December 15, 2019 · John 16:20–21

Advent: A Royal Celebration

“The joy that we speak about at Advent is a lot like pregnancy because we sing songs of joy about a baby boy being burned. Our joy in Jesus is like the joy of childbirth, and we see this and the fact that this joy that we have is a complicated happiness. And we're now in a moment where our joy is here, but we're also waiting for it to arrive. The joy of Christmas. It's not some idealized joy disconnected from reality. It's the joy of a family waiting for a baby. Jesus says a lot about joy and his gospel of John verse chapter 16 verse 20. Very truly, I tell you, will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. Jesus tells us that we can expect to grieve in this lifetime. It's not going to be easy. You will show up to find there's no room in the end. You will discover that the mad king in the land wants to kill your joy, but the harsh reality that darkness could not push us into despair for even then God is there. Jesus continues. In verse 21, a woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come. But when her baby is born, she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world.”