Teaching About Joy in Advent
Joy is one of the most recognizable themes of Advent: it’s sung in carols, displayed in the Christmas story, and talked about throughout the Christmas season. Many of us have a deep desire and motivation to find joy in life, but we are tempted to look for it in the temporary solutions our world offers. More than that, for those working with teenagers, joy can seem like a vague sentiment rather than a robust, Christ-centered reality that shapes our teaching. Many students hear “joy” and think “feeling happy.” Scripture, however, paints a far deeper picture: joy is the result of God’s saving work, part of the essence of the gospel story. The “good news” of Jesus is that there is a lasting joy available through Christ: a joy rooted in His character that breaks into our darkness and transforms how we live.
In this installment of The Themes of Advent in Youth Ministry, we explore how the Advent theme of joy can shape our teaching and discipleship during the Christmas season. What parts of the Christmas story highlight this theme most clearly? How does it help us understand the impact of Jesus’s arrival? And how can we invite students not merely to study joy, but to experience it and live it out through the power of the Holy Spirit?
Prelimary Consideration: Joy is God’s Plan, Not Our Work
To begin, it’s important to ground our discussion in a foundational truth: joy in Scripture is never presented as something we can achieve in our own strength; it is something that is possible because of a work of God. Joy arrives because God acts. Advent is all about God stepping into human history with saving initiative; the light of the world breaking into the darkness. Youth need to be shown that joy is not something they muster by their own strength. Joy is the overflow of God’s presence, promises, and power.
How many of our students often feel exhausted, overwhelmed, or numb, especially during the Christmas season? Many teens may even assume they can’t experience joy because their mental or emotional state prevents them from doing so. The Advent narratives say differently: joy comes from God miraculously working on behalf of His people: coming to dwell among them. As you teach your students, emphasize that joy is not a feeling to chase but a truth to receive: that God has come near in Christ. Encouraging your students to recognize that because of Jesus, true and lasting joy is not longer out of reach.
Joy in the Birth Narrative: Announcement
One of the best moments of the birth narrative is the proclamation of Jesus’s birth. Luke 2:10 says, “I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.” This is not accidental. God intentionally chooses shepherds, the oft-considered spiritually and socially insignificant to receive the first announcement of Christ’s arrival. Remind your students that there is not a greater joy that we can have than knowing God brings joy to those who often don’t expect it (or deserve it).
The joyous announcement of Jesus also brings change. The shepherds go with haste to where the angels say that Jesus is. Joy compels movement; it should do the same for us as well. The shepherds simply share what they see and hear as they enter the most important birth story in history. Remind the teenagers we have the privilege of announcing what they have heard from Scripture and experienced themselves: that Jesus has arrived, bringing salvation and eternal life! Invite them to be like the shepherds: testifying to what God has revealed to them about the joy that comes through a relationship with Jesus.
Joy in the Birth Narrative: Arrival
One story in the birth narratives that is often overlooked is the joy demonstrated in John the Baptist and Elizabeth before birth. In Luke 1:39-45 John “leaps for joy” in Elizabeth’s womb when Mary arrives, reminding students that joy comes when we rightly see Jesus. Then Elizabeth in vs. 41-45 is enabled by the Spirit to proclaim the greatness of God’s salvation. This is both a mysterious scene and one of great joy! Students, likewise, may not have everything figured out theologically, spiritually, or emotionally, but they need to know that all who encounter the Lord Jesus can receive the joy He offers.
When it is revealed to Mary that the Messiah would be born through her womb in Luke 1, her response is full of unexpected joy. As you teach, don’t forget to remind your students of the situation Mary was walking into. Consider the potential shame and cultural misunderstanding she would face, the possible familial rejection and the uncertain future she could have to deal with. Despite these difficult circumstances, Mary’s Magnificat in Luke 1:46-56 is one of the richest joy-saturated passages in Scripture. She rejoices not because her circumstances are easy, but because God is faithful, present, and sovereign. She can say in Luke 1:46-47, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.”
Joy in the Birth Narrative: Answer
There would be more who could come later that would respond with joy to the coming of Jesus: the Magi. Their response is recorded in Matthew 2:10, where in response to seeing the star, “they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy.” Help teenagers see that like the Magi, joy can be found in seeking Christ. Their joy is tied not to an easy journey, but to finding the One their hearts were drawn toward. Teens often approach life in comfort and safety, but the Magi remind us that some joy often comes only after perseverance in the face of hardship.
We also find in Luke 2, the characters Simeon and Anna who respond to the coming of Jesus in joy. Simeon had been waiting “for the consolation of Israel.” His joy is in the fulfillment of God’s promises to His people after long expectation. Youth leaders can use this to help students see that biblical joy often coexists with longing, disappointment, and waiting. Many of our students need to hear these words of reassurance, finding joy in God’s promises fulfilled in Christ. Anna likewise responds to Jesus in a special way with thanksgiving and evangelism, announcing to all “who were waiting for redemption” that the Messiah has arrived. Yet again, we see this theme of movement from internal joy to outward witness. We should help our students see that our joy in Christ cannot stay hidden: when we have experience God keeping His promises, it compels us to talk about it.
Helping Students Today Embrace Joy
Advent joy is not sentimental; it is substantial, real, and eternal. It is rooted in Christ and it overflows into our lives. Joy is a result of Christ arriving on this earth to accomplish God’s plan of redemption, which means it is anchored in the unchanging character of God.
Help your students see that there is everlasting joy in knowing Jesus is present and active in their lives. Sing the Christmas carols this holiday season about joy with intentionality. Find ways to serve others in your community who may be struggling, sharing Gospel truths that bring lasting joy to people that deeply need it.
Advent joy is the joy of the already and not yet. Christ has come, and Christ will come again. This dual horizon gives students a vision of joy that is anchored in Christ alone, the one who arrived the first time to announce the inauguration of the eternal kingdom of God, and who will return to bring it all to pass. As you teach the Christmas story this year, help students see this Advent truth: joy is not something we must chase; it is something that arrived in the person of Jesus. When students grasp this, joy becomes more than a seasonal feeling, but a lifelong companion.