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; Luke 2:8-10
“Joy to the world, the Lord has come! Let earth receive her
King!”
Christmas carols are
playing and the message we hear once again is the promise of a king who is
coming to bring us joy, peace and love.
Songs of the shepherds, the star, the wise men and the manger retell the
story of God’s coming to earth in the form of a babe. “Joy to
the world, the Lord has come! Let earth receive her King!” The world sings loudly the triumphant message
of God’s wonderful grace given for the souls of men but is that gift really
complete unless it is received?
“Joy
to the world, the Lord has come!” Sadly,
the promise of Christmas is not realized in our world. Where is the peace, when rioters storm the
streets and wars rage against those who are not like them? Where is the joy, when so many are burdened
by debt and damaged relationships? Where
is the love, where divorce, hate and distrust eat like a cancer on
families? Did God not provide what He
promised?
“Let earth receive her
King.” It is not
because God has not provided the needed gift but that man has not “received her King.” There in Bethlehem on that first Christmas
night there were a few who were extremely joyful. But even the joy they experienced was an
expectant joy. While the Lord had come,
His work was not done. The joy was in
the promise of His fulfilling the further prophecies of His work here on
earth. For right now, He was merely a
baby in a manger.
Too many feel that joy is
the product of circumstance. They wait
for something to come into their life that will create feelings of happiness,
joy or peace. For them, joy is something
that happens to you, not something that you carry with you.
Consider the expectation
of the birth of a child and the mixed emotions that are a part of the
waiting. When the day of delivery comes
there is an abundance of happiness. But
the real expectation is for the change that the coming of the child will bring
in the days that follow. Life will be
different; and that joy of the promise is the deeper joy that fills the
thoughts of the parents and family.
Receiving the child into their homes and lives will transform their
lives. The same is true with Jesus.
How many missed the coming
of the child that night but “received their King” later - a blind man sitting
by a roadside, a tax collector whose life was transformed by the Master, a
woman caught in adultery, some fishermen who laid down their nets and followed
- all found joy. I received Him and I
pray you have as well but the joy I find in His coming is not just the
experience of today but the promise of tomorrow and all of eternity.
“Joy
to the World, the Lord has come” is
not an empty pronouncement but the invitation to receive a new perspective on
our lives and our world. As we
anticipate His impact on our today and our tomorrow we can experience the joy
of His presence and power. His coming
changed eternity for all men but it can also change our today as we joyfully
live in the hope He brings for our future.
“Let earth receive her King!”
Scripture to Claim:
"You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at
his birth”. Luke 1:14
