Happy Monday and Merry Christmas in this last episode before the holiday.

We're coming in with a Christmas meditation on happiness and anxiety,

all spurned by this question from a listener named Derek.

Hello, Pastor John, and Merry Christmas to you.

During the Advent season each year, I love to sing the hymn, joy to the world.

But the more I read my Bible, the more I wonder if Jesus came to bring world peace or not.

It seems like the world is becoming more unstable and less happy.

It has certainly never felt more fractured to me.

Yet at his birth, a multitude of angels praise God by saying, glory to God in the highest and on earth peace among those with whom he is

pleased. That's Luke 2, verses 13 and 14. And of course, it's carefully qualified, not joy to the whole world,

but joy to those who please God. And then, of course it's carefully qualified, not joy to the whole world, but joy to those who please God.

And then, of course, later in his ministry, Jesus said of himself, do not think that I've come to bring peace to the earth.

I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.

Those are his recorded words in Matthew 1034.

As we prepare to celebrate our Savior's birth again, I have to ask,

does Christmas signal peace or war? It seems to be both. And if so, what kind of war did he start on earth? And what kind of peace did he bring to earth? I think Derek is right, absolutely right, in everything he just said.

And what I would add is that the dominant note that needs to be struck at Christmas time

and Easter time and every other time in the Christian life is the note of God exalting happiness.

Happiness because the first thing the angel says to the shepherds in Luke 2.10 is,

behold, I bring you news, good news of great joy.

Huge happiness.

Yeah.

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