(manuscript) The Rejoicing of Jesus and His People

It’s as if we have learned to be ok with smiling for the camera while simultaneously living angry, depressed lives. And we tend to be unaware of it until the camera is gone. There is a lack of real joy.

It seems that many Christians today see the “cup as half empty”.

Illustration: The Eeyore Kind-Of Life:

“It’s not much of a tail, but I’m attached to it.”

The reality is that on a day like today, we rejoice that it is Christmas but we are aware that the gladness we feel today will most-likely be gone tomorrow.

Is there a kind of joy and gladness that is always available? What is the Jesus-believer’s joy? As so often is the case, people look at Christianity as a kill-joy; but that is typically because they understand gladness and joy to be based on doing whatever they want to do whenever they want to do it.

So we do need to ask, What is the primary cause of our rejoicing?

The historical account before is about Jesus and his emotion of joy. In it we will see:

What Jesus’ rejoicing IS

How Jesus expressed rejoicing

Why Jesus’ rejoiced

How we rejoice like Jesus

(1) What Jesus’ rejoicing is

Luke 10:21 says, “In that hour Jesus rejoiced in the spirit...”

The word rejoice

The word rejoiced here means to be exceedingly glad or to exult.

The wonder of Jesus’ rejoicing

When considering Jesus’ emotion of joy, this passage is more astounding than we give it credit. Jesus, who is the eternal God incarnate rejoices. He who knows the Father, who came from Heaven, rejoices. Because we often rejoice based upon gifts, money, relationships, or things we have it is hard for us to imagine Someone like Jesus being caused to rejoice. How do you make someone glad who has everything, knows everything…etc? Jesus’ joy was not a temporary fleeting, event-based joy.

Notice the phrase In the Spirit.

...The rejoicing was a divine rejoicing - “in the Holy Spirit” (v. 21)

Jesus is Perfect in Spirit of Joy

This phrase tells us two important things. First, Jesus was perfectly and fully endowed with the Holy Spirit. There was no part of Jesus’ humanity that was not submitted to the will, work, and control of the Holy Spirit. He possessed the fruit of the Spirit perfectly.

The Spirit is the One of Joy

Secondly, this tells us something about the Holy Spirit. He is the Spirit of rejoicing. He brings about the rejoicing of Jesus.

App:

“Joy he had: but it was not the shallow joy of mere pagan delight in living, nor the delusive joy of a hope destined to failure, but the deep exultation of a conqueror setting captives free...” - Warfield

The rejoicing of Jesus is the kind of rejoicing for which we should strive. It only happens by the Holy Spirit.

Only one Source for this Joy

This means that the kind of rejoicing seen here is not produced when you give control of your life to your career, your spouse, your children, your wallet, your social media accounts, sexual pleasure…All of those people and things may bring about a temporary happiness but they will not produce an eternal joy.

Illustration: In the Azures Islands, they grow pineapples in the dirt, in greenhouses. They do not export the pineapple, and it is the sweetest pineapple I’ve ever tasted; but there is only one source.

In like manner, we should not think that we will find true joy anywhere other than in the Lord and by His Holy Spirit.

You must make a decision whether you will have the kind of rejoicing that only comes by the Holy Spirit. It is only produced in the life of someone both has and is yielded to the Holy Spirit’s Word. There is no other Source.

The rejoicing of Jesus is divine, and notice how Jesus expressed this rejoicing.

(2) How Jesus expressed rejoicing

Luke 10:21 says that Jesus expressed his rejoicing through thanksgiving to the Father.

...The rejoicing was expressed in praise - “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth...” (v. 21)

This tells us something about the nature of true joy as well as of the nature of the Father.

The Nature of True Joy

First, the nature of true joy is that is leads to impromptu thanksgiving to the Father. The Holy Spirit so warms the affections within the heart of an individual that he must do one thing — thank God!

The Nature of the Father

Second, something of the God the Father is in view here. When the Holy Spirit brings you to this point of rejoicing, the object is always the Father. What of the nature of the Father is revealed here? He is Lord of heaven and earth. The Father is sovereign ruler. There is no greater power. There is no greater throne. The rejoicing is “Father-centered.”

Jesus is here expressing the kind of worshipful thanksgiving that God deserves from all his creatures.

App:

The Plight of Mankind

This is the plight of mankind. We are sinfully ungrateful. We do not recognize God as God.

Illustration: Not just being thanked as a parent for what we do but because of who we are.

Who is the center of your rejoicing? If the center of your rejoicing is you, others, and not the Father — you may rest assured that the rejoicing is not divine.

The real question though is “Why did Jesus rejoice?” When we think about our rejoicing, we may speak of many reasons, but see here the cause of Jesus’ rejoicing.

(3) Why Jesus’ rejoiced

Luke 10:21 tell us that thou [Father] hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes:…it seemed good in thy sight.

....The rejoicing was about by God’s good revelation - “these things…to little children…your gracious will” (v. 21)

The Identify of the Babes

We must ask, what are these things that been revealed? Who are these babes?

Luke 10:17-20 tell us what these things are and who the babes are. The babes are the disciples (incl. 72)

The Identity of “These Things”

These things refers to two major basis

#1 - Lesser Reason:

Luke 10:17 - The certainty of the greater kingdom:

the domination of the Satanic kingdom (v. 17)

by the coming of God’s Kingdom “in the name of Christ” (v. 17)

exercised through Jesus’ followers (v. 19)

This tells us something about Jesus. He is the kingdom of God manifested, and has come to destroy the works of Satan. He is the Son of God who has shown to us the Father.

#2 - Greater Reason:

Luke 10:19 - The certainty of being known - “names written in heaven.”

Not only that the name of Jesus is authoritatively recognized, but that your names are known.

The metaphor or names are written - it is not that God needs a written record or He’d forget…It is about where they are written and what this means metaphorically.

It means that people who were once not in relationship with God now are known of God. They are saved and in His kingdom!

Illustration: For 22 years, my brother and I had been separated from our father. We arrived in Spain and found him. He recognized us and we had a pleasant day with him, but we spent most of our time with an Uncle and Aunt whom we’d never met but by whom we were known and fully received.

Felipe and Josepha received us fully into their home. They fed us. They drove us around. They loved us. They knew us before we knew them. The connection was our father who was brother to Josepha. Imagine our surprise when we arrived in Spain and realized that we were known, loved, and cared for though we’d never met physically.

Why? To be known means to be in relationship. It is not merely the knowing about, but it is the knowing of.

In like manner, there is an awe that should overwhelm us to consider that God the Father knows us. Though we were estranged from Him, the Father knows us, and the connection is Jesus Christ.

Those who know the Son are known by the Father. We are no longer estranged from the Father because of the Son; and Jesus delights when his followers become aware of this assurance.

Galatians 4:9.

Conclusion: When Jesus’ followers recognize the authority of Jesus and receive assurance of their being known by the Father, Jesus rejoices!

He delights when His name is known, and when his followers rejoice over being known.

This then must be true of all those who have this same Holy Spirit, that they rejoice when Jesus’ kingdom is expanding, and they rejoice because they are eternally known of the Father.

(4) How we rejoice like Jesus

(a) How is this kind of eternal rejoicing possible?

Luke 23:45 - Interesting account. Eternal joy was only by relationship with the Father. Jesus was torn apart so that we could be united with the Father.

Because the Son became estranged.

The possibility of our eternal rejoicing is because of the reality of Jesus’ temporary suffering.

We are accepted because he was rejected.

We are known because he was estranged.

There are really only two kinds of people. Those who are known of God and those who are estranged. To the one, there is eternal joy because of this knowledge. To the other there is eternal misery.

(b) Who is your king?

Biblical salvation is a faith, in Jesus’ name, which is a yielding to Jesus as King.

No joy? Your life betrays who is your king.

If you live to please yourself, you will be joyless.

If you continue in submission to Christ’s word, your joy will be full.

Baptism, Lord’s Table, Church Membership, commitment

Christians, in every sphere of life, call people to submit to Jesus’ Kingdom.

With what we say

We are not calling people to merely say Jesus’ name but to live under Jesus’ rule.

How we speak to each other…home

When others because assured as being known, this causes us to rejoice.

(d) Who is the center of your rejoicing?

Christians, rejoice in a Father-centered way

Rejoice more because of what is true about His knowledge than what is true about your knowledge.

Knowing is important, but knowing that we are known is eternally comforting.

True, eternal rejoicing is knowing that we are known. Knowing that we have eternal salvation in Christ alone. Knowing that our sins are forgiven.

“…the only solid joy is that which arises from a well-founded expectation of happiness beyond the grave.” - Charles Simeon

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