Joyful Witness (Isaiah 35:1-10)

1. Joyful Witness(Isaiah 35:1-10)

2. Blue Christmas service • Christmas is almost here! • Is Christmas is a time of joy or a time of frustration? • Christmas can be hard for those who have lost their beloved one, or for those who have fallen on financially hard times. • We should not only celebrate the birth of Christ but also work to offer “Blue Christmas service” to people who are feeling blue at this time of year. 

3. The spirit of Joy • “I am happy because I am a child of God and I got the gift of Christmas in Jesus Christ, and I would like to witness to this great gift from God.” • One of the reasons why Jesus used a little child as the sole embodiment of God’s kingdom is because children know how to rejoice. • Joyfulness is the very innate character of children.

4. Somehow we adults seem to lose that awe and wonder somewhere along the road to grownup hood. • Yet, no matter how old or young we are, we are all God’s dear children as we have been born again in Jesus Christ our Lord. • The Christ came as a baby, and he is the most precious gift of God to the world. • In Jesus Christ, we should recover the character of joy in your hearts.

5. The life of witness • Besides the theme of joy, there is another theme running through the readings for this morning, that is, witness. • “The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and come out in full bloom” (v. 1). • “They will see the glory of the LORD, and the splendor of our God” (v. 2). • Witness to the advent of God’s only Son Jesus Christ our Lord. • 1) Jesus comes and suddenly water starts gushing forth everywhere in the desert. • 2) When the blind, the lame, the deaf, and the dumb meet him, they would be healed and set free from their suffering lives. • 3) People who are shaking with fear suddenly burst out laughing and singing.

6. In Isaiah’s day, people were extremely fearful; Israel was on the brink of ruin by their enemy. • Our fears are the same. • 1) This world doesn’t know peace. • 2 Things go wrong; plans fail. • 3) Tragedy strikes. Death takes its toll. • 4) Pain is a part of everyday life. • The truth about our lives in this world is that whether it is Christmas or not, the devil, our sinful hearts, or even this crazy world challenges our joy and happiness everyday.

7. Nevertheless, “What are we smiling about?” • We can smile and rejoice because thereis now joy in the world. • It’s because the Lord has come and he comes to bring the great salvation. • We can rejoice even in the time of tribulation because we believe Christ has died, Christ has risen, and Christ is now with us and also will come again with power and glory!

8. In our life of witness to Christ • At this time of year, let’s fill our hearts with joy. • Christ is the joy in our lives! • We, too, are called to witness to the Good News of Christ’s reconciliation and salvation of the world. • Today we stand up and say to what we know to be the truth about God and about the salvation of Jesus Christ. • In our life of witness to Christ, we can and should “rejoice.”