Title: Joy to the World
Contents
Joy to the World
(The sermon has been translated into English)
Isaiah 9:2-7, Luke 2:10-14, Philippians 4:4-7
Christmas Sunday Sermon
2 The people who wandered in darkness have seen a great light, and a light has shone upon those who dwell in the land where the shadow of death has fallen. 3 “God, you have given them great joy, and you have made them happy. As people rejoice in the harvest, they rejoice before you, as soldiers rejoice in dividing the spoils, so they rejoice before you. 4 Because the Lord broke the yoke that weighed them down, as on the day he struck Midian, he broke the logs that weighed down on their shoulders and the clubs of the oppressors, 5 and all the boots of the invaders and their blood-stained robes became firewood, Because it will burn out."
6 A baby was born for us. We have a son. He will be our ruler. His name will be called 'Amazing Counselor', 'Almighty God', 'Eternal Father', 'Peace King'. 7 His kingship will grow more and more, and the peace of the country will continue without end. He will sit upon David's throne and kingdom, and from now on and forever, he will establish the kingdom with fairness and justice. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will surely accomplish this.
10 The angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you, who is Christ the Lord. 12 You have a newborn baby wrapped in cloths, You will see him lying in a manger, which is a sign for you." 13 Suddenly a great army of heaven appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14 "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to those whom the Lord loves."
4 Always rejoice in the Lord. Say it again. Rejoice. 5 Let everyone know your generosity. The Lord has come near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but do everything by prayer and supplication, and with thanksgiving let your wishes be known to God. 7 Then the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
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At the very heart of Christianity is “joy”. And the greatest joy appeared at Christmas. Today, as we spend Christmas 2009, the last Christmas Sunday of the first decade of the 21st century, I want to review the meaning of this joy.
Time magazine published a cover story a few weeks ago that summarized the first decade of the 21st century, titled “A Decade from Hell.” It shows a long list of small pictures of the 10 years of records starting from the 9-11 terrorist attacks and ending with the economic crisis. There were also photos.
What does Christmas mean to all of us and families who have been through all sorts of terrible things like hell, directly or indirectly? Can we truly celebrate “the supreme joy” today? If we could truly celebrate joy, what joy would it be?
The joy revealed in the Bible was revealed through Christ. And he says that this joy revealed through Christ is experienced when “the glory goes to God, and peace is made on the earth.” I'll say it again because it's important. True joy, supreme joy, comes from “glorifying God and making peace on earth.” This is the joy of Christianity.
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Reminds me of Aesop's fables I read as a child. Two friends were going on a mountain road. It was a rough road, but as we were walking holding hands and relying on each other, suddenly a large and ferocious bear appeared from behind a rock. A startled and bewildered friend let go of his hand and quickly climbed up the tree.
Unfortunately, one friend didn't even know how to climb trees and was not fast enough to run away. The friend, who was eventually eaten by the bear, quickly fell to the ground, stopped breathing, and pretended to be dead. Because it reminded me of the saying that bears don't eat dead things.
The bear came up to the lying friend, sniffed it, sniffed it for a long time, looked around, and then went back. After the bear had gone away, the friend who had climbed the tree came down and said to the friend who pretended to be dead, "What did that bear say to you earlier?" I asked. Then the friend who pretended to be dead replied: The bear said in my ear, "Don't trust a friend who runs away alone in an emergency."
A true friend is a fable that teaches us to know in times of danger and crisis.
But in the 21st century, this parable was revised. Similarly, two friends were walking on a mountain road and met a bear. The two tell me to save my life and run away. However, the running bears were faster, making ferocious noises, so they were in danger of being caught by the bear. Asked by a friend who was running while panting. “No matter how fast we run, we can’t beat that bear, so what should we do?” The other friend is also gasping for breath and replies like this. "I'm not interested in running faster than a bear, my only goal is to run faster than you!"
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In the 21st century version, the bear is behind the scenes and you have to beat your friend. Aesop's original story has the romance of losing friendship but still preserving the lives of both friends, but the modern version is bloody.
In order for me to live, I have to give my friends food for the bear. It is a competition of whether I die or the other person dies. It's the end of the competition. You must risk your life to win. To survive, you have to be faster, stronger, and more handsome than others. Because falling out of the competition means death.
The one who overcomes gets the glory. They are gripped by the fear of being slaughtered and unhappy if they don't get the glory. So there is no peace. We think that the glory of the world gives us joy, but the glory of the world we occupy can never give us true joy. Like our friends running away from bears, we run without even thinking about it, and the world we live in can become hell without us even realizing it.
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The song sung by the angels on the day of Christ's birth makes it clear where true joy lies.
It belongs to those who are hungry for true peace. For those who know that the peace of Rome, the peace by the emperor, the peace by the power is a lie.
We pray for the peace of Christ. Heavenly joy is given to those who strive and strive to make the peace of Christ. It is a joy that the world does not understand. It is not me who gets the glory, but the glory we give to God, and it is the joy we enjoy while living as peacemakers.
With the birth of Christ, this wonderful world of joy has been opened before us. Our lives must promote peace. Let us all focus here. Our lives because of Christ will overflow with joy, and we will live by sharing this joy with the world.