Jesus: The Joy Giver

Hebrews 12:1-2

Introduction

Throughout this season of Advent, we have looked at Jesus as our Hope-Giver, Peace-Giver and Love-Giver. We now come to Jesus as our Joy-Giver. It is not difficult to find the concept of joy in the Christmas story. When the pregnant Mary visited her relative Elizabeth, who was pregnant with John the Baptist, something significant happened. We are told that John leapt in his mother’s womb. I have always focused on how John recognized Jesus as the Christ but there is more going on. We are told specifically that John leapt for joy. The very first thing that Jesus ever gave, even before he was born, was joy. Then there was the appearance of the angels to the shepherds. We are told that the shepherds were afraid and the angel responded, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.” (Luke 2:10) The good news is that Jesus was being born and this would cause great joy. The implication is that this joy is not limited to the normal joy when a baby is born but that this baby will somehow lead to great joy for many people. And of course, one of the most triumphant Christmas carols is Joy to the World by Isaac Watts. There is something about sing that song or even listening to it that lifts us up.

It seems clear that Jesus came to bring joy. But what does that mean? How does that fit with living in difficult circumstances? You don’t need a worldwide pandemic to struggle in finding joy. There are plenty of things in life that seem perfectly capable of robbing us of joy.

Part of the problem is how we define joy. If we define joy as always being happy, then we are going to struggle in maintaining that standard. A good place to start is looking at how Jesus experienced joy and then looking at how we can follow that example.

The Joy Set Before Jesus

The passage we are looking at in Hebrews 12 tells us to turn our eyes upon Jesus who is described as the pioneer and perfecter of faith. That gives very clear instruction that we are to emulate Jesus if we are to be strong in our faith.

I chose this passage because of the phrase, “the joy set before him.” Joy is held up as a motivator for Jesus, as the goal toward which he would reach. That sounds like something that we would want to achieve as well.

The questions is: What was the path that Jesus took to reach that joy that was set before him. Since Jesus is to be our example, let us hope that the path was one of comfort and quiet contemplation. If that is our hope, we will be sadly disappointed.

It was with that joy in mind that we are told that “Jesus endured the cross,” not just in its pain but in its shame. Everyone has to die and there are some deaths that are more honourable than others. Crucifixion was the worst. In fact it seems like the least likely path to find joy. 

That is where we need a good definition of joy. Joy is not about the happiness of the moment but rather our confidence that we are in God’s will and are on track to where God wants us.

Let me make it perfectly clear: there was no part of Jesus’ experience on the cross that was pleasant. He was in physical and emotional pain. His disciples had fled. The people around him were mocking him. Every part of it was terrible.

But Jesus was able to see beyond the moment. He knew he was called to the way of the cross, this was done in obedience to the Father. He also knew that he was returning to the Father, not just to be with him but to sit at the right hand of the Father. That was the joy that was set before him. But to get there he had to go through the cross.

I earlier mention Isaac Watt’s carol, Joy to the World. Watts was also the writer of When I Survey the Wondrous Cross. One of my favourite verses is:

See from his Head, his Hands, his Feet,

Sorrow and Love flow mingled down!

Did e’er such Love and Sorrow meet?

Or Thorns compose so rich a Crown?

Watts understood that when it comes to Jesus, both joy and suffering are important parts of the story. Jesus had joy but it was joy that was present in suffering.

The Joy Set Before Us

Our story is a little different from that of Jesus. Hopefully we will not be crucified and we will not sit on the right hand of the Father. But other than that, the principles are the same.

It comes down to that definition of joy. One of the trends in the church that I am concerned about is what I call prosperity gospel lite. The prosperity gospel, often preached by televangelists, claims that God’s will is for us to be always healthy and wealthy. Many of us can recognize the error of this, at least in its extreme forms.

But there is still the danger of prosperity gospel lite. This doesn’t claim that we should all be millionaires or never suffer a cold. But it does believe that Christians should have at least a moderate form of prosperity. It actually affects us all. One of the most common things that is said when bad things happen is: “Why is this happening to me?” Implicit in that is the belief, unconscious or not, that really bad things shouldn’t happen to Christians. That is why we are shocked when we hear something terrible happening to a Christian that we know is very faithful. Didn’t God have some sort of an obligation to protect them from that?

And yet when we look to the lives of Jesus and the apostles, and even the prophets before them, we see that there is no one so righteous that they avoid suffering. Yes God does answer prayers, helps people in need and pours out blessings, but no where is there a promise that we get a pass on suffering.

So how can we possibly have joy? The same way that Jesus did: The joy set before us. As we are faithful to God, we have assurance that we are in God’s will. Yes we make mistakes but there is confidence that we are at least going in the right direction, even if we stumble along the way. We can also have joy in knowing that we will one day be in the presence of God.

I do need to make clear that I am not saying that you should smile in your pain because you will go to heaven when you die. What I am saying is that there is joy available to us in our relationship with God through Christ. I am saying that joy is available in grief, in sorrow and in loss. Those things are real but so is the joy that Jesus gives us. You don’t have to be happy about your suffering but you can have joy.

Conclusion

I remember when my first son was born. I was filled with joy. It felt amazing to have a son and to anticipate our relationship with him. I still love him and the rest of my children very much but the magic of that moment is not often on my mind.

The birth of Jesus was different. I’m sure that it gave Joseph and Mary the normal joy that any parents have. But it did much more. Jesus coming into the world was transforming everything. The baby would grow up to be a man and that man would go to the cross. But that wasn’t the end, he rose again and ascended to the Father to sit on the right hand. Jesus navigated suffering with his eye on the joy set before him.

We as the followers of Jesus follow in his path. Bad things are going to happen, both part of and aside from the pandemic. We are not always going to be happy. But there is joy in our relationship with God in Christ. If Jesus could give joy to the unborn John the Baptist, imagine the joy he can give to us who know the full story.