The word Advent comes from the Latin word “"adventus”" and means “arrival” or “coming.” It is a reminder of how the Jewish people waited, for centuries, for the arrival of the promised Messiah and how Christians, today, wait for the second coming of Christ.
We may pursue satisfaction and happiness in everything under the sun. But we read in the book of Ecclesiastes that Solomon recognized that when he looked for happiness in transient things it was always fleeting and those things which at first brought him joy later became the source of heartbreak and sorrow.
“The man who literally had everything, came to realize that genuine and everlasting joy can only be found in God alone. ”
God desires for us to experience everlasting joy and it is far deeper than just moments of happiness.
No matter what season of life we are in, even in the midst of sorrow and suffering, great loss or under heavy burdens, in times of darkness or failure - when the source is right, we can experience profound peace, comfort, and stability.
1 Even the wilderness and desert will be glad in those days. The wasteland will rejoice and blossom with spring crocuses. 2 Yes, there will be an abundance of flowers and singing and joy! The deserts will become as green as the mountains of Lebanon, as lovely as Mount Carmel or the plain of Sharon. There the LORD will display his glory, the splendor of our God.
3 With this news, strengthen those who have tired hands, and encourage those who have weak knees. 4 Say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, and do not fear, for your God is coming to destroy your enemies. He is coming to save you.”
5 And when he comes, he will open the eyes of the blind and unplug the ears of the deaf. 6 The lame will leap like a deer, and those who cannot speak will sing for joy! Springs will gush forth in the wilderness, and streams will water the wasteland.
7 The parched ground will become a pool, and springs of water will satisfy the thirsty land. Marsh grass and reeds and rushes will flourish where desert jackals once lived. 8 And a great road will go through that once deserted land. It will be named the Highway of Holiness. Evil-minded people will never travel on it. It will be only for those who walk in God’s ways; fools will never walk there.
9 Lions will not lurk along its course, nor any other ferocious beasts. There will be no other dangers. Only the redeemed will walk on it. 10 Those who have been ransomed by the LORD will return. They will enter Jerusalem singing, crowned with everlasting joy. Sorrow and mourning will disappear, and they will be filled with joy and gladness (Isaiah 35:1-10 NLT).
As we read Isaiah 35, we can see that God wanted His people to know what He had planned for them in the future because of His great love for them. By knowing the good future, He had planned for them, they could experience everlasting joy and gladness.
God promised His people that when He comes, He will transform a place that was stripped bare because of their sin to a place of beauty. The desert represents the total world: physical, social, and spiritual, which sin and human arrogance having destroyed, but God in his grace will make to bloom. Whereas their trusting the nations resulted in a desert, trusting God results in a garden. What will happen in Lebanon and Mount Carmel are describing future conditions of abundance of harvest, beauty, and healing for those who are broken by life’s circumstances and sin.
Only God can make a great Highway of Holiness through what was once a desert. It will be a place of safety and of peace for the redeemed of the Lord to walk, without any threat of evil or danger.
If God can so dramatically transform His creation in this way, then He can also transform the hearts of people.
Joy < Xará (Gr): joy = profound peace, comfort and stability, that comes from our response to God's grace and favor.
Joy comes when we:
• Experience God’s Goodness
• Respond to God’s Grace and Favor
• Live for God’s Glory
God’s Goodness
When we speak of God’s goodness, we are talking about who God is and how he acts towards us as His children. Since mankind could not reach God, God in His goodness would come to them and would send someone as a forerunner to prepare the way for the coming Redeemer.
The prophet Malachi came on the scene about 300 years after Isaiah wrote about the promise of a Messiah.
“This Messiah or Redeemer would change the hearts and the future destiny of those who would place their hope and trust in Him. ”
Respond to God’s Grace & Favor
After the 450 years of silence, suddenly in the fullness of time an angel of the Lord burst on the scene and announces the birth of John the Baptist who was the messenger that would prepare the way for the Messiah.
The angel said to Zachariah concerning his future son, John, "You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth.” Six months later the angel appears again, but this time it is to Mary and saying, “greetings” (chaire) - which means to rejoice as she would become the Redeemer's mother (Luke 1:28).
9 months later on the night of Christ’s birth (Luke 2:8-11) an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared to the shepherds at night in Bethlehem, and said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David, a Savior has been born to you.”
In verses 5-7 of Isaiah 35, it says that Jesus would heal the spiritually and physically blind, deaf and mute and:
“He would come to give abundant life to the lifeless, hope to the hopeless and help to the helpless. ”
Christ came to live among us full of grace and truth (John 1:14). This was the picture of salvation and this was cause for great joy.
Live for God’s Glory
While we are waiting for His second coming, His imminent return, we are called to walk on the Highway of Holiness. It is the journey of sanctification—of progressive growth in practical righteousness. Walking the journey of sanctification means living a life set apart for God and that brings Him glory.
In Matt 25:14-30, Jesus tells His disciples a parable about three servants who were entrusted with investing their employer’s money.
When He returned, they all gave an account for how they used His money. The parable was a picture of Christ’s second coming and what it will be like for us when we give an account for how we stewarded everything He has given us in this lifetime.
“Those who live their lives and use everything God has given them for His glory will experience the fruit of their labor and will enter into the joy of the Lord.”
Joy comes from experiencing God’s goodness, responding to His grace and favor, and from living for His glory.
Happiness doesn’t come from getting what I want, happiness comes as a result of living for His glory, by seeking the kingdom of God first and His righteousness.
Joy comes when we take what God has given us and use it for His kingdom, to share the Gospel message to others and know that it can change the life and destiny of others.
“When Christ is your source of joy you will experience His profound peace, comfort, and stability - even in the most difficult seasons of life.”
Jesus said:
I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world (John 16:33).
James, brother of Jesus, who died for his faith wrote,
Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So, let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing (James 1:2-4 NLT).
In other words, part of the journey on the Highway of Holiness, has it’s fill of troubles and trials, tough times, and grief! It is only through these types of adversity that our faith is really tested, and we make decisions whether to allow God to bring us into greater degrees of maturity.
When God is our only source of comfort, then we will experience profound peace and stability.
When Christ is your source of joy, you will begin to experience, not the lack of pain or grief sadness or sorrow, but a deep profound peace from Him which will sustain you in every circumstance of life.
If God is your source for Happiness, He will make a way for you through your desert experiences. He can bring life where there was death, He can take that which was barren and make it fruitful.
When we humble ourselves in the situation then every path through the desert will always lead back to Him. Only He brings salvation, restoration and redemption.
In this world we will have trials, joys and sorrows, but one day when we finally arrive in our new home we will be so overwhelmed with gladness and everlasting joy that sorrow and mourning will disappear.
