Presented to
Trinity United Methodist Church
Third Sunday of Advent
December 11, 2022
Joy Sunday says it all. On this third Sunday of Advent we light the pink candle in the wreath. It is the one that reminds of the news that shall be a great joy to all people—the news that Emmanuel is born, God with us. We lifted our voices with the Angels, singing “Joy to the World, the Lord is come!” And even today, even here, in this place, in your place wherever you are – we stand in the promise that God is with us, you and me, here and now. There can be no greater joy than that.
Even as we sing of our Joy, we know the happiness we think we are supposed to feel during this season eludes many people. Maybe you are one of those. Grief is too raw. Loneliness is your daily companion. Despair robs you of hope, and without hope, how can there be joy.
The words of our candle liturgy come from Isaiah 35: 1-10. They are echoed in the words of Jesus as recorded in Matthew which Joel read this morning. We hear these words as a prophecy and promise of the coming reign of our Messiah. Jesus echoed these words from Isaiah to connect himself to that promise and to declare in himself the fulfillment of the promise:
When John asked "Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?" Jesus answered, "Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them. And blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me."
In other words, Jesus is saying, Can't you see in me the fulfillment of the promise God made.
But when we look at Isaiah in context, the promise in this chapter was written to a people in captivity, in exile in Babylon, far from home. These were words of encouragement to people who had little to hope for. They were words of hope, written to a desert people who knew very well about wilderness and dry land and dangerous roads. Listen as these words might speak to your own desert places, your own captivity, your own weakness and fear, your own blindness and deafness.
Isaiah 35:1-10
The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad,
the desert shall rejoice and blossom;
like the crocus it shall blossom abundantly,
and rejoice with joy and singing.
The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it,
the majesty of Carmel and Sharon.
They shall see the glory of the LORD,
the majesty of our God.
Strengthen the weak hands,
and make firm the feeble knees.
Say to those who are of a fearful heart,
"Be strong, do not fear! Here is your God.
He will come with vengeance, with terrible recompense.
He will come and save you."
Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened
and the ears of the deaf unstopped;
then the lame shall leap like a deer,
and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy.
For waters shall break forth in the wilderness,
and streams in the desert;
the burning sand shall become a pool,
and the thirsty ground springs of water;
the haunt of jackals shall become a swamp,
the grass shall become reeds and rushes.
A highway shall be there,
and it shall be called the Holy Way;
the unclean shall not travel on it,
but it shall be for God's people;
no traveler, not even fools, shall go astray.
No lion shall be there,
nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it;
they shall not be found there,
but the redeemed shall walk there.
And the ransomed of the LORD shall return,
and come to Zion with singing;
everlasting joy shall be upon their heads;
they shall obtain joy and gladness,
and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
When we hear these words, written so long ago and so far away, we have a different perspective than those Israelites who first heard this prophecy. In their captivity, they were hoping for a literal way home, a release from bondage, a reunion with family left behind. Maybe John the Baptist was hoping for the same thing when he sent the message to Jesus from prison. The exiled Israelites were dreaming their own land, their own houses, a future for their children, and maybe for a little revenge. The period of captivity lasted 70 years, so that virtually no one who was captured actually returned to their homeland. We don't know when in the span of captivity that this prophecy was proclaimed to the people. Isaiah himself was a visionary whose ministry was prior to the Babylonian period. We see in Isaiah's visions a prophecy of the coming of the Messiah, whereas those exiles who first heard his words were hoping for a return to their homeland.
Many of you will be familiar with the story of Brittany Griner, BG, renowned college and professional basketball player who tormented our Lady Vols when she played for Baylor. You know about her imprisonment in Russia on trumped up charges. She was held for 8 months and finally released this week. Imagine her experience of exile and captivity, her despair, her dreams of home and finally her journey home. We celebrate her joy, while grieving for those who are still held captive by foreign governments.
In the same way, we can celebrate the JOY of this season, while still grieving for those who are held captive by grief, by loneliness, by fear, by infirmity, by despair. What holds you back from Joy. All of us are invited claim the promise of the season, God IS with us. He provides us a way out of the desert, out of captivity; a way that is safe and secure and well-provisioned. He has given us a savior. Imagine BG on that plane home, with all her needs being met. We can be on that journey, too. We can dance and sing; we can see, and we can hear because the journey home is a journey of beauty and joy.
This time of year our screens are filled with old Christmas movies and shows. Think of the many secular Christmas movies that have themes of journeying to find home, overcoming obstacles, loneliness or despair to find the joy of the season: the classic “It's a Wonderful Life,” “A Charlie Brown Christmas;” the Waltons, “The Homecoming;” “Elf.” You fill in your favorite Christmas movie, video or TV show and chances are very good you will find the same theme. God, whether named or not, provides a way home and connection with loved ones, a way back to joy.
Today, as we hear Jesus connecting himself to Isaiah's vision, we are assured that God's promise has been fulfilled, the Messiah has come, Emmanuel, God IS with us. We are traveling the Lord’s Highway on our way home. The desert blooms and blossoms to welcome us. Sometimes, though, we have to intentionally seek out a deserted place to find renewal. I hope in this season of rejoicing we can also find quiet time to remember the reason.
Our life is not perfect, but as Christians, we are on the road toward perfection. We may not yet be all that we can be. I'm certainly not. We may not yet have reached our destination as the people of God, but we are on the way. So, let’s rejoice today. Let us claim the gift of joy, even while acknowledging the struggles of a difficult world, even as we pray for those who are hurting, who are grieving, who are lost and alone; even as we feel our own pain, grief, loneliness. We celebrate joyfully because our God has promised healing and wholeness. In Jesus name, we claim that promise.
This season is about experiencing the Joy of God's promises fulfilled. But even more than that, it is about sharing the Good News. The angels didn't keep the good news to themselves. The shepherds didn't keep the good news to themselves. The Wise Men didn't keep the good news to themselves. The disciples didn't keep the good news to themselves. Christians through the ages haven't kept the good news to themselves, as we will sing in a few minutes. We are not supposed to keep our good news to ourselves.
We know that we are hardly the best ambassadors of God’s grace and hope, hardly the best witnesses to comfort and joy. But we are what God has to work with. We are the sign to the world that the journey home has begun. We are witnesses to God with us - to Emmanuel. We are the light in the darkness, announcing to any and all that the season of joy and light, of peace and goodwill, is here. God is with us. Rejoice!
Sending Forth
God of Joy, during this season when the sun sets early, help us to focus on the light that shatters the darkness. Give us the eyes to see you move among us and to experience a joy that transcends our circumstances. Give us the ears to hear again the good news. Give us the mouth to shout affirmations of your love for all to hear. So go with joy and confidence into the days.
And now let us give thanks for the meal we are about to receive, for the hands and hearts who have prepared it, and for the joy of our fellowship. Amen
Isaiah 35:1-10
35:1 The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad, the desert shall rejoice and blossom; like the crocus
35:2 it shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the majesty of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the LORD, the majesty of our God.
35:3 Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees.
35:4 Say to those who are of a fearful heart, "Be strong, do not fear! Here is your God. He will come with vengeance, with terrible recompense. He will come and save you."
35:5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped;
35:6 then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy. For waters shall break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert;
35:7 the burning sand shall become a pool, and the thirsty ground springs of water; the haunt of jackals shall become a swamp, the grass shall become reeds and rushes.
35:8 A highway shall be there, and it shall be called the Holy Way; the unclean shall not travel on it, but it shall be for God's people; no traveler, not even fools, shall go astray.
35:9 No lion shall be there, nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it; they shall not be found there, but the redeemed shall walk there.
35:10 And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
Psalm 146:5-10
146:5 Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD their God,
146:6 who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them; who keeps faith forever;
146:7 who executes justice for the oppressed; who gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets the prisoners free;
146:8 the LORD opens the eyes of the blind. The LORD lifts up those who are bowed down; the LORD loves the righteous.
146:9 The LORD watches over the strangers; he upholds the orphan and the widow, but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.
146:10 The LORD will reign forever, your God, O Zion, for all generations. Praise the LORD!
Matthew 11:2-11
11:2 When John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing, he sent word by his disciples
11:3 and said to him, "Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?"
11:4 Jesus answered them, "Go and tell John what you hear and see:
11:5 the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them.
11:6 And blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me."
11:7 As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: "What did you go out into the wilderness to look at? A reed shaken by the wind?
11:8 What then did you go out to see? Someone dressed in soft robes? Look, those who wear soft robes are in royal palaces.
11:9 What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.
11:10 This is the one about whom it is written, 'See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.'
11:11 Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one has arisen greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
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