The Gifts of Jesus—Joy
First Preached at Broad Run Baptist Church 12/15/2002
Scripture:
Isaiah 35:1-10
The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. 2It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the LORD, and the excellency of our God. 3Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees. 4Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompense; he will come and save you. 5Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. 6Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert. 7And the parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water: in the habitation of dragons, where each lay, shall be grass with reeds and rushes. 8And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein. 9No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there: 10And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.
Introduction:
In our passage today, we read the wilderness and solitary place will be glad and the desert will rejoice and come out in full bloom in verse one. Verse two tells us why the party is coming, “They shall see the glory of the LORD, and the excellency of our God.”
God issues these words through the prophet Isaiah even while the northern nation of Israel is being ravaged by the armies of Assyria. The southern kingdom Judah will also feel the sting of battle from her armies. The Lord had raised up the Assyrians in chapters 1-35 to punish His unfaithful followers. Chapters 40-66 predicts how God in the future, will use the nation of Babylon to chastise the nation of Judah because of its continued rebellion against Him. In the midst of these chapters filled with doom and gloom however, God gives His people a reason to rejoice. Although His punishment is coming, so too is coming a time of rejoicing.
The third week in Advent emphasizes the theme of joy. Israel was given reason to hope and rejoice in her times of affliction because God would not simply abandon her even though that is what she deserved because of her continued unfaithfulness to Him. This period of chastisement would end eventually and God would be there to help her pick up the pieces and eventually would bless her again when she turned back to Him.
I want to speak to you again this week about the gifts of Jesus. In particular, I want to speak to you about the joy He offers. As we examine this gift, I want to address how the Bible uses the word joy, what joy is, where it comes from, and who can have it.
I. How the Word ‘Joy” is Used in the Bible
The word joy is found 155 times in the King James Version of the Bible. The word rejoice is found is mentioned 183 times. Clearly the Bible teaches us that we are to be a people characterized by joy. This emotion that dwells within our souls is not merely to reside there because the joy we feel is to be manifested outwardly for others to see.
The most commonly Hebrew words used for joy in the Old Testament are the words simha and samah . One who experiences this joy inwardly is expected to show it outwardly by being gleeful as well as to be merry in spirit.
Joy in the Old Testament centered around three ideas according to H. Van Broekhoven Jr. in The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (1981) Vol. 2 pgs 1140-1142.
First, there was Personal Joy.
This joy spoke of the inner emotion of a person who was in the state of well-being, and the person’s outward expression of that inner joy (rejoicing). In fact, the O.T. speaks of rejoicing more than it does the emotions of joy.
The sound of joy was often heard in shouting and cheering. It was not a silent or subtle thing as the word signifies to raise a shout or give a blast. It was like what you would hear at a football stadium when your team scores the winning touchdown on a Hail Mary pass in the closing seconds of a football game!
Birthdays, the wife of one’s youth, and a wise son could bring joy and gladness, to individuals, husbands, and parents. In the Psalms, especially the Davidic ones, personal joy reaches its highest expression in having joy in God. One ought to be joyful in the Lord because of His protection, provisions, promises, pardon, and partnership.
Second, There was a National Joy
This joy centered on being part of the Nation of Israel, God’s chosen people. Military victories, feast days, coronations, and the completion of construction projects all brought joy to the nation. But these celebrations were secondary to the joy that the Lord gave the nation through His salvation, vindication, and prosperity.
Third, There is Messianic Joy.
While the Nation of Israel reached her pinnacle during the reign of Solomon, she never achieved the promise of greatness that the Scriptures speak about. But when the Messiah comes to Jerusalem to set up His kingdom, all the eyes of the world will focus on Israel and His reign. Joy is a product of obedience and when Messiah reigns, all will be obedient; therefore all will be full of joy. The Messiah will bring joy not only to Israel, but to the entire world as well.
The most commonly used Greek words for joy in the New Testament are the words chairo, synchairo, and chara. While normally translated joy, these words also conveys the idea of gladness and delight. In W. E. Vine’s Expository Dictionary of the New Testament Words, Vine’s research explains that joy is associated with life. One benefit of sorrowful experiences is that these prepare for, and enlarge, our capacity for joy. While many may find the following contradictory, persecution for Christ’s sake enhances joy. Other sources of joy are faith, hope, and the joy of others which is distinctive of Christian sympathy.
Van Broekhoven adds that joy in the New Testament is spoken of in five ways:
1. Joy of Christ
Because Jesus is the promised Messiah, He brought and brings joy to those He ministered, is ministering, and will minister. Joy is a gift that the Holy Spirit gives to those who love Jesus. It is the second of nine Fruits of the Spirit mentioned in Galatians 5:22-23. Thus Joy is given by God to those who follow Him.
2. Joy Not Of This World
Just so that there is no misunderstanding, Jesus lets everyone one know that the joy He offers is a different variety and type then people are used to seeing. The frivolity, jocularity, and humor that most people are used to seeing in this world and the joy that arises out of them is unlike the joy that is offered by Heaven. There is no common thread between the two. This joy comes from Heaven and not from Earth. It has its origins in God Himself instead of a fallen creation. The joy Jesus offers does not center on earthly possessions or favorable circumstances. The joy Jesus offers is divine. Romans 14:17 contrasts the focus of earthly and heavenly joy:
“For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteous-ness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.”
3. Joy in Affliction
This is perhaps the most complexing notion to many of us here today. How is it that we can be joyful in times of affliction? First of all, I believe many of us equate joy with happiness. This presumption however, is wrong. According to the Bible’s usage of the word joy, it is centered on our choice to rejoice rather than whether we feel happy or not. We can rejoice in the Lord in spite of negative circumstances. What do I mean? Simply this, we can rejoice in times of hardship without feeling gleeful or giddy. We can give thanks for all things because we know the Lord will see us through anything that comes our way. As W. E. Vines states, “In both the Old Testament and the New, God is said to be the ground and object of our joy.” We need not be victims of our circumstances because we know Him and believe that He is for us. He is master of all circumstances and we are assured that He will never put us through anything that He will not help us bear. Our joy does not depend upon luck or events, rather it is based in God.
We can rejoice in times of hardship because of the following three reasons:
First, we can have joy here on Earth even in the worst of times because Heaven awaits us. We have an inheritance reserved in Heaven for us which is far better than what this world has to offer.
Second, we can have joy in suffering because God will build our character through it.
Third, when we suffer for Christ’s sake and His body, Christ is glorified and we become partakers of His suffering and therefore, His blessings.
4. Joy in the Church
Joy should be a prevalent characteristic of the church because the Spirit gives each of Christ’s followers joy. Paul tells the Philippian church the following in his letter to them:
Philippians 4:4
Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice.
We are to be a joyful people—not solemn and long-faced. When we gather together our faces and spirits ought to reflect the joy of the Lord and the radiance of Christ!
Does our church reflect this type of celebratory joy? It should!
5. Joy at the End of the Age
Things will not always continue as they are. The wicked will cease to prosper. The righteous will rise up and be blessed. God will avenge all wrongs. The wicked will be punished. Injustice will no longer be present in God’s creation. No longer shall we be tainted by sin for we will have a new body and a completly new nature! We will no longer live in the presence of sorrow, sickness and sin. Hallelujah! God awaits us! Heaven awaits us! The angels await us! The saints await us! Our loved ones, who have gone on to be with the Lord before us, await us! Our mansion awaits us! Eternal joy will be ours as we are with the Lord forever!
II. How Can We Experience This Joy in Our Lives Today?
As the Bible has instructed us, joy is a gift of Jesus that is given to us through the ministry of the Holy Spirit. Biblical joy is centered on God and His commitment to us. While we may not always be happy, we can consistently make a decision to rejoice independent of our circumstances.
In the above paragraph we centered on three thoughts.
First, joy comes from having a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. Nehemiah 8:10 informs us that “the joy of the Lord is our strength.” God’s joy refreshes, invigorates, and strengthens those who have it. You already have a relationship with God right now whether you realize it or not. The question is however, “How good is it?” Some here today find that their relationship with God is distant. While He knows everything there is to know about us, we know very little about Him. Others have a relationship that is strained because we are upset with God about an event that has happened in our life or because we just do not care to live according to His guidelines right now. A few of us are walking closely with the Lord and look forward to meeting Him each day. It is this last group of people God gives His joy to as a free gift. You are the determiner as to how close you and the Lord are right now. The apostle James tells us as much in the book he authored in chapter 4, verse 8:
Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.
He is waiting for you to make that first step. Will you make it? He has done everything divinely possible to bring you into a close relationship with Him outside of forcing you. Will you come to Him on your own? He is waiting for you.
Second, Biblical joy is centered in God and is not found elsewhere. You will never experience the joy of the Lord if you are looking to find joy outside of Him. Heavenly joy cannot be found in families, fortune, or careers. Nor will it be found in hobbies, possessions or even helping others. While we all might derive a great sense of satisfaction and fulfillment in the things I have just mentioned, the joy that Jesus offers is all this and so much more. While happiness, joy, and gladness are often used as synonyms, there is a distinct difference between joy and the others from a Biblical perspective. This joy which is independent of circumstances and events can be ours if we receive it as a gift from God because this joy has its origin in God! If you want to be known as a joyful person and let God’s joy shine from you, then go to the source of it—God Himself!
Third, we utilize God’s gift of joy by choosing to be joyful in spite of our circumstances. Biblical joy is a decision of the mind as well as an emotion felt by our spirits. We will never be known as being a joyful person if that means that we have to have all our ducks in a row and have every T crossed and I dotted. This is just not going to happen. Our happiness and joyfulness comes from God’s Spirit within us and does not come because our world is all nice and tidy—that ended at the fall when the first sin was committed. God gives the gift of joy to those who chose to rejoice regardless of their circumstances and even regardless of whether they fell like it or not. That is why Paul admonishes us to rejoice always! As we choose to rejoice and make use of the joy our Lord gives us, His joy will be seen in us and will freely flow out of us.
Conclusion:
We can receive God’s free gift of joy today by asking God for it. This joy will become a natural byproduct of our close fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ who will impart it to us through His Holy Spirit. This joy will exude from us independent of our circumstances because the source of our joy is in the Lord and not in any thing we possess.
The first step in receiving this joy is to know the Lord as your personal Savior. Submit to Him today and His joy will be yours because He will give it to you.
The second step is to utilizing the joy that is yours because you are in Christ. Choose to rejoice rather than complain and God will make you a joyful person. God will help us rise above our circumstances so there is not reason why we shouldn’t be people of joy today!
