Advent - Joy

Advent - JoySeason of AdventJoy To The WorldBut the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2:10-11Psalm 98This Christmas carol is Isaac Watts “imitation” of the last half of Psalm 98This Psalm is a call to Praise the Lord for His RighteousnessThe music is from George Fredrick HandelJoy To The World, the Lord is come! Let earth receive her King; Let every heart prepare Him room, And Heaven and nature sing, And Heaven and nature sing, And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing.Joy To The World, the Savior reigns! Let men their songs employ; While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains Repeat the sounding joy, Repeat the sounding joy, Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy.No more let sins and sorrows grow, Nor thorns infest the ground; He comes to make His blessings flow Far as the curse is found, Far as the curse is found, Far as, far as, the curse is found.He rules the world with truth and grace, And makes the nations prove The glories of His righteousness, And wonders of His love, And wonders of His love, And wonders, wonders, of His love.Mary’s JoyAnd Mary said, “Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her. Luke 1:38Mary’s Joy = “may it be done to me according to your word.”This is called a “fiat” from <Latin> = “let it be done”A fiat is an arbitrary/uncertain or authoritative command or order to do something; an effectual decree. (i.e. A royal fiat or a presidential fiat)It is an authorization, permission or (official) sanction. (i.e. A government fiat or to rule by fiat.)Luke 1:35“The angel’s fiat – “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God.”Blaise Pascal “Not only do we only know God through Jesus Christ, we only know ourselves through Jesus Christ; we only know life and death through Jesus Christ. Apart from Jesus Christ we cannot know the meaning of our life or death, of God or ourselves.”