The Candle of Joy

The third Advent candle is the candle of Joy. Christmas is truly a joyous season as we remember Christ coming to live among us. We have the benefit of history. We know the whole story of His life. We know the great freedom He brought us through His sacrificial death. As we have been going through this season looking at Hope it has caused me to pause. I have been thinking about how different the events were than what those hoping for Christ’s coming were expecting, and how confusing it must have been for those who journeyed with Jesus through them.

So often our hopes are realized but not in the way we expect. For most people in the bible they have an idea of how things will go and God does bring their hope to reality, but not in the way they expect. He brings a better way. Think of Abraham and the promise of descendants. Think of the Israelite army and Goliath. This is also true with the life of Christ. We know that many of the faithful in Jesus’ day were hoping for an earthly king like David to lead the people in overthrowing their oppressors and taking back the promise land. God’s plan was much larger. The Messiah came to free us from the power of sin and death not simply an earthly empire. God had a better plan. God’s plan brought more Joy.

Even around the Christmas story the hopes that were realized were met in a strange way. I am sure the Magi were surprised when they found the King born under the star. He was not in a palace but in a humble scene. Mary, who had found favour with God, surely wanted the Messiah to come but clearly she was surprised by the way He did. It was the only way that He could fulfill His mission and bring us true joy.

I have been thinking a lot about the other birth foretold in the first chapter of Luke - that of John the Baptist. Zachariah, as a godly priest, surely was on the lookout for Elijah and hoping for the Messiah. He is also surprised when it is revealed how this will happen (vs18). Because of his unbelief Zachariah is unable to speak. In reading commentaries this past week (David Guzik’s commentary that is free on bluletterbible.org was very helpful), I learned that the great crowd that waited for Zachariah to emerge from the Temple was waiting for him to speak a blessing over them. Once again their hope is realized but in a different way. Zachariah can not speak. If he could however he would not be giving them the usual blessing from Numbers but would be telling them the wait was over, the Messiah was coming.

I am sure that Zachariah was proud of his son. I am sure Mary was proud of hers as well. But both John and Jesus lived such different lives than most parents would hope for. By any earthly measure both men’s lives were failures. They had no property to speak of. They were looked down on by the powerful of their day and in the end both killed. In earthly terms John ate locusts and was killed by an exotic dancer. In the kingdom of heaven, John got to introduce the Messiah. He got to preside over Jesus’ baptism where the Father, Son and Holy Spirit began the ministry that would change the course of history both in heaven and on earth. I am sure his godly parents were proud.

We know that Jesus’ Father was well pleased. To Mary, Jesus’ life must have seemed strange from announcement to death but I sure she had an eternal perspective. The hope was fulfilled but in a way no one would have predicted and in a way that brought more Joy than they could have imagined.

I find that this is still true today. When I look back over my life I see that God has done many things I have hoped for but He has done many of them in ways that seemed strange or even wrong at the time. I have learned however that my hopes are too small. When He gives me what I hope for it is usually in a better way and one that gives more joy, not always in the earthly perspective but it gives me a glimpse into His perspective.

Mark Wallace