A Little Bundle of Extraordinary Joy (Luke 2:1–14)

Everybody wants to be happy, a desire that’s understandable and expected when we remember what Scripture teaches about human origins. In the beginning we were made good creatures by a good God to enjoy his goodness unendingly. Certainly a joy-filled start! But when Adam and Eve believed the lie that something greater existed outside of what had been provided, they turned their backs on the source joy, God himself, moving immediately from shameless to shameful. Graciously, even before these first rebels left Eden, God had already provided a hope-filled promise that, one day, this perfect joy would be restored through an individual. And, since then, God’s people had been on the lookout for the One who would defeat evil, restore creation, and reconcile now-fallen humanity to an always-holy God. Centuries later, against an underwhelming backdrop, comes an announcement that this promise was being fulfilled—the Christ had arrived! Key Passage: Luke 2:1–14 Series: Advent 2021 Speaker: Josiah Boyd