The Birth of Jesus and the Joy of God

“Joy to the world, the Lord is come!”

The most important time in the history of the world began when “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). God the Son lived on earth in a human body, so he could die and rise again to bring salvation to all who would believe in him.

This is the greatest story ever told and the best news we could ever hear.

Here’s another of my favorite passages about the birth of Jesus:

⁸And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. ⁹An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. ¹¹Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.” (Luke 2:8-10)

The birth of our Savior was designed by God to “cause great joy for all the people.”

One evidence of genuine faith is “great joy.” Mary had this joy, and she expressed that joy by writing a song about God’s goodness to her in Luke 1:46-55.

And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior” (Luke 1:46-47). Truly, God had done “great things” for her (Luke 1:49), and her heart was full of joy.

What is joy? And how do you know if you have it?

In his book The Fruit of the Spirit: The Measure of Christian Maturity, Andy Ripley defines it as “permanent satisfaction.” I love that description of joy. I long for that.

How do you receive this joy? Again, I quote Mr. Ripley:

“Our joy comes from Jesus. This joy arrives in our hearts when we hear and receive His words.”

“We can be filled with an amazing joy when we grasp just what he has done for us. When we truly understand our sin and how awful it is, and when we truly understand our Savior and how incredible He is, then there is nothing for us to do but be filled with thankfulness and joy at what is in store for us. In knowing Jesus, there is available to us great joy – a permanent satisfaction. This is how I would define the joy of the Lord; this joy is a permanent satisfaction. It is a satisfaction that cannot be reduced or eradicated.”

And why is that? Because . . .

“This joy, which is the fruit of the Holy Spirit, is unlike anything which is produced from the natural world in the heart. It is a joy that is completely unique to the regenerated soul . . . And because it is not connected to anything in the natural world, nothing that happens in the natural world can take it away. Poverty . . . Sickness . . . Persecution cannot take it away. If your joy can be stolen from you by financial loss, or sickness or persecution, or any other reasons, then you are not experiencing the joy of the Lord.”

Instead, our joy comes from knowing Jesus and what He has done for us.

“The joy of the Lord arises from . . .
Leaving all our burdens at his feet
Believing that He has forgiven our sins entirely
Knowing that nothing can come into our lives which God does not send or permit
Knowing that we have been lifted out of the world of sin and sorrow and death
Knowing that we have been planted forever into the realm of God’s light and love
Knowing that we have already received eternal life
Knowing that we have begun to live with Him and in Him”

This is why we can have the joy that the apostle Peter described as “inexpressible and glorious.” In other words, a supernatural joy that comes only from God:

“Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” (1 Peter 1:8-9).

This is why we celebrate Christmas! Because of what Jesus has done for us, we have “great joy” in him. Like Mary, you and I can now say, “my spirit rejoices in God my Savior” (Luke 1:47).

Rejoice, my friend, rejoice! God our Savior came to earth 2,000 years ago – to be with us, to save us from our sins, and to give us his eternal joy.

For more insights on the relationship between the birth of Jesus and the attributes of God, check out these blog posts:

The Birth of Jesus and the Holiness of God
https://godwrotethebook.com/the-birth-of-jesus-and-the-holiness-of-god/

The Birth of Jesus and the Mercy of God
https://godwrotethebook.com/the-birth-of-jesus-and-the-mercy-of-god/

The Birth of Jesus and the Power of God
https://godwrotethebook.com/the-birth-of-jesus-and-the-power-of-god/

NOTE: Andy Ripley’s book The Fruit of the Spirit is available on Amazon here:
The Fruit of the Spirit