Luke 1:5-45
One of the greatest joys we have in life is the birth of a new family member. This summer, I was fortunate enough to meet my nephew. I distinctly remember when I found out he was born. I was in Wichita, KS, and we had just won our first softball game as an internship team for the company softball league. I received a text in the high-five line saying Teddy had arrived into this world. The joy that filled my heart was far greater than winning our first softball game. It was a hopeful joy as I anticipated getting to meet him for the very first time.
Throughout the Bible, we are told of many miraculous births. One of my favorites, besides the birth of our Savior, of course, is the birth of John the Baptist. We are told of this story in Luke 1. Gabriel appears to Zachariah while he is in the centermost part of the temple and tells him Elizabeth is going to bear a son. Later in the chapter, Mary goes to visit her relative, Elizabeth. When John heard Mary’s voice, he leaped for joy in the womb. From his conception, John was Spirit-filled. He understood God was going to do something special through the woman standing in the room. Mary would bear Emmanuel, God with us. She was the mother of HOPE, love, and joy for the universe.
One of my favorite hymns during this time of year is “Joy to the World.” While not originally written as a Christmas carol, it remains a staple during this time of year as we anticipate the coming of our Savior. It offers us a great reminder that we must prepare our hearts for His coming. We must prepare for a Savior who “rules the world with truth and grace.”
Have you experienced true joy? Maybe things are rough right now, and you find it impossible to find joy. We have a Savior who takes our sins and shame and replaces it with truth and grace. Throughout my life, I have found that this gift of truth and grace from the Lord produces a joy within me that is far greater than anything I have been joyful about in my life. Joy from the Lord outweighs the joy I experienced receiving the news of the birth of my nephew. It is a joy that prompts me to leap simply because there is no other way to express it. During this season, I HOPE this joy finds you because there is nothing in this world greater than the Joy we received on that miraculous night in Bethlehem.
Wilson Smith
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