Great Joy!

I am reminded of a wonderful childhood Christmas season memory, a devotion I was preparing to lead from Luke 2. Every year my family eagerly awaited the announcement about when the Charlie Brown Christmas would air. We would take our bath earlier than usual that night, put on our red footed pajamas and gather around the tiny black and white TV that Dad had built a shelf for in the kitchen. (Why it was in the kitchen, I don’t know, but it was a place we liked to gather together for a meal, the day’s news, and shows like Ed Sullivan, Carol Burnett, Lawrence Welk, or Andy Williams that entertained us before bed). The 4 of us would congregate in the breakfast area around the white round formica table and sit in the mid-mod, black vinyl “spinny” chairs (that we would sometimes spin round and round in until we were so dizzy we couldn’t walk). For the Peanut Special, Mom would pop some popcorn and make some hot chocolate with marshmallows and we would watch intently. Charlie Brown was tasked with doing a Christmas play about the true meaning of Christmas as well as finding a Christmas Tree to decorate the stage. As all the peanuts characters revealed their reasons for Christmas, Charlie Brown, depressed as he was, though he couldn’t put his finger on it, knew something just wasn’t right. As he looked for a tree, all he could find was a pitiful, scraggly little hopeless looking live tree that was losing its needles and it could only hold one little ornament that he took from Snoopy’s award winning decorations. Charlie’s sister Lucy would say, “you’re such a blockhead Charlie Brown.” Charlie Brown raises his voice and asks in exasperation, “does anyone know what Christmas is all about?” And Linus says he does and he recites the Christmas narrative from Luke 2, then uses his blanket to prop up the hopeless little tree as the other Peanuts characters, whose hearts are also changed, come together around the tree, that miraculously emerges as a new beautiful tree full of life, light and ornaments. The kids sing “Hark! the Herald Angels Sing.” What a picture this is of Christ's work in our lives, we are hopeless and pitiful, incapable of bringing much joy to anyone and Jesus’ Advent into this world brings “Good tidings of Great Joy” as He moves into our lives and changes us and makes us whole spiritually. How joyful to know that God loves us so much and wants to be with us so much that He sent Immanuel, God-with-us, God Incarnate, to earth to connect with us and make us a new creation so we can share His great joy back to Him and with others.

Linus quotes Dr. Luke's Gospel as he recites, “And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.” Luke 2:8-16 (KJV)?

The Charlie Brown Christmas had no “laugh tracks” or complex animation, yet its simple message was a beautiful reminder to us all about the true meaning of Christmas. As we have enjoyed Thanksgiving and enter into the Christmas season, we can bring joy to those around us. The definition of joy is when someone is glad to be with us. The coming of Christ brings good tidings of great joy, because God is glad to be with us (Immanuel means God with us). We can return that gladness to be with God as we worship Him this season and we can pour out that joy on those around us as we are glad to be with them. Someone around you may really need to experience the true meaning of Christmas this year.

Hang in there people! God is glad to be with us! I'm praying for us all!