Emphasis Preaching Journal

The tradition of Christmas in this country is really a collection of many traditions wrapped up like a gift that takes several weeks to open. Unless things have changed, children today carry on a tradition I enjoyed as a child which began only an hour or two after the Christmas gifts were opened. That is the tradition of gathering up several of the favorite gifts that could be easily transported and take them to a friend's house to visit. We needed to see what each other received, and play proudly with these new toys. Of course there would be stories to tell and food to enjoy at the same time.

When Isaiah anticipates the Hand of the Lord delivering on his promise, we find the same uninhibited joy and excitement that many children still find in the opened gifts. The feelings are happy ones, and the spirit of the situation is a brimming desire to share them with someone else.

There is an important distinction, however, between the child's enthusiasm over new toys and the Christian's heartfelt realization that God has delivered on his promise. The difference is that the joy of the child stems from visible and external objects he quickly cherishes. Isaiah speaks of something much more rich and meaningful -- One who will bring an eternal good news to those without reason to rejoice. Our joy comes from within because we have already begun to see what God is doing to bring righteousness into our lives.