Week 3 – “The Heart of Advent - Discovering Unspeakable Joy”
Rev. Monica Mowdy
Psalm 16:8-11
“I know the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me. No wonder my heart is glad, and I rejoice. My body rests in safety. For you will not leave my soul among the dead or allow your holy one to rot in the grave. You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever.”
Luke 1:39-45
“A few days later Mary hurried to the hill country of Judea, to the town where Zechariah lived. She entered the house and greeted Elizabeth. At the sound of Mary’s greeting, Elizabeth’s child leaped within her, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. Elizabeth gave a glad cry and exclaimed to Mary, “God has blessed you above all women, and your child is blessed. Why am I so honored, that the mother of my Lord should visit me? When I heard your greeting, the baby in my womb jumped for joy. You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what he said.”
This is a favorite part of the story of the birth of Christ for me. I love the image of Mary running straight to her cousin, Elizabeth, after finding out from Gabriel the angel that she would be bringing the promised Messiah into the world for her people; a Messiah they had hoped for, for thousands of years. Hope upon hope being fulfilled 8in this scene: Elizabeth finally with child well past child bearing age, Mary bearing the Christ child, and even baby John, leaps for Joy in Elizabeth’s womb.
I always assumed the phrase, “jump for joy” originated from this passage. The phrase "jump for joy" has been widely used in English for centuries, appearing in literature and everyday conversation as a way to describe extreme happiness but the exact origin of the phrase isn't pinpointed historically. I can’t think of a moment of greater joy.
In the Gospel of Luke, we witness a beautiful moment of joy when Mary visits her relative Elizabeth. Upon Mary’s arrival, when Elizabeth’s baby, John the Baptist, leaps for joy in her womb. Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit, proclaims, “Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill His promises to her!” (Luke 1:45).
In this encounter, joy bursts forth at the very presence of the Savior—though He is still in Mary’s womb. Elizabeth’s baby leaps with excitement, recognizing the presence of the One who would bring salvation to the world. This joy is not based on external circumstances or the fulfillment of immediate desires, but on the presence and promise of Jesus Christ. In this way, both Mary and Elizabeth demonstrate a joy that transcends any season of life.
This joy come in the midst of hard times. Mary and Elizabeth were both walking through seasons of disappointment. Mary faced the potential scandal of an unwed pregnancy, while Elizabeth had endured years of unfulfilled longing for a child. Both were loving in a hard season. Their land was occupied by a harsh empire. There was oppression, poverty and violence. Yet both women experienced a joy that wasn’t dependent on their circumstances. Instead, their joy came from knowing that God was fulfilling His promises, and the Savior was near.
In Psalm 16:8-11, we see the psalmist declare: "I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure, because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead, nor will you let your faithful one see decay. You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.”
These verses remind us that true joy is found in the presence of God. The psalmist speaks of a joy that transcends life’s trials and challenges because it is anchored in God's constant faithfulness. Just as Mary and Elizabeth experienced joy by focusing on God's promises, we too can find joy by fixing our eyes on the Lord, knowing that He will not abandon us and that His presence fills us with joy that is secure and everlasting.
Like the psalmist, we can find a deep, unshakable joy in the presence of Jesus. This joy is not the fleeting happiness that comes from our circumstances but is rooted in the eternal truth that Jesus is with us. In Luke 1, both Mary and Elizabeth found joy not because everything in their lives was perfect but because God was fulfilling His promise in the birth of Christ.
Psalm 16 assures us that when we keep our eyes on God, we can say with confidence that our hearts will be glad, our bodies secure, and our lives filled with joy. Why? Because, as the psalmist writes, God reveals to us the path of life, and in His presence, we experience eternal joy. In Jesus Christ, God’s greatest promise has been fulfilled, and in Him, our joy is made complete. Even in seasons of disappointment, we can take comfort knowing that in His presence is the fullness of joy, a joy that nothing and no one can take away.
In John’s Gospel, chapter 15 verse 1, Jesus declares, "I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete." The joy of knowing Jesus, the joy of His birth and His salvation, is the joy that fills us up and completes us. It is not a joy that is conditional on our circumstances but one that is rooted in the eternal truth of who He is, what He has done for us and what he can and will continue to do in us.
When we walk through life’s challenges, we may still experience sorrow or disappointment, but we do not have to lose our joy if that joy is rooted in Christ. As the psalmist says, “You make known to me the path of life.” In Jesus, we find the path that leads to eternal life, and in His presence, we are filled with a joy that is unshakable.
As we celebrate the birth of Jesus this season, let us remember that the joy He brings is not dependent on perfect circumstances. Like Mary and Elizabeth, we too can jump for joy, not because life is without struggle, but because Jesus has come to dwell among us. This joy is available to us not just at Christmas, but for Jesus to be with us in every season, and to fill us with joy that nothing in this world can steal.
So, no matter what you may be facing today, whether you're walking through seasons of disappointment, uncertainty, or grief, remember that in Jesus, your joy is complete. His presence offers a deep, abiding joy that can’t be shaken by circumstances. Like Mary, like Elizabeth, and like that baby yet to be born, John, let us rejoice, for in the presence of Jesus, there is fullness of joy.
Key points
1. Joy is rooted in the presence of Jesus
2. Joy transcends life’s
3. Faith in God's promises plays a central role in experiencing the deep, unshakable joy that comes from knowing Jesus.
4. Joy is anchored in God's constant faithfulness and His presence, which provides eternal joy regardless of life's trials.
5. Jesus fulfills our joy
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