This week's Bible Study - December 13, 2009

Joy to the World

Background Scripture: Luke 1:46-55

Quote of the Week:
“Joy is the feeling of grinning inside.”
-- Melba Colgrove

What news would bring joy to the world? For many today, a change in the economy would bring joy. Many are without jobs and are struggling to make ends meet. For others today, a relationship might bring joy. For some people, if their favorite sports team were to win a game; that would be joyful. In the past couple of weeks, my oldest son was part of a state championship football team from a small town. There were many joyful people in that town on that day. For many kids, there are a wide variety of toys that seem to bring joy. There are different things that would seem to bring joy to different people, depending on what their specific situation or need is. The same thing for all wouldn't seem to spread joy across the board. Sure, the football championship brought joy to many, but there were still even in that same area others that did not experience joy due to that victory.

In the first chapter of Luke, we read of two miraculous pregnancies. One was the cousin of Mary, Elizabeth. Elizabeth was older, beyond child raising age and had been considered to be barren. However, Mary heard of her pregnancy, and how she was in her sixth month. The other pregnancy was that of Mary, a virgin. God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth to Mary. Mary was told that she was highly favored and that the Lord was with her. Understandably, Mary, being a virgin, was greatly troubled. The angel told her to not be afraid, as she would have a son, Jesus, who would be called the Son of the Most High. Two impossible situations became possible with the Lord. He opened the barren womb of Elizabeth and he caused a virgin, Mary, to be with child.

Luke 1:37 says "For nothing is impossible with God." We often put our own limitations on what God is able to do in and around us. Usually those limitations are based upon what we know we can accomplish, so it is just asking God along for the ride. Do we really believe that nothing is impossible with God? How many times do we squelch the power of the Holy Spirit in our own lives by looking at situations as if they are not possible? True joy comes to the believer who sees the mighty work of God in their lives. Too many believers seldom see that, because in essence they may have a hard time believing that nothing is impossible with God.

Mary went to the home of Zechariah and Elizabeth. You can imagine the thoughts going through her mind. She likely had some reservations about the situation in her life. Perhaps seeing Elizabeth would bring some sense to it all. When Elizabeth heard Mary, her baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. Elizabeth exclaimed that Mary was blessed among women, along with the child that she would bear. Mary was blessed in part because she believed that what the Lord had said would be accomplished. Mary was to experience joy in her life, but that joy was meant to impact people far beyond the time of Mary. This joy was not about some significant event, but about bringing in a new revelation of God - one that would offer forgiveness for our sins.

( Luke 1:46-49 )

Mary said that her soul glorified the Lord and her spirit rejoiced in the God her Savior. Her joy was focused upon the Lord and not upon herself. She was experiencing great circumstances, but she focused on her Lord and Savior. When we do give pause to that significant event, do we spend more time talking about the event, or about our Lord who has brought it to pass?

Mary realized that she was going to be used by God, yet she did not take that a sign to be prideful about her situation. Rather, she indicated that God had been mindful of the humble state of his servant. She had resolved to be used as God's servant. The biggest joy you will have in life is not based on a circumstance or an event or a relationship with another individual, but when you come to the place where you realize that God has chosen you to be a part of his work. When you are in the middle of what God wants to do, you will experience joy that cannot be fathomed elsewhere. Why do we keep looking elsewhere for that joy?

Mary knew that she was the start of the blessing for all future generations. We don't really know what her theological background was, and how much she may or may not have understood Old Testament prophecies, but if she did, she had to realize that she was truly being used in a very great way. She chose not to focus on herself, but on the one who had done great things for her - holy is his name.

( Luke 1:50-52 )

God has performed mighty deeds with his arm. Many people have taken to standing up against God, or rather, trying to stand up against God. God has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. We serve a God that is beyond the prideful thoughts of man and above the rulers on the thrones. In Mary's song, she says that God has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. Prior to this event in her life, nobody would have thought twice about Mary, a humble servant of the Lord. But, since her time, rulers have come and gone. Many of them have been very much focused on their own kingdoms, thinking that they would rule forever. Many of them, in fact, most of them, we have never heard of. Yet, we continue to hear of the works that God began in the life of Mary.

Do we realize that God desires to use the humble among us to do great things? We tend to want the power - the promotion, higher salary, better stuff in life. We tend to think somehow that those things increase the meaning of life. Life is truly increased only through God working in those of us who are humble. And, when you see how God can work in our lives, how could we go back to the things of the world for our joy? It would be taking an imitation over the real joy.

( Luke 1:53-55 )

There were many Jews who felt that God had turned his back on them. Sure, they understood that they had turned their back on him, time and time again. But, they experienced a famine of the word of the Lord for many, many years. God had, indeed, promised to do many things through the descendants of Abraham, but as time passed, do you think that they began to forget or to fall in unbelief?

Mary realized that God had not forgotten his servant Israel. She knew that he had promised to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever. She saw that this event in her life was a large part of the fulfillment of that promise. She had to experience great joy, to know that God was using her.

Closing

Even though we aren't used as Mary was used, God still desires to use us. And, as we allow ourselves to be used, we can experience a taste of the joy that Mary experienced. Have you ever felt that God has used you to reach somebody else? When you truly realize that God has used you to impact another life for the kingdom, you begin to experience the joy that was intended.

At this time of the Christmas season, we have opportunities to share our faith with others, in non threatening ways. We can tell others about the Christmas programs we have seen, or we can help those who are in need. It may require us to take a step out of our comfort zone, but when we are willing to do that, we can experience the joy that only God can give and the primary joy comes from the role of the Savior in the world. We can truly agree with the Christmas song, "Joy to the World".