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Near, With, In: The Joy of Christmas

What if biblical joy isn’t something you work up, but Someone you carry? What if the joy of Christmas flows not from perfect circumstances, but from the miracle that the holy God has chosen to dwell near us, with us, and now in us? In this Advent message, we trace God’s presence from the ark of the covenant to David’s unrestrained joy, to the woman who touched Jesus, and finally to Christ making His home within His people. How does Christmas change when you realize the untouchable God became touchable through Jesus—and what would shift if you truly lived aware that Christ lives in you?

Sarah Blount
The Joy

The Belonging Co.

Surrounded (Fight My Battles)

Good Plans/Doxology

Red Rocks Worship

Biblical joy is a Spirit-given, Christ-rooted gladness that endures through every circumstance, flowing from God's grace and overflowing in love, service, and worship.

Exodus 25:22

There I will meet with you, and from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim that are on the ark of the testimony, I will speak with you about all that I will give you in commandment for the people of Israel.

The ark was the visible sign of the invisible God dwelling among His people.

2 Samuel 6:1-11

David again gathered all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand. And David arose and went with all the people who were with him from Baale-judah to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the name of the Lord of hosts who sits enthroned on the cherubim. And they carried the ark of God on a new cart and brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. And Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, were driving the new cart, with the ark of God, and Ahio went before the ark.

And David and all the house of Israel were celebrating before the Lord, with songs and lyres and harps and tambourines and castanets and cymbals. And when they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah put out his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen stumbled. And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah, and God struck him down there because of his error, and he died there beside the ark of God. And David was angry because the Lord had broken out against Uzzah. And that place is called Perez-uzzah to this day.

And David was afraid of the Lord that day, and he said, "How can the ark of the Lord come to me?" So David was not willing to take the ark of the Lord into the city of David. But David took it aside to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite. And the ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite three months, and the Lord blessed Obed-edom and all his household.

"How can the ark of the Lord come to me?" - David

2 Samuel 6:12-17, 20-22

And it was told King David, "The Lord has blessed the household of Obed-edom and all that belongs to him, because of the ark of God." So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom to the city of David with rejoicing. And when those who bore the ark of the Lord had gone six steps, he sacrificed an ox and a fattened animal. And David danced before the Lord with all his might. And David was wearing a linen ephod. So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouting and with the sound of the horn.

As the ark of the Lord came into the city of David, Michal the daughter of Saul looked out of the window and saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, and she despised him in her heart. And they brought in the ark of the Lord and set it in its place, inside the tent that David had pitched for it. And David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord. ….

And David returned to bless his household. But Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David and said, "How the king of Israel honored himself today, uncovering himself today before the eyes of his servants' female servants, as one of the vulgar fellows shamelessly uncovers himself!" And David said to Michal, "It was before the Lord, who chose me above your father and above all his house, to appoint me as prince over Israel, the people of the Lord—and I will celebrate before the Lord. I will make myself yet more contemptible than this….

The untouchable holiness that once consumed the unclean has arrived— and is reaching for the unclean.

Mark 5:25-29

And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, because she thought, "If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed." Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.

John 1:14

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.

Christ's flesh is the veil. His humanity is the curtain. His body is the God-given mediator that makes the Holy One of Israel touchable.

Hebrews 10:19-20

Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh,

Uzzah dies because he touches divine holiness without mediation. The woman lives because she touches divine holiness in the Mediator.

David: God dwells near us
Shepherds: God dwells with us
Us: God dwells in us

John 14:23

If anyone loves me… my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.

2 Corinthians 4:7

We have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.

Sermon Series - Advent || Near, With, In: The Joy of Christmas || Hebrews 10:19-20 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus,  by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh,”


  1. “Christ’s flesh is the veil… His body is the God-given mediator that makes the Holy One touchable.”

    How does this truth reshape your view of Christmas?
    What does it stir in you to consider that God became touchable, holdable, reachable?

  2. David rejoiced because God was near. The shepherds rejoiced because God was with them. We rejoice because God is in us.

    Where do you see the difference between God near, God with, and God in at work in your own walk with Him?

  3. The message ends by saying, “Biblical joy isn’t something we work up—it's Someone we carry.”

    In your daily life—work, home, relationships—what would change if you lived as someone who truly carries Christ?
    Where do you sense God inviting you to deeper awareness of “Christ in you, the hope of glory”?

Heaven Sent


Power Verse: "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth." John 1:14

Week 3 - LOVE - God IS love so He sent His only son to save His other children!
Teaching Verses - John 3:16, Luke 2:1-7, 1 John 4:9-10, John 13:34
When can we receive the love of Jesus?
What is one way that we can share the love of Jesus with our friends this week?
How did Jesus show his love to us?
Why did Father God send Jesus?

Heaven Sent


Power Verse: "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth." John 1:14

Week 3 - LOVE - God IS love so He sent His only son to save His other children!
Teaching Verses - John 3:16, Luke 2:1-7, 1 John 4:9-10, John 13:34
When can we receive the love of Jesus?
What is one way that we can share the love of Jesus with our friends this week?
How did Jesus show his love to us?
Why did Father God send Jesus?

Heaven Sent


Power Verse: "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth." John 1:14

Week 3 - LOVE - God IS love so He sent His only son to save His other children!
Teaching Verses - John 3:16, Luke 2:1-7, 1 John 4:9-10, John 13:34
Is Jesus’ love with us all the time?
Do we love our friends like Jesus loved us
Did Father God send show his love to us by sending us baby Jesus?

Heaven Sent


Power Verse: "The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth." John 1:14

Week 3 - LOVE - God IS love so He sent His only son to save His other children!
Teaching Verses - John 3:16, Luke 2:1-7, 1 John 4:9-10, John 13:34
Is Jesus’ love with us all the time?
Do we love our friends like Jesus loved us
Did Father God send show his love to us by sending us baby Jesus?