"Birth Of Christ A Time Of Joy"

“Jump for Joy”

Luke 2:10-11 “…I bring you good news of great joy.”

Luke 1:39-45

There are a number of individuals included in the story surrounding the birth of Jesus the scriptures portrayed as jumping for joy at the birth of Jesus. The Gospel of Matthew gives the story from the point of view of Joseph and Luke gives the story from the point of view of Mary.

Zachariah and Elizabeth had been married for many years and were childless. Luke chapter 1 describes the couple as being quite old and beyond child-bearing years.

While Zachariah was serving his one week term in the temple as Priest Gabriel an angel of the Lord appeared to Zachariah and announced that his wife, Elizabeth would bear them a son and they were to give him the name of John. 1:14 “You will have great joy and gladness, and many will rejoice with you at his birth.” (NLT) The Message translates the verse this way, “You’re going to leap like a gazelle for joy, and not only you – many will delight in his birth. He’ll achieve great stature with God.”

Because Zechariah doubted the promise of the Angel Gabriel his ability to speak was taken away. For his unbelief he was silenced. Without speaking for 9 months he had a lot of time to think and meditate on the promises of God. His wife did get pregnant and at the end of nine months and John the Baptizer was born. At the time of the birth of John Zechariah was given back his voice and he was more than ready to sing out with joy. I can see Zechariah leaping for joy at the birth of his son John.

If you lost your voice for 9 months don’t you think you would jump for joy and sing out in praise to God when you voice came back.

When Elizabeth was six months pregnant the Angel Gabriel appeared to the Virgin Mary who was engaged to Joseph. Gabriel told her that she would become pregnant with a baby before she married Joseph and they were to call the baby, Jesus.

The angel also told her that her cousin, Elizabeth, was six months pregnant and was going to have a son in her old age.

Upon hearing the news about her cousin Elizabeth Mary prepared to travel from Nazareth to see Elizabeth living in the hill country south of Jerusalem. A few days later Mary traveled from Nazareth to the southern hills area of Judea would be a walk of 80-90 miles.

When she entered the home of Zachariah and Elizabeth she greeted Elizabeth and at the sound of Mary’s greeting, Elizabeth’s child leaped within her. Elizabeth said, “You are blessed by God above all other women, and your child is blessed. What an honor this is, that the mother of my Lord should visit me! When you came in and greeted me, my baby jumped for joy the instant I heard your voice.” (Luke 1:42-44)

The unborn prophet, John the Baptist “leaped in his mother Elizabeth’s womb.” The baby leaped for Joy in the presence of the unborn Messiah, Son of God.

In the presence of Jesus do you leap and jump for joy?

What causes you to leap for joy?

# I remember feeling like jumping for joy the night that I proposed to Carollyn and she said , “Yes.”

# I remember seeing our first son, Timmy after he was born, and felt like jumping for joy. I was a very proud father.

# Members of a winning team of the baseball World Series jump for joy and jump all over each other after winning the world series.

# Members of the NFL football team jump for joy when they win the Super Bowl.

# A person jumps for joy when he/she wins a million dollar lottery.

The Bible says that angels in rejoice and heaven jump for joy when one person living in sin turns to Jesus to receive forgiveness and the assurance of eternal life. (Luke 15:10)

At the birth of Christ people jumped for joy.

After the birth of Jesus a couple more New Testament people jumped for joy at seeing the new born Messiah. Luke 2:25-35, Simeon was a devout man who lived in Jerusalem. He was faithfully waiting for the birth of the Messiah and the Holy Spirit revealed to him that he would not die before he had seen the Lord and Messiah.

When Jesus was 8 days old his parents took him to the temple in Jerusalem to present their son to the Lord. So when Mary and Joseph entered the temple Simeon was there and took Jesus into his arms and praised God – jumped for joy! He sang out: “Lord, now I can die in peace! As you promised me, I have seen the Savior you have given to all people. He is a light to reveal God to the nations, and he is the glory of your people Israel!”