For the first Sunday of Advent we celebrated “Hope” and for the second Sunday of Advent we celebrated “Peace”.  This Sunday we celebrate “Joy”.

The dictionary defines joy as “the emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one desires.”  A great definition for the world.  It’s just that we, as Christians, live in the world – but we are not part of it.  Joy goes much deeper than success in the workplace or being lucky with the lottery or having that car you always wanted.  To be sure, those are nice things to enjoy, but for us, it is not joy.

In this Christmas season, Christians should see joy as the coming of the Kingdom of God, the peace on earth in which we all pray for and the everlasting hope that the kingdom will come in our lifetime.  The deep joy we feel is the inner most feeling of the Spirit of God working in us – calling us into full relationship with God.  It is through Jesus, the Christ Child, that we get to experience this relationship.  And that is true Christian Joy.