The prophesy we read from Isaiah happened during a time when Judah’s future did not look promising. They were in exile, away from Jerusalem. Yet, one of the first words of chapter 35 is “rejoice.” The prophet is asking God’s people to rejoice because there was hope. Hope in God who was among them and they were going to see his glory, splendor and strengthen even in captivity.    

               We too, as Isaiah, live in a world that seems not to have a promising future. Our stability is being threatened by wars, climate change, natural disasters, political turmoil, and other events. Seems that our future is growing darker and darker all the time, but because of what God did at Christmas we can celebrate joy.

               Those who do not have Jesus in their hearts, those who do not have our faith and hope would be asking, how Christians can speak about joy when our world is in a such condition, how can they speak of joy when many families are going thru grief? How can they celebrate joy when the world is in such turmoil? The answer is: we do it because the joy we celebrate in Advent is not the result of our condition. Our Joy, our celebration is fruit of the Holy Spirit, it is a gift from God to the “feeble hands” and to the “knees that give way”, it’s a blessing from God to those with “fearful hearts.”

               The joy we celebrate is a joy that comes from the assurance that God can and will transform our reality. The prophet Isaiah speaks about that kind of transformation like this: the blind will see; the deaf will hear; the lame will leap, and the mute tongue will shout for joy; Springs will burst forth in the wilderness; streams in the desert.The dry land will become a pool and the thirsty land will become springs of water. What the prophets is saying, is that God will bring radicals changes to the redeemed and the ransomed of the Lord and to the land.

               Joy -as hope, peace, and love- is not something that we can create on our own. They are not either the result of our temporary reality; rather they come from a source outside of us. Nehemiah 8:10 says, “for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” And what is the joy of the Lord? According to Nehemiah, God has joy when he sees His children trusting Him, following His will, and waiting on His promises regardless of their condition. These promises keep God’s people joyfully going because we know He has the world in His hands; what is understandable and a mystery to us, is in his hands. Therefore, we can rejoice in the assurance that it will be a day when everything will be different and we will rejoice together, because He promised it and “His promises are Faithful and True.”

               We can rejoice in the assurance that God is in control of our condition and whatever condition we are right now will not last forever, as Psalm 30, verse five says, “Weeping may go on all night, but in the morning, there is joy.” Now, should I rejoice I the midst of my grief? Yes, but not because of the grief or the pain, but because the hope we have in Jesus Christ our Lord; should I rejoice in the midst of my sickness? Yes, but not because of my sickness, but because I have a healer and my sickness is the opportunity to see him at work. Should I rejoice in my need? Again yes, but not because of my need, but because I have a loving provider that will never leave alone.

               The Joy we celebrate today, the third Sunday of Advent is a wonderful thing. This is a Joy that overtakes us when we know we are walking on the path shown to us by Jesus the Christ. This Joy pops up whenever we see God at work. When we see him healing the sick and curing the lame; giving sight to the blind and proclaiming good news to those who are poor.  This joy pops up when we understand that God can continue the work he began with Jesus and the disciples through us no matter the circumstances around us.

               Everlasting joy will come, says Isaiah 35, on the day of the Messiah’ coming, on that day – he testifies-, the wilderness and the dry land shall be glad, the desert shall rejoice; on that day, the ransomed of the LORD shall return and come to Zion with singing; and everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and crying shall flee away.

               There is a day coming, which we are called to be prepared for, that day, we will all enjoy eternal joy. Joy which we receive a taste of, here and now when we receive the gift of seeing God at work, and when we do the work of God and thereby make it possible for others to have the joy of seeing him.

               On this Third Sunday of Advent, I want to bring to our minds the words of Paul in Philippians 4:4-5 “Rejoice in the Lord always… the Lord is at hand.” Also, Zephaniah 3:17-18 “The Lord… will rejoice over you with gladness, he will renew you in his love… as on a day of festival.” The joy that Advent is inviting to have, the joy that God’s presence reawakens in the hearts of His people, is not reserved for us alone: it is a prophetic proclamation for all humanity and for the poorest of the poor, in this case those poorest in joy- those going through circumstances where it’s not an easy task to have joy. Therefore, let us include in our prayers those young men and women and all our brothers and sisters who, in several regions of the world are experiencing the drama of war: how will they celebrate joy this season? How will their Christmas be like?

               Let us include in our prayers all the sick and lonely people who, in addition to being tried in their body, are also alone and with sadness in their souls because they often feel abandoned: how can we share joy with them in the midst of their suffering? 

               Let’s remember that Joy is a wonderful thing, a thing that overtakes us when we are on the path shown to us by Jesus the Christ. Let us remember that God’s joy pops up whenever we see God healing the sick and curing the lame; giving sight to the blind and proclaiming good news to those who are poor. But most of all let’s remember that God’s joy pops up when we do the work of God and understand that God can continue his work through us no matter the circumstances around us; Let’s rejoice together knowing that God has chosen us as instruments of his Joy, as channels to bring his joy to others; let’s rejoice in the Lord and in everything He has done in us.