Advent Ends In The Light (Isaiah 60:1-2)

The candle we light for Joy is also known as the Shepherd Candle,
because of the joy given to the shepherds by the angels
(Luke 2:8-20).  When Jesus was born,
it was announced as “good tidings that brings great joy.” Jesus
was a gift of God incarnate that brought joy into the world; Paul
would later write that joy is also a gift from God’s Spirit into
us. Because of this, we can say that we are “full of sorrow, and
yet rejoicing” (2 Corinthians 6:10).  


Jesus once said, “You have sorrow now, but I will see you again,
and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from
you.” (John 16:22) So if you were to ask me how to find joy, I
would say that joy is given by God the Father through the
Holy Spirit, but joy is found in the person and presence of
Jesus. See Jesus. And that’s what we are going to do today.