Advent: A 25-Day Countdown to ChristmasSample

Joy to the World

Imagine a cold, snowy night, drinking hot chocolate next to a roaring fireplace, surrounded by friends and family. People are laughing, sharing stories, and maybe even singing a Christmas carol. Kids are crowding around the evergreen tree, surrounded by presents wrapped in every shade of red and green with bows of silver and gold.

For hundreds of years, people have gathered to celebrate Jesus’ birth with a few consistent elements: song, food, and gifts. Yes, a red-nosed reindeer got thrown into the mix somewhere along the way. But for the most part, the key ingredients have remained the same.

But why? What’s motivated billions of people throughout hundreds of years to say, “This event is worth celebrating”?

Let’s start two thousand years ago with a group of shepherds in a field. Shepherds were men and women who managed herds of livestock, often traveling along with their families. They had the messy, monotonous, and occasionally dangerous work of moving sheep around the countryside to find food.

We don’t know much about these shepherds, how many there were, or even their names. But it’s easy to imagine a few of them with their children gathered around fires, laughing and telling stories, while those on watch wandered among the sleeping sheep, keeping an eye out for lions, wolves, or thieves.

Then, one of the shepherds noticed a stranger, not in the sky (like in the popular imagination) but in the midst of their camp. The stranger, an angel sent by God, terrified the shepherds because he was glowing brighter than the most well-lit Christmas tree. He gave a simple message: something had happened that would bring great joy to the world!

Of course, you probably know the message, but let’s pretend for a second that you don’t. Let’s imagine what it would be like to be part of those shepherd families thousands of years ago. You’d probably ask yourself a few questions, like, What could bring joy to the whole world?Why bring this message to us shepherds? And what even is joy?

Over the next few days, we’ll explore these questions and more. Together, we’ll see that joy is a resilient cheerfulness anchored in the goodness of God.

Pause and Pray:

Lord, as I seek You and prepare to celebrate the arrival of Jesus, please draw close to me. As I focus on You, please give me Your gift of joy and help me to share it with the people in my life. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Reflect or Discuss:

What does joy mean to you? What is something that’s easy for you to have joy about? What’s something that makes it hard to be joyful?