Advent Devotional 2025: Part 2
by Bruce Billington
Advent Devotional – Part 2
This week, we will continue with the Advent—the coming of Christ, or the Incarnation. This second session focuses on the second great gift of Advent: joy.
Joy is found through the salvation accomplished by Jesus Christ in the past, personally experienced now, and confidently anticipated in the future. As we keep this before us, the difficulties we face today are considered too insignificant to compare with the glory that will be revealed to us. We must remember that the Lord Himself—who came, who rose from the dead, who is present through the Holy Spirit, and who will return—is the foundation of all our joy.
The shepherds who went to visit the baby Jesus must have recalled God’s word to Moses and, as such, were terrified.
No man shall see God and live (Exodus 33:20)
However, an angel appeared before them and said to them,
Do not be afraid! (Luke 2:10).
The angel did not come as a messenger of death but as one who proclaimed life to all people. He came to bring good news of great joy. The statement from Luke is not only for the shepherds and the nation of Israel but for everyone who accepts Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour.
John 3:29 – “He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. So, this joy of mine has been made full.”.
The church is the bride, and Christ is the bridegroom. Christ brings the bride to Himself. John compares himself to the friend of the bridegroom who accompanies Him to honour and serve, and he rejoices greatly to hear His voice. He then states that his joy has been made complete.
So, as friends of the bridegroom, our role is to rejoice in His presence, worship Him, and make Him known to everyone. We are told that we must first stand and hear the bridegroom’s voice, which means receiving instructions from Him and then celebrating the fact that He can speak to us and through us. This should be our greatest joy.
Jesus said in John 8:56, “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.”
Abraham in heaven rejoices today, knowing the promise of a great harvest of sons and daughters to the Living God has come to pass. As incredible as it may seem, the perfect joy that Jesus experiences because of His communion with the Father is now accessible to all who are in Christ. Jesus tells us that, instead of being burdened by legalism, if we keep His commandments, His joy will be within us, and our joy will be made complete (John 15:10). He also promises that any prayer made in His name will be heard (John 15:7 & 16). The world cannot take away this joy because it is rooted in Him and does not belong to the world.
Jesus does not pretend that we won’t face difficulties in life, that we won’t suffer, or even face persecution and death. But He calls us to focus on His ultimate return, where all these things will end, and our eternal joy will become a permanent part of our being (John 16:22).
This great joy is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22), which can be understood as a constant delight in God and a cheerful attitude in conversations with those we meet in life.
When the first significant persecution of Christians began under the Roman government, it became so severe that they lost their property and possessions. Yet they found joy in knowing that they had a better, lasting inheritance coming that no one could take away (Hebrews 10:34).
Martin Luther wrote in the last lines of a hymn,
And though they take our life,
Goods, honour, children, wife,
Yet is their profit small:
These things shall vanish all:
[But] the City of God remains.
Our joy is untouchable because of the coming of the Messiah and His once-for-all value of the cross.
God bless you.
Bruce Billington