December 7th, 2025 - Great Joy

Devotional

Day 1: Angel proclaims great joy for all people

The angel interrupts ordinary, fearful shepherds with a message that reverses their despair: a Savior is born in the city of David, and this news is for everybody—not just the religious or respectable. The glory of the Lord breaks into their night, removes the need to flee, and summons them to go with haste to see and then to proclaim what they have witnessed. Their response models how those who receive God’s interruption should move from fear to worship and testimony. [04:35]

Luke 2:8-20 (ESV)
8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” 15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. 17 And when they saw it they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

Reflection: When has God interrupted your ordinary routine with a difficult or unexpected invitation, and did you respond with haste like the shepherds or with hesitation? Identify one concrete step you will take this week to respond in haste to a divine interruption (call someone, go to worship, share the message).

Day 2: God interrupts by drawing hearts to Jesus

Coming to Jesus begins with the Father drawing—an interruption into lives that otherwise would not seek him; this draw often arrives at inconvenient, untimely moments that feel like an intrusion. When that divine pull happens, pride and self-sufficiency must be set aside so the invitation to come and be saved can be received. Responding humbly to the Father's drawing opens the way for the reversal Jesus brings. [00:31]

John 6:44 (ESV)
No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.

Reflection: Think of a moment you felt unexpectedly drawn toward Jesus. What pride or inconvenience did you have to set aside to respond, and what one small act of surrender will you practice this week to follow that drawing?

Day 3: Divine joy is inexpressible and filled with glory

The joy given by the Lord is not merely surface gladness but an inexpressible, glory-filled joy that transcends circumstances and words. This supernatural joy is known by those who love and believe in Christ even without having seen him; it testifies to a deep, spiritual reality planted by God in the heart. Longing for and leaning into that joy helps believers withstand trials with a rejoicing the world cannot produce. [10:55]

1 Peter 1:8 (ESV)
though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory,

Reflection: Identify an area of suffering where you struggle to feel joy; how can you invite God to replace surface gladness with the inexpressible, glory-filled joy Peter describes? Choose one spiritual discipline (prayer, Scripture, or worship) you will practice this week to seek that deeper joy.

Day 4: Joy is a fruit produced by the Spirit

True, lasting joy is not something we manufacture; it is the fruit of the Spirit worked in believers by God’s presence in them. When life’s trials press in and believers still display joy, others notice a difference that points them to Christ. Cultivating life with the Spirit produces a resilience of joy that testifies to God’s sustaining work even in hardship. [12:11]

Galatians 5:22 (ESV)
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

Reflection: In a recent hardship, did your response reflect Spirit-produced joy or natural emotion? Choose one habitual reaction you will intentionally replace with a Spirit-formed habit this month (for example, thanksgiving instead of grumbling), and name how you will practice it daily.

Day 5: Fullness of joy awaits in God's presence

There is an “already” and a “not yet”: believers possess the joy of the Lord now, but the fullness of joy is reserved for the day they stand in God’s presence. That future hope sustains perseverance through present sorrows, because Jesus has reversed the course of sin and death and promises final restoration. Holding fast to the promise of fullness of joy reorients daily suffering in light of eternal delight with God. [15:08]

Psalm 16:11 (ESV)
You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Reflection: Name one current hardship and write one sentence declaring hope based on “in your presence there is fullness of joy.” Who will you share that sentence with this week to encourage both yourself and another?

Sermon Summary

God still interrupts. The Father draws us in ways that cut across our schedules and our pride, because none of us can come to Jesus unless the Father draws. That interruption at Bethlehem was not a quaint tale; it was God breaking into a dark night with glory and good news. The shepherds felt both terror and exposure because the light reveals our sin, and yet the first word from heaven was, “Fear not.” Why? Because what arrived was “great joy” for all people.

Joy runs through Scripture, but great joy has a particular weight. In the Old Testament it burst forth when God reversed disaster—Solomon’s true coronation, Hezekiah’s renewal of worship, Nehemiah’s rebuilt walls. Great joy is what happens when God turns a people from ruin to restoration. In the New Testament it marks Jesus’ birth, His resurrection, the salvation of the Gentiles, and the day He will present us blameless. Great joy isn’t just a feeling; it is a reversal. And that reversal has a name: Jesus. He changes our direction from sin and death to life with God.

We live in the already-not-yet. Christ has come, died, risen, and saved; the Spirit gives joy even in trial. Yet full joy awaits His face. In that tension, remember our greatest problem is not finances, health, or circumstances—it’s sin. God addressed our deepest need first. The child born in David’s city is Savior, Christ the Lord—David’s promised heir and Abraham’s promised blessing for all families. From Genesis to Revelation, God keeps His promise: every tribe and tongue gathered before the Lamb.

So who is this for? Everyone—the poor, the captive, the oppressed, the blind, the religious and irreligious alike. Our world still asks, “Where is the joy?” After long seasons of silence and chaos, heaven answers again with good news of great joy. Go be the heralds of that joy. Neighbors who smile may still need a reversal. Jesus brings it.

Key Takeaways

1. Divine interruptions are invitations to draw. When God steps into our routines, He is not sabotaging our lives but rescuing our desires. The Father draws, often at “inconvenient” moments, to awaken a hunger we do not naturally possess. Receiving the interruption with humility often becomes the doorway to deeper nearness. [01:33]
2. Great joy is reversal, not mood. Scripture’s “great joy” breaks in when God turns ruin into restoration, not when He makes good days a bit better. It names the decisive shift from bondage to freedom, from silence to song, from death to life. If joy can coexist with sorrow, great joy redefines the story itself. [20:14]
3. Jesus fulfills promises for all nations. Born in David’s city and promised through Abraham, Jesus is the King who restores Israel and the blessing that reaches every family on earth. The arc from Genesis to Revelation bends toward a multiethnic throne room because God keeps His word. Our confidence in mission rests on His covenant faithfulness. [33:49]
4. Our greatest problem is always sin. Many pains are real, but only one estranges us from God. Jesus prioritized the eternal over the temporal, addressing the root so every other sorrow loses final say. Naming sin as primary is not minimizing suffering; it’s honoring the cure He came to bring. [26:33]
5. Become heralds of great joy. The world wears masks of competence while walking paths that need reversal. We carry news that doesn’t expire: Jesus changes destinies. Step into your neighborhood as a gentle “angel,” announcing good news that still scatters fear. [41:01]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:31] - The Father Draws Us
[01:52] - Good News For Everyone
[03:37] - Reading Luke 2:8-17
[06:02] - Christmas Is Real, Not Myth
[09:58] - Fear, Glory, and “Fear Not”
[10:10] - What Is Great Joy?
[12:11] - Joy in Trials, Fruit of the Spirit
[14:02] - Already–Not–Yet and Fullness of Joy
[20:14] - Great Joy Means Reversal
[21:56] - Birth, Resurrection, and the Nations
[27:29] - God Keeps His Promises in Jesus
[32:55] - Christ the Lord: David to Abraham
[41:01] - Be Heralds of Great Joy

Bible Study Guide

Bible reading (ESV)
Luke 2:8–17
8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear.
10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.
11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”
16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger.
17 And when they saw it they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child.

Observation questions (read the passage, then discuss)

What emotions and physical details appear in Luke 2:8–12? How do the shepherds’ fear and the angel’s words fit together? ([04:35])
What phrase does the angel use to describe the news he brings, and who is it said to be “for”? ([03:37])
Where do the shepherds go after seeing the sign, and what do they do once they see the child? What does their response tell us about how people receive this message? ([04:35])
The passage ends with the shepherds “making known” what they had been told. What specific things from the story would be most important for them to tell others? ([04:35])

Interpretation questions (think about meaning and implication)

What does the phrase “good news of great joy” mean as a reversal rather than merely a better feeling — how does the announcement point to a decisive change in people’s standing before God? ([20:14])
How does identifying the newborn as “a Savior… Christ the Lord” connect this event to God’s promises to David and Abraham, and what does that identification imply about the scope of God’s rescue? ([28:28])
How should the reality of living in the “already–not–yet” shape a Christian’s expectation of joy now and in the future? In what ways does present joy differ from the “fullness of joy” described in Scripture? ([14:02])

Application questions (personal, practical steps)

God’s interruptions draw people toward Jesus. When has an inconvenient interruption turned out to be God drawing you closer? What was your response then, and what would humility look like if a similar interruption happens this week? ([01:33])
The greatest problem we face is sin, and Jesus came as the solution. What specific areas of personal sin do you need to name honestly before God this week, and what practical next step will you take to receive his remedy? (confession, accountability, a spiritual discipline, etc.) ([26:33])
The call is to become heralds of great joy. Name one neighbor, co‑worker, or friend who seems outwardly fine but may need a reversal. What one concrete, kind action will you do in the next seven days to be a gentle “angel” of good news to them? ([41:01])
Joy as a fruit of the Spirit often appears most clearly in hardship. Where are you currently experiencing trial but also seeing glimpses of Spirit‑given joy? What spiritual practices will you pursue to rely on that joy this week (prayer, Scripture, worship, sharing with another believer)? ([12:11])
Jesus is God’s promise to all nations. How does that truth change the way you choose who to invite into gospel conversation or into church life? Which two people outside your usual circle will you intentionally pray for and invite to hear the good news this month? ([33:49])
The shepherds “went with haste” to see and then told others. What would “haste” look like in your life toward spiritual things — more time in Scripture, quicker obedience, a sacrificial visit or call? Pick one specific habit to speed up this season and commit to it for the next two weeks. ([04:35])

Sermon Clips

But there's something more than just a physical fear that's taking place here as well.It tells us in these verses that it says that the glory of the Lord shone around them.And can I tell you something about these shepherds?The shepherds were no different than anybody else.The shepherds also needed a Savior.The shepherds needed Jesus.The shepherds would need this.And we need Jesus that cleanses of our sins to be in right relationship with God.So let me just say this.When we are just men with sinful hearts and the glory of the Lord appears, it brings fear upon any of us when there's sin in our hearts. [00:08:07] (40 seconds) #AllNeedASavior

Do you realize that when I think about the fruit of the Spirit and joy as part of this, even the unbelievers have joy.On good days, when things are going well, they can have joy.They can have peace.They can have patience.They can have love.All of these things are happening.So when it comes to the fruit of the Spirit on our good days as believers in Christ, when we're having good days and we're filled with love and joy and peace and patience, all of those things, let me tell you, that doesn't really impress a whole lot of people.But when the chips are down, when the trials come and the hardships come, and things that we weren't expecting, those interruptions that didn't come from the Lord, it came from life.But we're still filled with joy.People start to take notice then. [00:12:23] (48 seconds) #JoyInTrials

There was a reversal, and now God is restoring things.That sin was stealing and robbing.Now he's restoring things.No longer are we trapped by this sin anymore.He now reverses things with great joy.It's a reversal.Not making something good better.He's saying, nope, I'm taking things that are really bad, heading the wrong way, and turning it around.That is great joy. [00:20:49] (23 seconds) #GodRestores

These were people who were waiting a long time for their Messiah.These were people who were relying on law and sacrifices, trying to hopefully be all right with God.But the law did not save them from their sins.The law did not fix the problem of sin.And so the angel is saying, you know what?Here comes great joy.We're going to reverse this path that humanity is on, where humanity can't save itself.Humanity can't do anything for itself.We're going to reverse that, and we're going to bring in Jesus, who is going to be the great joy. [00:21:56] (32 seconds) #MessiahBringsJoy

Let me tell you something.There's something powerful about Jesus' resurrection.It's with that that breaks the power of sin.It's that that gives us life.It's that that washes away our sins.It's that which gives us a relationship with God.We were headed one way, but praise God for great joy, it reversed our direction, and now we have a relationship with God.Amen?Jesus defeated.When it looked like Jesus was defeated, when it looked like all things were bad, when Satan was going to win one, great joy takes place, and everything's reversed. [00:22:53] (37 seconds) #ResurrectionPower

Why were the brothers had great joy?Because they realized these Gentiles are being saved.These Gentiles who were being doomed to a Satan's hell have now been saved.Their course had been reversed, and that brought great joy to the brothers.To know others can be saved.To realize it's not just for me, it's for everybody.It brought them great joy. [00:23:55] (21 seconds) #JoyForAllPeoples

Matthew takes a step further for us because he mentions, hey, He's the son of David.In other words, this Jesus, He is the king of Israel that you've been waiting for.He's come here to fulfill those promises of being a king.And He will do all of this for His nation, for His people, Israel.But guess what?He's also the son of Abraham.And that's where He takes a step further for us.Because with Abraham, what we're seeing is this Jesus is for everybody.And this is what I told you about earlier, that Jesus is from cover to cover. [00:33:09] (31 seconds) #JesusForAllNations

We need this realization.We need to understand something.We need to understand that we needed Christ in the same form and fashion and need that the person next to us did, the person down the street that people downtown did.In other words, we don't get to discriminate who we tell people about Jesus.We don't get to discriminate about who gets to hear about Jesus and who doesn't.We don't get to give some people information, not others.We need to understand it's for everybody.It's for everybody.This world desperately needs Jesus. [00:38:46] (38 seconds) #JesusForEveryone

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