Sermon Recap: When God Came Near – Advent 2025, Week 3
“Don’t be afraid, for look, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people…” (Luke 2:10).
With those words, the angels announced not advice, not information, but a Person. Advent joy, the kind Scripture keeps returning to again and again, is inseparable from the nearness of God.
One of the striking realities of the Bible is just how dominant the theme of joy really is. Joy and rejoicing appear hundreds of times across both Testaments, woven into nearly every chapter of the story. Joy is rooted in God’s presence, flows from salvation, defies circumstances, springs from God’s Word, grows through faithfulness and provision, overflows in worship and community, marks the Kingdom of God, and culminates in eternity. From Genesis to Revelation, joy is not a minor note—it is a central melody.
That story begins in a garden. Genesis tells us that “The Lord God planted a garden in Eden.” The word Eden comes from a Hebrew term meaning “pleasure” or “delight.” Humanity’s story begins in a place literally named Delight. God intentionally formed a world filled not only with usefulness, but with beauty—trees “pleasing in appearance,” colors, textures, and wonders that exceed necessity. Joy was never an afterthought.
This abundance of beauty has puzzled thinkers for centuries. Charles Darwin famously admitted that the extravagant beauty of a peacock’s feathers troubled his theory of natural selection. Why does joy exist where it does not seem strictly necessary? Theologian Andrew Wilson describes this as “superfluous happiness”—a world containing far more joy than survival alone would require. Scripture offers a clear answer: God is in the serious business of joy.
As C.S. Lewis observed, “Joy is the serious business of Heaven.” Joy is not decorative. It is not icing on the cake; it is the cake itself. Eugene Peterson put it this way: joy is not a requirement of the Christian life, but a consequence. The question then becomes—joy is the consequence of what?
The story of the shepherds gives us the answer. The angels announce “good news of great joy” because “a Savior has been born.” Joy comes not from circumstances improving, but from God drawing near. In Eden, joy flowed from God walking with humanity. In Israel’s history, joy centered on God’s dwelling—first the tabernacle, then the temple. When the Ark of God’s presence was near, there was joy and peace. When it was absent, fear took over.
With Jesus, something profound shifts. God’s dwelling place moves from a location to a Person. Joy is now found wherever Jesus is. At a wedding, joy returns when He arrives. On the night of His arrest, Jesus tells His disciples, “I have told you these things so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.” Even as sorrow looms, He promises a joy no one can take away.
This reframes how we often think about joy. We tend to believe joy comes from the absence of pain—when conflict ends, stress lifts, or anxiety disappears. Scripture offers a deeper truth. Ultimate joy is not found in the absence of hardship, but in the presence of God. Revelation describes a future without tears or pain, but the reason given is clear: “God’s dwelling is with humanity.”
Joy breaks into shepherds’ fields, prison cells, hospital rooms, and weary lives. Paul writes about joy not from comfort, but from confinement. He discovers that joy is not circumstantial—it is Christological.
Like a child instinctively finding safety and joy in a parent’s arms, we are invited to abide in Christ. Joy overflows not from perfect conditions, but from staying connected to the presence of God.
Wherever Jesus is, there is joy.
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