discipleship. 

We tend to lean in one direction or the other, but the Scriptures clearly point out that it's both. 

You can't have one without the other. 

It's the crucifixion and the resurrection. 

We must face the afflictions so they can prepare for us the promised eternal weight of glory. ( 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 ) 

However, here's what I was thinking this week as the dogs and I walked through the sheep fields: One day our suffering, for all of its agony and unanswered interrogations, will be banished from our lives, and I'm sure our questions along with it.  ( Revelation 21 )  

Suffering will one day end, but joy will not. Isn't that the most beautiful truth? That's our hope, and we must determine that we will hold onto it like a life raft through every hurricane with our eyes fixed on Jesus seated above the flood, by the Father's right hand. And one day we will stand before them perfect without spot or blemish because Jesus endured the suffering for us. Praise God.  

"Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning." ( Psalms 30:5 ) 

In fact, joy will not only not end, but our joy will increase. 

That's the hope I hold in my hand as I walk through this life in all of my shortcomings, failures, and sins, through a world of suffering. That's the hope I must hold onto this Christmas. You can too when you see the beauty of Jesus and he becomes both the Savior and Lord of your life. 💜

"You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore." ( Psalm 16:11 ) 

"So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you." ( John 16:22 ) 

"Joy to the world, the Lord is come

Let Earth receive her King

Let every heart prepare Him room

And Heaven and nature sing"

Merry Christmas 

The Prince of Peace

"And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone around them....For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord... 

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased.'" ( Luke 2:8, 9, 11,13, 14 ) 

A year or so ago my oldest man child called me because he said that he had an epiphany while grocery shopping at Walmart. "This ought to be interesting," I said. He went on to say that almost every time he's in the store John Mayer's "I'm just waiting on the world to change" is playing over the sound system. 

He said that in exasperation he lifted his head up toward the ceiling and said out loud, "Hey John, you're going to be waiting forever because the world is never going to change." 

"It isn't, Mom, I finally see that. No social or educational program, no government agenda or system, no new generation, no self-help advice is going to save the planet. The world is never going to get better, and there is never going to be world peace." 

It was intriguing because he wasn't having a bipolar episode; he wasn't depressed. He just at long last saw the truth, and he was embracing it. 

But isn't that what Jesus came to bring us? World peace? Isn't that what Christmas is all about? Isn't that the message that was announced to the shepherds that First Noel while they kept watch over their flock? 

Jesus said it wasn't. 

"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you." ( John 14:27 ) 

So Jesus does give us peace, but not in the way that the world gives or expects. 

We know this peace Jesus gives is not an end to war because in Matthew 24 when his disciples ask him what will be the sign of his coming back and the end of the age and Jesus replies that you will hear of wars and rumors of wars and nation will rise against nation. So Jesus wasn't promising world peace. 

He says in Matthew that he has come to set family members against one another. I found people who like to say that Jesus always talked of love and lovely things have never actually read what Jesus said. I was like that too, and became shocked at many of his statements. "Do you think that I have come to bring peace. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword." ( Matthew 10:34 )

This isn't a literal sword. When Peter drew a sword and swiped off the high priest servant's ear in the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus rebuked him, told him to put the sword away, and he healed the man's ear. ( John 18:10, Matthew 56:21, Mark 14:47, Luke 22:50 ) 

Although Jesus made it clear that violence wasn't the way into his kingdom, we do see that this peace isn't that everyone's going to get along either, happily singing campfire songs together. This text reveals that even within a family there will be tension and disagreement because of the gospel.  

To be clear, there is a peace that we experience in this life as Christians, but it is a temporary peace. Sometimes I feel it, and sometimes I don't. I certainly don't feel this peace when I listen to the news. It's a subjective peace. The Bible tells us that its like a river and a part of the fruit of the Spirit. I have a peace that floods my heart at times, but there are times when I'm anxious and afraid. One day this peace will be complete but for now it isn't as we continue to live in this "already but not now" kingdom.

As we wait for Jesus's return and the Kingdom of God to be fully established, we are commanded in Scripture to be peacemakers, to work for human flourishing and to carry out the great commission. That's how Jesus wants to find his Bride when he returns for her.  

So if that peace isn't the peace the angels rejoiced over above the shepherds that Christmas night, then what is it exactly? Look what Luke 1:76-79 says:

This is Zechariah, John the Baptist's dad speaking: 

"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." 

This is the peace that is imparted to us at salvation because of the mercy of God for the forgiveness of our sins. 

But why do we need this peace? 

Because we are at war with God. 

When we read the account of the angels appearing to the shepherds that glorious night, it's actually the middle of the Christmas story. It's hard to understand what's going on in a movie if you come into it halfway through. It's like opening a novel and starting in the middle - it makes no sense. 

We have to go back to Genesis in the Garden of Eden where God created man and woman to live in a perfect, life-giving environment. When our first parents sinned by disobeying God and eating the fruit their sin was imputed into the entire human race. We aren't enemies of God because we sin, but because we are born sinners. It's the nature of our heart. We no longer live for God, but for ourselves, just like Adam and Eve. 

When I look around our world, this makes perfect sense to me. 

"None is righteous, no not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one....the way of peace they have not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes." ( Romans 3:11,12, 17, 18 ) 

When we believe in Jesus, this peace is given to us as a gift in salvation. 

"There since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." ( Romans 5:1 ) 

Paul goes on to say in next verses that this grace in which we now stand causes us to rejoice - just like the angels that night above the shepherds.  

We stand in it. 

The peace that Jesus came into the world to give to those who believe in him - "those in whom he is pleased" - is not a comfortable, tranquil, feeling that fluctuates. No, it is a new and permanent standing with God. No circumstance or person can take this peace from us. Jesus has reconciled sinners back to God through himself. We are no longer enemies of God, but in Christ, we are now dearly beloved children. 

How do we get this peace? By laying down our "weapons" - our pride, our lofty arguments against God, our own self-righteousness, our selfishness. By seeing our sins and our neediness and coming to him because we realize that we can't save ourselves. If we don't see ourselves as we truly are - helpless sinners in need of God's mercy and grace, we will never repent and come to him to be rescued. 

If we don't see that the Christian faith isn't me just trying to live a bit better, behave, or turn over a new leaf, but a desperately needed, radical heart change found only in Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit, we will never understand what Jesus came to give us that glorious night. 

He came to give us a changed heart. 

A heart that is reconciled back to God through his life and death. A heart that can love God. And all of these changed hearts, will work to change the world. Not by creating a government system or military force that will usher in world peace, but by proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ until he comes again to establish his kingdom as he will wipe away every tear, set all things right, and make all things new. 

This promise of peace truly is the greatest announcement in the history of mankind. 

In fact, this peace changes more than the world. It changes everything. 

May we treasure this reconciliatory peace in our hearts more than ever this Christmas season and everyday of our lives. May we seek to continually worship and understand at a deeper level God's indescribable gift to us in his Son. 

May we never stop sharing the Good News with the world as the Lord and his angels did that night! 💜

"Hark! The herald angels sing,
'Glory to the newborn King;
Peace on earth, and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled!'" 

"For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace." ( Isaiah 9:6 ) 

Aslan and Shasta watching over the flock