Jesus is the Way to Get Great Joy - Pastor Johnny Marten

I shared how Advent stirs up memories of childhood joy—family gathered, songs sung, simple gifts received—and how that joy points to something deeper and older: the joy announced in a field to ordinary shepherds. The angel’s words were clear: good news of great joy for all people. The details and timing of how people celebrate may vary, but the point has never changed. Joy arrived in Jesus. The shepherds heard, responded, went to see, and then shared. That is still the pattern: hear, respond personally, and then spread what we have seen and heard.

This joy is not vague optimism. It is tied to a Person. With Jesus, you receive joy; without Him, you miss the heart of it. He came with human limits, touched specific lives, then returned to the Father so the Holy Spirit could dwell in all who trust Him. That’s why joy can be personal today—because the Spirit makes it real in the heart. But it must be more than inviting Jesus to ride along while we keep heading the wrong direction. Many of us were told to “accept Jesus,” and we tried that without repentance. We kept driving the same road of sin and wondered why nothing changed. Joy begins when we surrender, make a U-turn, and follow Him as Lord.

I spoke from my own story of bondage, misery, and finally deliverance. When I turned around and followed Christ, joy came rushing in—joy in His presence, peace not like the world gives, a new life with new hope. Worldly joys fade—the new-car smell always goes. But joy rooted in Jesus endures because it flows from His peace and presence. To keep that joy burning, we keep putting logs on the fire: prayer, Scripture, worship, obedience. As we trust Him, the God of hope fills us with joy and peace, and that hope overflows by the Holy Spirit. That is the gift held out to each of us in this season: not a holiday mood, but a surrendered life filled with the joy of Christ.