Advent Week Three
Zephaniah 3:14-20 (New International Version)

14 Sing, O Daughter of Zion;
shout aloud, O Israel!
Be glad and rejoice with all your heart,
O Daughter of Jerusalem!
15 The LORD has taken away your punishment,
he has turned back your enemy.
The LORD, the King of Israel, is with you;
never again will you fear any harm.
16 On that day they will say to Jerusalem,
"Do not fear, O Zion;
do not let your hands hang limp.
17 The LORD your God is with you,
he is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you,
he will quiet you with his love,
he will rejoice over you with singing."
18 "The sorrows for the appointed feasts
I will remove from you;
they are a burden and a reproach to you.
19 At that time I will deal
with all who oppressed you;
I will rescue the lame
and gather those who have been scattered.
I will give them praise and honor
in every land where they were put to shame.
20 At that time I will gather you;
at that time I will bring you home.
I will give you honor and praise
among all the peoples of the earth
when I restore your fortunes
before your very eyes,"
says the LORD.

The third Sunday of Advent focuses on joy. Often a pink or rose candle is lit to signify the great joy that we sense when we remember the birth of Christ. The prophet Zephaniah called for the people of Israel to rejoice because the LORD was with them. Many translations of this passage say that the LORD was in their midst, or as the Contemporary English Version says “Your LORD is King of Israel and stands at your side.” The great hymn writer Isaac Watts was thinking this way when he penned our beloved Christmas carol “Joy to the World” in 1719. Joy to the world, the Lord is come! When we remember that Christ was born into this world we rejoice just as the angel announced to the shepherds in Luke 2: 10, “I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people.” When we radiate the joy of Christmas we can bring light and joy to a dark and dreary world full of pain and suffering. Go out and be joyful this Christmas season for the LORD is with you and he is mighty to save.