Thursday, December 26, 2013
Second Christmas Day
Isaiah 35:10 And the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with singing, With everlasting joy on their heads. They shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
CHRISTMAS CONTRASTS: JOY AND SORROW
There is no doubt that Christmas is a joyful time, for many it's the most joyous time of the year. But what is often forgotten is that Christmas is also is a time of great sorrow for many. Sorrow around Christmas can be the result of many things. For those who spend the holiday alone, there is sorrow in being without loved ones. In other instances, all the family time and togetherness produces sorrow because of a lingering problem between loved ones. For those who are steeped in the materialism of Christmas, there is sorrow when they do not get what they want. For those so intent on pursuing joy during Christmas, there is sorrow if they cannot find joy. Sometimes something as simple as the weather can make people depressed and sad during Christmas. There are even moments of sorrow around Christmas for Christians because of the rampant attempts of non-religious groups to take all thought of Christ out of Christmas.
But Isaiah speaks of an entirely different picture concerning the coming of Jesus. With Jesus, joy is an absolute reality. Isaiah says the coming of Jesus will be a time when sorrow will be taken away and joy will be present forevermore. But this everlasting joy only comes through the One who paid the ransom. Only the "ransomed of the LORD" have real and lasting joy during Christmas because only through Christ are sins forgiven. Sorrow is certainly the only emotion you can express if your sins remain present. Only when your failures and shortcomings have been taken away forever, do you in turn have joy forevermore. And with Christ as your Savior, you no longer need to strive after earthly pleasures to fulfill your need for joy, nor must you sorrow when you do not find joy on this earth.
This is because you have been ransomed. One writer puts it this way: "They (the ransomed of the Lord) need not pursue joy; joy and gladness shall overtake them." How often we clamor and crave for joy and pleasure around this time of year. And yet, our personal joys are so shallow compared to what Christ offers. We need not worry about finding joy this Christmas, for through Christ, joy will find its way to us.
With sin in the world there will never be a shortage of sorrow, especially at the most joyous times. It is sad, indeed, that even during the so-called happiest times of the year, sorrow is still a big problem; in many ways and for many people. But the joy that supersedes all sorrow is in the simple truth that Christmas is the time when Jesus came to earth for you. Christmas gives you an opportunity to go back to the beginning of your Savior's mission for humanity, and experience the same thrills and contentment that those who first witnessed His birth shared. And Christmas remains the single greatest reminder that God's promises are not stagnant or dead, they are always fulfilled and they bring fresh mercies every day.
