“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.” – Philippians 4:4-5
“It’s the most wonderful time of the year,” as the saying goes. And because of that, it’s tempting to use the magical moments and happy memories of Christmas as a festive band-aid over our lack of true joy. We coast, we smile, we keep going, we even celebrate and laugh. But it is very much possible to do all those things and still miss out on the overwhelming, indescribable joy that Christ’s birth offers us.
Perhaps the opposite of joy isn’t always sadness or depression, but rather complacency. Numbness. Living on autopilot.
Too often, we view joy as an accessory rather than a necessity. Something that is “nice to have” but isn’t actually needed to survive. And maybe it’s not. But surviving is not living, and it’s certainly not thriving. It’s not what we have been called to as Christians; the “abundant life” that John 10:10 describes.
But to fully embrace the joy that God offers us, we first have to realize that when the Bible tells us to “rejoice,” it is not a suggestion. It is a command. It is both a gift from God and a response to God, as seen throughout all of Scripture.
We see in the Old Testament that joy is part of our heritage, our identity. After God delivered Israel from Egypt, they celebrated with singing, dancing, and rejoicing (Exodus 15). At the dedication of Jerusalem’s walls, the people rejoiced so loudly that their joy “was heard far away” (Nehemiah 12:43). God even instructed Moses and the Israelites to hold various festivals and celebrations each year—days set aside for remembrance, worship, and joy. God commissioned his people to celebrate because joy is a necessary part of our relationship with him and our understanding of him.
We see in the Psalms that joy is possible in the midst of sadness. David’s writing is full of poetic invitations to shout for joy, sing for joy, and make a joyful noise unto the Lord. But it’s also very clear that this joy is not experienced in isolation but rather while walking through fear, grief, and hardship. Whether it’s “Weeping may stay overnight, but there is joy in the morning” (Psalm 30:5) or “those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy,” (Psalm 126:5), these verses demonstrate that joy is a necessary companion through sorrow.
And, most poignantly for Advent, we see in the Christmas story that joy is the natural response to the coming of Jesus. John the Baptist leaped for joy inside Elizabeth’s womb because he recognized that Mary was carrying the Messiah (Luke 1:41–44). Mary’s song of praise begins with “my spirit rejoices in the Lord” (Luke 1:46-47). The angels declared “good news of great joy” to the shepherds (Luke 2:10). The shepherds returned to their fields glorifying and praising God after seeing the Christ child (Luke 2:20). The wise men felt exceeding joy at the sight of the star (Matthew 2:10).
It’s no coincidence that joy is the connecting trait among the characters in the Christmas story and the common thread running through the plotline of Jesus’s birth. It is clear that God views joy not as excessive or frivolous but as a necessary and worthy response to the gift of Christ. And if God sees joy as necessary, then so should we.
For those who believe Jesus is who he says he is, joy is not the icing on the cake; it’s the cake itself. “Joy is the serious business of Heaven,” as C.S. Lewis famously said, meaning that joy is not a flippant feeling but rather a foundational element of our faith. It is not a cheap distraction from the hardships of life but a powerful tool to help us get through them. It is not a performative exercise of pretending everything is okay, but rather a powerful declaration that we will rejoice in the midst of all that is not okay.
Lastly, the Bible doesn’t just tell us to rejoice—it tells us why we can rejoice.
We rejoice because we have been saved (Psalm 35:9).
We rejoice because in his presence is fullness of joy (Psalm 16:11).
And we rejoice because Jesus is coming again.
It’s the invitation of Advent, after all: Rejoice. For the Lord is near (Philippians 4:4–5).