Advent Week 3: Joy

Advent Week 3: Joy

Matthew 2:10-11

When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. 11 And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.

A Legacy of Trial turned to Joy

How did the Magi know to come see Jesus?

They come from the east, and though we do not know exactly where that is, we do know based on geography and their titles as ‘magi’, they probably came from Persia. Interestingly, in Persia’s main religion, there is a legend of great kings being born with the rising of new stars. Now, this same Persia is the Persia of Daniel’s day. Consider, these are the descendants of the magi whom Daniel served with during the Jewish Exile. It is noteworthy that in verse 6, they cite the prophet Micah who predates Daniel. We should not read too much into their biblical knowledge as far as their salvation, however given the Scriptures cited and their native legends, it is safe to simply state, the magi recognized a great King had come to the earth.

So consider the question again, how did they know to come see Jesus? The answer lies in a combination of historical events and prophecies which had been passed down through the centuries, even among people who were not among the Israelites. Daniel’s steadfast faith through the Exile left a legacy of respect and influence among the Persians. That legacy lasted through the centuries into the time of the magi who go to Jesus, lay gifts at his feet, and rejoice “with exceedingly great joy.”

The trials for Daniel became a legacy which brought joy for the magi.

Now, as we consider this theme of joy, I would like us to examine how Christ brings us joy by looking at the three gifts brought.

The Joy of Gold

The first gift ‘gold’ is fairly self-explanatory. Gold points to the Kingship of Christ. He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Consider what Daniel wrote about the coming Messiah in Daniel 7:13-14:

I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him;

his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.

The Kingdom of Christ is an eternal kingdom, because it is the Kingdom of Heaven. It is a kingdom in which all peoples, nations, and languages owe their allegiance and obedience. And it is a kingdom that will never fade or be destroyed, because it is the Kingdom of God Himself.

How is it that Jesus holds such a kingdom? Consider Hebrews 1:3-4:

He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.

The Man Christ is no ordinary man. He is the Incarnation of God, Divinity in flesh. The Magi came seeking a king, and they found The King. He is The King who “holds the universe by the word of His power.” He is the image of God, being the ‘radiance’ and ‘exact imprint of His nature’. The inconceivable I AM made Himself known by taking on the flesh of a human.

Christ brings the joy of knowing our King and Creator.

The Joy of Frankincense

The second gift of ‘frankincense’ points to the Priesthood of Christ, in that it was offered in the Temple by priests. It is through Christ that we have reconciliation with God. Returning to Hebrews 1:3, we read Jesus “ma[de] purification for sins.” In the old covenant, the priests would offer sacrifices to God in order to atone for the sins of the people and themselves. Frankincense was used during these ceremonies to aid with the smell, as well as being a fragrant offering in itself. But these sacrifices could not fully atone for the sin of the people. Turn with me to Hebrews 9:11-14.

Hebrews 9:11-14

11 But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) 12 he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. 13 For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, 14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.

But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.

The joy of the frankincense is the joy of being reconciled to God. We do not work for our salvation, nor do we blindly obey in the hopes of earning God’s love. No, Christ came demonstrating God’s love toward us. “While we were still sinners Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). We experience the love of God through Christ which brings us the joy that we desperately want. It is the joy that comes in knowing our Creator and the design He has for us.

Notice in verse 14, the writer notes how the sacrifice of Christ “purif[ies] our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.” The joy of Christ transforms us from death to life. We are no longer bound to the destructive deeds and habits of sin. The guilt that is associated with sin is washed away with the sin. When that guilt is gone, then we are free to live again, this time living for God and serving Him as He designed us to serve.

Christ brings the joy of serving our King and Creator.

The Joy of Myrrh

The third gift of ‘myrrh’ points to the prophetic ministry of Christ. It is an embalming fragrance which points us to the sacrifice Christ would make on the cross. But not just a funeral perfume, Christ’s death was foretold by the prophets of old. His death and resurrection is proof of God’s guiding hand in history which reassures His guiding hand for today and the future.

Turn to the next chapter in Hebrews, chapter 10 verses 19-25. Here, we will read how the Kingship of Christ and the Priesthood of Christ work toward fulfilling the prophecies of Christ.

Hebrews 10:19-25

19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, 20 by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

Look at how these joys we have discussed work together toward ‘the Day drawing near’. Because of Christ’s sacrifice as our High Priest, we can (1) have confidence to enter the holy places, and (2) we approach our King of Kings. With these in place, we can then (3) “hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering”. Why else? Because “He who promised is faithful”. Our King is a faithful King. Our Priest is a faithful Priest. And, the promises made by the One who sees past, present, and future is faithful to speak Truth.

Christ brings the joy of our faithful King and Creator.

Ultimately, all that we do and are in Christ leads us to the “Day drawing near”. What day is this? It is the Day of the Lord foretold in the Old Testament prophets which began with the Advent of Christ and which will culminate with His Second Return. Our faithful King and Priest also prophesied His return, and at that time this world will be upturned and every knee will bow to our King of Kings and Lord of Lords. And for those who are in Christ, it will be the most joyous day in all of eternity. But for now, we can experience a bit of that coming joy.

Consider those last verses again.

The Joy that Brings Joy

We are asked to consider how we can stir one another up to love and good works. How can we stir one another up to love and good works? Notice there is no 4 step plan or quick, magic bullet. It is an open-ended task, because with every day, every year, and every generation there will be its own set of problems, temptations, and trials. The only principle attached to the command is simply to “not neglect to meet together.” Now, sometimes this verse has been overly abused, but the principle still stands. We are stronger together, more effective together, and more joyous together.

Bro. Eddie shared a story with me the other day that I had heard awhile back, but it has been some time. The story goes like this:

A pastor wanted to visit one of his members whom he hadn’t seen in church for some time. It was a cold winter, so when the pastor knocked on the door, he was welcomed to sit by the fire warming the house. They greeted each other, and then just sat for awhile. The man figured the pastor was there to call back to church, but he just waited for the pastor to bring it up. But, the pastor didn’t say a word. They just sat in the warm room with only the crackle of the fire in the air. Then, the pastor reached over taking the tongs from the fireplace, and he took an ember from the fire. He placed it away from the rest of the fire and then replaced the tongs. And again, they sat in silence. After some time, the ember’s glow began to fade. Eventually, it was mostly gray with barely any sign of fiery life. The pastor took the tongs once again and placed the ember back into the flame. Almost immediately, the ember glowed bright once again. The pastor replaced the tongs again, and then looked toward the man. The man smiled a bit and finally broke the silence saying, “I hear you, preacher.”

The lesson is simple. We glow brightest together. As we think of how to share in the joy of Christ and how to share that joy with others, Hebrews 10:25 is the simple solution that we tend to forget first. Our faith is stronger together. Our witness is stronger together. Our light in this present darkness is brightest together. This verse is not about making sure you warm a pew (or a parking spot or computer monitor), it is about joining together to share the joy that is found in Christ.

Consider our last two verses.

1 John 1:4

And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.

Philippians 2:2

complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind.

Our joy is completed when it is shared with others.

As we celebrate Advent and the coming Christmas, celebrate it together. Find ways to stir one another up for love and good works, and in doing so, find the joy of Christ.