Today is the third of four Sundays of Advent, a liturgical season that dates back to the fourth century, when it was observed as a period of fasting and preparation for new Christians to be baptized at Epiphany. The period was also known as St. Martin’s Lent, a time of prayer, preparation, and penance. By the sixth century, the Roman Church linked Advent to the coming of Christ, and it developed into a season of preparation for Christmas and the anticipation of the Second Coming. Rev. Ann Lantz is the pastor of the Estes Park United Methodist Church.
When Matthew tells the story of Jesus’ birth, he tells it through Joseph’s eyes. And what we see first is not joy but confusion, heartbreak, and fear. Joseph had a plan for his life. He was engaged to Mary, working in his trade, settling into the future he expected. Then came the news that shattered all of it: Mary was pregnant, and he knew the child wasn’t his.
In that moment, Joseph did what many of us do when life gets difficult: He looked for the quietest and least painful way forward. He decided to end the engagement quietly, hoping to preserve the dignity of all parties involved. But then, in the quiet of the night, he had a dream, and an angel spoke the words we’ve heard throughout Advent: “Do not be afraid.”
Fear wears many disguises. “What will people think?” “I’m not enough.” “This isn’t what I planned.”
For Joseph, the fear was real. He feared judgment, his reputation, and stepping into a future he did not understand. Yet the angel didn’t erase Joseph’s uncertainty or explain everything. The message was simple: Do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife. Not “don’t feel fear,” just don’t let fear decide your life.
On this third Sunday of Advent, we light the candle of joy. But Joseph reminds us that joy isn’t the same as everything working out neatly. His joy didn’t come from circumstances. It came from trust. It came from saying yes to God even when the path was unclear.
Maybe joy first entered Joseph’s heart like the sunrise coming up over the mountains, slow, quiet, and persistent. He chose to stay. To trust the dream. To welcome this child into his life and name him Jesus, “God saves.” In doing so, Joseph stepped into God’s unfolding story of hope.
Joseph never speaks a word in Scripture. He listens. He acts. He trusts the quiet voice of God more than the loud noise of fear. That, too, feels like a message for our time. We live in a world full of loud anxieties, fear of difference, fear of change, and fear of the future. But Advent continues to whisper an alternative: Do not be afraid. God is at work, even here.
Joy doesn’t always arrive with trumpets and laughter. Sometimes it’s the quiet joy of realizing we’re not alone. Sometimes it’s the joy that grows when we let love guide us more than fear does. When Joseph woke from his dream, he didn’t argue, delay, or negotiate. He simply acted in love. And the story moved forward because of it.
What if that’s our call this Advent? To let love lead where fear would hold us back. To choose compassion when judgment feels easier. To trust that even when life doesn’t go as planned, God is still near.
Most of us have stood where Joseph stood, facing something that doesn’t make sense and wondering what to do next. The message for us this week is the same one he heard in his dream: Do not be afraid. God is with you. And when we trust that truth, joy begins to grow again.
As we light the candle of joy this Sunday, may we remember that joy isn’t about perfection. Joy is knowing that love is stronger than fear. Joy is the light that finds us even in uncertain times.
May this Advent season help you listen for God’s whisper. May you find courage in unexpected places and experience the quiet, steady joy that comes when love leads the way.
Estes Park United Methodist Church, 1509 Fish Hatchery Rd., Estes Park, Colo. Worship is at 9:45 a.m. on Sundays. All are welcome. Inclusive. Open-hearted. Fully affirming because every person is a beloved child of God.