“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!”
Anna, a prophetess, was also in the temple. She was a widow and 84 years old and she lived in the temple. She came out of her room in the temple and saw the infant Jesus. “She came along just as Simeon was talking with Mary and Joseph, and she began praise God (possibly jumping for joy). She talked about Jesus to everyone who had been waiting for the promised King to come and deliver Jerusalem.” (Luke 2:38)
Christmas Day is a time for joy and fun. When our children were young they would jump for joy when they received their presents. None of our children were careful in unwrapping their presents.
When our first child, Tim, was 3 or 4 years old he received his first train for Christmas. He was delighted. We had great fun setting up the tracks and I had to be careful not to monopolize playing with the train. One time he complained to his mother that “Daddy, won’t let me play with my train.”
What does it take for you to jump for joy?
Many people only get joy from looking to Santa Claus, a short guy, with a round belly that shakes like a bowl full of jelly. Joy is found only in what they get and not in what they give.
A “Peanuts” comic strip has Lucy saying that Christmas is a time for kindness and good will, a time when we accept one another, a time when we welcome others into our homes and into our lives.
Charlie Brown responds: “Why just Christmas? Why can’t we be kind and accepting and hospitable all through the year?”
To which Lucy replies, “What are you? Some kind of a religious fanatic?”
When was the last time you jumped for Joy in the presence of Jesus?
In his three short years of public life; Jesus He brought joy to many people. Jesus brought joy to people living in despair, disillusionment, and fear.
Luke tells about a man who had lived all his life without hope. He was paralyzed and could not walk. Jesus was teaching in a home. The home was packed out with no more room to squeeze another person in. Four men carried their friend who was paralyzed to see Jesus. Since there was no room in the house they took him on the roof and made a hole in the roof and let the man down. Jesus saw their faith and said to the man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” Then to prove that he had authority to forgive sins Jesus said to the man, “Get up and walk.” (Luke 5:25) “And immediately as everyone watched, the man jumped to his feet picked up his mat, and went home praising God.”
The Gospel of John gives the story of another man who was lame from birth. He lived at the mercy of others to take care of him. He had been sick for 38 years. Jesus said to the man, “Stand up, pick up your sleeping mat, and walk!” (John 5:8) “Instantly, the man was healed! He rolled up the mat and began walking!” (John 5:9) You can be assured this man jumped and leaped for joy at being healed.
Luke 8:40-56 Jesus cross the lake of Galilee and was met by Jairus a leader of the local synagogue. His little girl, 12 years old, was dying. Jesus went with the man and started out for his home. A messenger on the way met them and gave the sad news that the little girl had died so there was no using continuing their travel. Jesus said, “Don’t be afraid just trust me, and she will be all right.” When they entered the house Jesus found the house filled with people weeping. He said, “Stop the weeping! She isn’t dead, she is only asleep.”
The crowd laughed at Jesus because they knew she was dead. Jesus took the young girl by the hand and said: “Get up, my child.” At that moment the girl immediately stood up. Don’t you suppose she jumped up and started jumping with joy and skipping around the house? Her parents also jumped for joy at the healing of their daughter. Jairus probably picked his daughter up and danced around with her.
What does it take for you to jump with Joy? Do you jump for joy in the presence of Jesus? When Jesus is present we quickly sing: “Joy to the world the Lord has come.”
Our Secular society would like to keep Christ out of Christmas. The attitude of Ebenezer Scrooge is promoted by secular anti-God movements. They would deny our religious and Christian heritage. Look at Old Testament History and see what happens when a nation forgets God the creator of the universe. When everyone lives according to their own laws with no regard for the creator; that nation does not receive God’s blessing and protection.
Ebenezer Scrooge’s transformation in the Christmas Carol is a picture of a person’s life without faith in God and the attitude a person has when a person has faith and hope in God. The ghosts or the past, present and future force Scrooge to fact the reality of who he really is. He is a man with a shriveled soul and without hope for the future.
Ebenezer Scrooge has a transformation in his outlook on life and even he has something to sing about: “I don’t know what to do! I’m as light as a feather. I am as happy as an angel.. I am as merry as a school boy. A Merry Christmas to everybody! A Happy New Year to all the world.”
Jesus came to bring joy and good news to a world of gloom and darkness. If you don’t have the joy of the Lord in your life you can by saying “yes” to Jesus and inviting Him into your life. Think of it. When you become a Christian and embrace Jesus as your personal Savior and Lord all heaven breaks out in song. All heaven rejoices over one person who repents of sin and invites Jesus into his/her heart.
In worship we celebrate the birth of Jesus and acknowledge that Jesus is creator and Lord of the universe. The Bible is clear: (Where two or three or more gather in My Name (name of Jesus) Jesus is present with them.) In true worship we are in the presence of Jesus and should leap with joy in our heart and praise Him for his wonderful salvation.
At Christmas time do you “Jump for Joy” in celebrating the birth of Jesus or do you slump in despair overwhelmed with all the activities and weariness from running to and fro to buy gifts and attend parties.
To maintain balance in the Christmas season I suggest you develop and maintain your Christmas Traditions.
1. One of our traditions at Christmas has been to purchase a fresh tree. When possible we have gone to a tree farm and cut our own tree.
2. I set up the tree and Carollyn decorates the tree. When our children were at home we let them decorate the lower branches and we decorated the higher branches.
3. We read the Christmas story on Christmas morning before opening presents.
4. We put on Christmas music from Thanksgiving up to Christmas day.
5. I put up outside lights to celebrate that Jesus is the Light of the World.
Hearts leap for joy in times of worship.
Ezra 3:10-13 is an example of worshipping the Lord with hearts of praises and joy. When the builder of the temple of the Lord had finished their work the Priests and Levies gathered to celebrate the completion. The priests with trumpets and the Levites with cymbals praised the Lord and sang to the Lord:
He is good; his love to Israel endures for ever. And allthe people gave a great shout of praise to the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid.
Many of the older priests, Levites, and other leaders remembered the first Temple, and they wept aloud when they saw the new Temple’s foundation. The others, however, were shouting for joy. The joyful shouting and weeping mingled together in a loud commotion that could be heard far in the distance.
Christmas is a time of joy.
We sing about joy in our Christmas Hymns:
“Joy to the world, the Lord has come.”
“Joy to the world, the Savior reigns.”
“Good Christian men, rejoice with heart, and soul, and voice. Now you hear of endless bliss; Joy, Joy! Jesus Christ was born for this.”
“All my heart this night rejoices, as I hear, far and near,
Sweetest angel voices, Christ is born? The choirs are Singing, fill the air, everywhere, now with Joy is ringing.”
Joy is not something you can purchase. It is not something you can unwrap as a Christmas present. Joy is a byproduct of a real vital experience with God.
Joy is a gift of God. It has to be received in the person of Jesus. Some attitudes and actions have to go when Jesus comes in.
The past must be forgiven when Jesus comes in.
If Jesus comes in, he must come in as king.
If Jesus comes in, he must come into every area of your
life.
If Jesus comes in, he wants to come in for eternity.
The joy of the Lord is our strength.
The angels announced: “I bring you good news of great joy for everyone!” (Luke 2:10) When you receive Jesus and honor him in your life you experience joy.
Christmas is about Jesus. When Jesus touches our life his touch makes a difference in our life. The touch of the Master turns darkness into light, sadness into song and gloom into joy. We all need the touch of the Master’s Hand.
#Video clip “Touch of the Master’s Hand”
Closing Prayer
