Joy in all circumstances is possible because Jesus has come (Psalm 98:1-9). We can experience joy, regardless of our situation, because the birth of Jesus and the salvation He provides is good news. Apart from Jesus, our sin makes us enemies of God and subject to His wrath and punishment (Romans 5:9-10). In our sinfulness we cannot fix, cleanse, or forgive ourselves. But because Jesus has come, and because of His death and resurrection, the impossible has become possible: He has paid for our sins and provided a way for us to become children of God who share in His reward and inheritance. Joy is the inner confidence, the deep security, that comes because we have been made right with God through Jesus.