Christians should be the most joyful people on the planet — always! But we’re not always. This sermon explores why, from the book of Habakkuk. The prophet shows us how our joy can be as steady and sure as the promises of God in Christ, and we can (as Paul says) “rejoice always!”

A couple thousand years ago, a heavenly warrior stepped into a field full of shepherds to announce good news of cosmic proportions—news of great joy! The birth of Jesus, who is Christ the Lord, is the real answer that we, who are bone-weary, are waiting for. Pastor Barnabas Piper helps us cut through the tinsel and sparkle of Christmas to find the real Christ, who alone can give rest and joy to people like us.

The plagues were not random punishments but deliberate judgments revealing Yahweh’s supremacy over Egypt’s gods and over all spiritual powers. The plagues expose false order and false mercy by unraveling Egypt’s Ma’at and showing that only Yahweh brings true order, light, and life. Through the chaos He sends, God displays His grace—holding creation together by His word; His mercy—sparing His people not because they deserve it but because He is compassionate; and His unrivaled power—defeating every rival deity, culminating in the darkness that shames Amon-Ra and anticipates the death and resurrection of Jesus, the true Light of the world. Therefore, like Psalm 105 urges, we respond by thanking, praising, seeking, and remembering the Lord for His mighty works and saving grace.