Joy

This season is confusing to a lot of people.

Society is pushing us into Christmas.  Many are doing 12 days of Christmas promotions now, and this does not help the confusion.  The 12 days of Christmas actually begin Christmas Day and goes for the 12 days after leading up to Epiphany, the visit of the Magi.  So if it is not Christmas yet then, what is it?

This is the season of Advent, and we await the coming of the Lord Jesus in the manger.  But is Advent a happy joyful season, or is it to be somber like Lent as we await Jesus?  We want to have the happiness society is pushing on us in an early Christmas, but also wait for Jesus to come.  Can we be waiting and still be filled with Joy?

Of course we can.  In the readings for this past Sunday we see Joy all over the place, especially in John’s responce to the people who came to be baptized. “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?”  Can you feel the joy?

That is not the Joy, the Joy comes later. John tells the people how to live the life that will produce good fruit, and then he says I am not the Messiah, “but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” Did you hear that?

John said one is coming who is more powerful, and he will baptize us with fire and the Holy Spirit.  He will show us how to live, and do what John has told us we need to do.  Jesus is the Joy that we get, one who will show us how to live, and give us examples by which to live. He will go before us to prepare our path and walk with us to help us on the journey. That is Joy.