"From Sorrow To Celebration: God’s Power

9:20 Mordecai recorded these things and sent letters to all the Jews who were in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, both near and far,

9:21 enjoining them that they should keep the fourteenth day of the month Adar and also the fifteenth day of the same month, year by year,

9:22 as the days on which the Jews gained relief from their enemies and as the month that had been turned for them from sorrow into gladness and from mourning into a holiday, that they should make them days of feasting and gladness, days for sending gifts of food to one another and presents to the poor.

Sermon Title: From Sorrow to Celebration: God’s Power

Scripture Reading: Esther 9:20-22

Introduction:

Our scripture today from the book of Esther reminds us that even in the darkest of times, God is working behind the scenes to turn our sorrow into joy, and our mourning into celebration. We see this in the story of Purim, a time when God delivered the Jewish people from their enemies, leading them from fear and uncertainty to peace and gladness. As Queen Esther and Mordecai establish this annual celebration, they teach us the importance of remembering, of turning our victories into memorials that shape not just our faith, but the faith of generations to come.

Today, I want to talk about the power of Celebration, of how we turn the trials of our lives into testimonies of joy and deliverance. As African Americans, we know the importance of remembering—whether it’s the stories of our ancestors, the struggles of the Civil Rights Movement, or even our personal journeys of faith.

We, like the Jews in Esther’s time, have experienced moments when God has turned our mourning into gladness. I also want to talk about Purim. Purim (????????? Purim?, lit.?'lots'; is a Jewish holiday that commemorates the saving of the Jewish people from annihilation

Purim is celebrated among Jews by:

a) Exchanging gifts of food and drink, known as mishloach manot.

b) Donating charity to the poor, known as mattanot la-evyonim.

c) Eating a celebratory meal with alcoholic beverages, known as se'udat Purim or "Mishteh".

d) Public recitation of the Scroll of Esther (????? ????? ?????), or "reading of the Megillah", usually in synagogue.

I am lifting this holiday because I know, it’s seems like we have way to many holidays but I want to suggest today that may be not, maybe we need to celebrate more I mean should not every day with Jesus be a celebration, shouldn’t we learn to bless the lord with all we are just because we have air in our lungs and a roof over our head and food on the table.

3 points and I’m on my way.

Point 1: Celebration as Resistance

The first thing we learn from Esther is that commemoration is a form of resistance. Queen Esther and Mordecai enjoin the Jews to keep Purim every year, not just to celebrate the victory, but to ensure that their story of survival is never forgotten. By commanding this festival, they resist the forces that sought to erase them.

In our context, African American history is filled with examples of how we’ve used memory and celebration as a form of resistance. From Juneteenth to Martin Luther King Day, we commemorate moments of deliverance not only to honor the past but to claim our right to exist, to flourish, and to be free. We celebrate because it reminds us—and the world—that no amount of oppression can keep us down.

I mean even Mardi Gras is a Christian holiday and popular cultural phenomenon that dates back thousands of years to pagan spring and fertility rites.

And Carnival or Carnaval, it’s celebrated in many countries around the world—mainly those with large Roman Catholic populations—on the day before the religious season of Lent begins. In Brazil, is but a big Fat Tuesday.

The Jews celebrated Purim as a way of saying, “We are still here, despite those who sought to destroy us.” In the same way, we celebrate our history, our culture, and our faith as a testimony that, through God’s grace, we are still here.

In your celebration there should be some push back some Fight Some resistance even in the celebration of frinds family and neighbors there needs to be some understanding that even in the fun and dance there is a plan of liberation and salvation. Like Ester we should never get so happy that we forget others that are on the front lines of our battle.

Point 2: Celebration As A Path To Joy

Second, Celebration isn’t just about resistance; it’s also a path to joy. Esther 9:22 tells us that the month of Adar was turned “from sorrow into gladness and from mourning into a holiday.” For the Jews, Purim was a time of feasting, sending gifts, and celebrating. Their mourning was transformed into joy.