JOY TO THE WORLD
(A Christmas Message For You)

     
he Christmas message that the angel proclaimed was: "There is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord" (The Gospel of Luke 2:11).  The ancient Hebrew prophet, Isaiah, told us in advance of the same blessed story: "The Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel" (Isaiah 7:14). 

It is no surprise that for hundreds of years the longing for Messiah to come was anticipated with such wonder.  One day the wise men would come in a spirit of awe and ask, "Where is He who is born King of the Jews?  For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him"  (The Gospel of Matthew 2:2).  Isaiah went on to describe the King's arrival at Bethlehem in these words:  "Unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder.  And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.  Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever.  The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this" (Isaiah 9:6-7).

This message from God concerning Messiah the King is for the whole world.  It is a message for you.  In this portion of Scripture, the prophet describes who the Lord Jesus is, and what He will do for those in His kingdom.  This is a royal summons that says the King has come to claim your life.  This is a message sent to you in particular.  The Bible is that personal of a book.  In it God talks to you!

Note what the Bible says of this King (the Lord Jesus):  "Of the increase of His government (or kingdom) there will be no end."  In other words, He will keep adding new subjects to His kingdom as long as the world stands. One encouraging aspect of the "zeal of the Lord" is His zeal as a Divine Husband. He woos and wins His bride with His greatness, glory, love, and grace.  This will be one of the most blessed holiday seasons ever if the Savior woos and wins you to respond to Him in repentance and faith.

Here is the reason why the Christmas carols speak of joy coming to the world from "heaven's all-gracious King":  The Lord Jesus is the Mighty God, the Almighty King, and we desperately need Him.  We need Him because there are forces at work in our lives that are greater than we can resist on our own. Only Jesus the Messiah, the Mighty God can free us.  The Savior said, "If the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed" (The Gospel of John 8:36). 

Have you ever considered your indifference to the Lord Jesus as a chain that keeps you in the kingdom of darkness?  See how subtle and powerful the enemy of your soul is.  This explains why many are somehow kept from the Savior, though they hear of Him often. There is an evil supernatural power at work in their lives of which they are not even conscious.  Is this true of you?  The Savior is the only one who can deliver you from a heart that basically ignores God.

There are other titles given to Christ in Isaiah chapter nine.  Listen to what God is saying through them.  The Lord Jesus is the "Prince of Peace."  He alone can give peace to your troubled soul.  He gives the peace that comes from full, final, and total forgiveness to all who repent of their sins and entrust their souls to Him. 

The Son of God is called "the Counselor."  He is the only counselor who can guide you through all of the trials of life and give you God's help and presence in the midst of those burdens. Somehow He he can make every difficulty work out for your good. This is what He will do for you if you are delivered from the power of darkness into His kingdom.  Then you will confidently say with the rest of God's family: "We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28).  The Lord Jesus is the one who makes it so.  What a counselor and guide!  He teaches or "counsels" us to look at life from the standpoint of God's sovereignty.

If you are in Christ's kingdom, He will be a father to you forever.  He will care for you and demonstrate His love for you in many ways every day!  If we only had the eyes of faith to see this!  Ultimately, on the last day, the Savior after bringing many sons to glory will appear before the throne and say, "Here am I and the children whom God has given me" (Hebrews 2:13).

It is helpful to ask, "Why did this Divine Savior need to be born as a man?  What was the ultimate purpose of Bethlehem's manger?"  The answer can never be fully appreciated in this lifetime.  The answer is so that the Lord Jesus could go to the cross and die.  He died the death of God's curse that sinners like you and I should die.  Now, unless He took on humanity, He could not have died, because He is the Second Person of the Trinity.  But, in His agonies on the cross, He was taking the judgment of God's wrath against sin upon Himself.  He was removing God's judgment and securing pardon for all who will repent of their own sins and believe in Him for this salvation. Again, Isaiah foretold it all: "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all" (Isaiah 53:6).

On the third day, the Lord Jesus arose from the dead and is now seated at the right hand of God the Father.  Now He is destroying the grip of darkness and evil on people's lives and the increase of His kingdom will have no end. This is the message of Isaiah chapter nine: we can be brought into the blessings of the kingdom of God now and into heaven for all eternity when we die.  Jesus said, "Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world" (The Gospel of John 16:33).  The Messiah Himself says through the prophet: "The Lord has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound" (Isaiah again! 61:1).

A jail, a prison, or an old dungeon is a terrible place to have to live.  As prosperous as many people are outwardly, without the Lord Jesus their heart is a dungeon.  It is cold, damp, dark, depressing, and fearful.  Others are being set free in the jail cells beside of yours, why don't you call out to the Son of God as He passes by you now? Why shouldn't you? 

If you do cry out to Him to save you, what lies ahead of you is indescribable.  That the Messiah is called "Wonderful" teaches us this very point.  He is indescribable!  He is full of wonder! His name is "Wonderful!"  It is a marvelous thing to hear the Lord Jesus say to you, "Son, be of good cheer, your sins are forgiven you"  (The Gospel of Matthew 9:2).  Then you will know the wonders of His salvation.  You will know His Spirit dwells in you and that you are part of the family of God.  His nearness and personal dealing with you as your King and Heavenly Friend will make you exclaim, "Joy to the world! the Lord is come! Let earth receive her King!"

He has come!  Has He come to you?  Another wonder of the way the Lord Jesus works is that even in such a brief message as this, you will find the Savior speaking to you.  Have you sensed that?  If so, respond to Him.  Remember, the zeal of the Lord is wooing you to embrace the Savior as the King and as your Heavenly Bridegroom. Dear friend, for your own soul's sake, for eternity's sake say "Yes" to Christ's rule over your life as a Blessed Master and Savior.  With a repentant heart cry out to Him for forgiveness!  His death on the cross can remove your sins! Call out to Him, entrust yourself to Him and you will see what peace and joy the Prince of Peace can bring into your life!