The Joy of God’s Promises
JOY The happy state that results from knowing and serving God. A number of Greek and Hebrew words are used in the Bible to convey the ideas of joy and rejoicing. We have the same situation in English with such nearly synonymous words as joy, happiness, pleasure, delight, gladness, merriment, felicity, and enjoyment. The words joy and rejoice are the words used most often to translate the Hebrew and Greek words into English. Joy is found over 150 times in the Bible. If such words as “joyous” and “joyful” are included, the number comes to over 200. The verb rejoice appears well over 200 times.
Joy is the fruit of a right relation with God. It is not something people can create by their own efforts.
Joy in the Christian life is in direct proportion as believers walk with the Lord. They can rejoice because they are in the Lord (Phil. 4:4). Joy is a fruit of a Spirit-led life
What would happen if one morning, during the middle of your daily routine, an angel appeared and told you that God had a plan that would completely change your life? How would you respond?
There are so many good reasons for us to be afraid in the world at the moment, and there are so many things that are out there just waiting to steal our joy.
How do you respond to God’s promises ? With doubt? With skepticism? Or with JOY!!!
What started out with doubt and skepticism ended with joy.
After a short introduction, which we’ll look at later, Luke launches into the account of the birth of John the Baptist. We’re introduced to Zechariah and Elizabeth, both descendants of Aaron. We’re told that Zechariah and Elizabeth were getting on in years. they were getting too old to have children. In fact they were probably well past the normal age for childbearing. Yet, strangely, as far as people of their day were concerned, they were both righteous before God, living blamelessly according to all the commandments and regulations of the Lord. Their barrenness, you see, would have been taken as a sign of God’s displeasure. But not so! God had great plans for them and for their son who was yet to be born.
Luke 1:5-25 NIV
5In the time of Herod king of Judea there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. 6Both of them were upright in the sight of God, observing all the Lord’s commandments and regulations blamelessly. 7But they had no children, because Elizabeth was barren; and they were both well along in years.
8Once when Zechariah’s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God, 9he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to go into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. 10And when the time for the burning of incense came, all the assembled worshipers were praying outside.
11Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. 12When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and was gripped with fear. 13But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John. 14He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, 15for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth.£ 16Many of the people of Israel will he bring back to the Lord their God. 17And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
18Zechariah asked the angel, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.”
19The angel answered, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. 20And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their proper time.”
21Meanwhile, the people were waiting for Zechariah and wondering why he stayed so long in the temple. 22When he came out, he could not speak to them. They realized he had seen a vision in the temple, for he kept making signs to them but remained unable to speak.
23When his time of service was completed, he returned home. 24After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion. 25“The Lord has done this for me,” she said. “In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.”
One day as Zechariah is standing in the Holy of Holies, a privilege received probably only this one time, his prayers are interrupted. There, to the side of the altar, is an angel. You can perhaps understand that Zechariah at that moment is terrified. But the angel quickly reassures him. He’s come bearing good news. His prayers have been answered. His wife Elizabeth will bear a son and they’re to call him John.
Certainly the words of the angel in vs16&17 point to such a conclusion. This child will be the one whom Malachi foretold, Elijah reborn, who will turn the hearts of parents to their children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.
Well, the response of Zechariah is total confusion. He wants to know how he can be sure of all this. After all he knows how old he and Elizabeth are, how impossible all this is. But the angel will have nothing of his doubting. He’s the angel Gabriel, who stands in God’s presence. He’s been sent by God to give this message. How could anyone doubt such a messenger? But just to show that he is what he says he is, he tells Zechariah that he’ll be struck dumb until John is born.
Well, as the story progresses we discover that Elizabeth does become pregnant and we end this episode with Elizabeth rejoicing.
Do you see what is going on here?
1. God says He hears us and answers our prayers.
Vs 13 “your prayer has been heard.”
We are not alone. He is with us. What Joy that should bring knowing our God is always there, watching over us and caring for us.
God has said I will never leave or forsake you.
Remember, "God’s Promises are greater than our problems."
2. GOD’S PROMISE OF HIS PROVISION.
God said He will take care of our needs in vs13
“Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John. 14He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth”
What Did Zack and Liz need? JOY did you see that “He will be a JOY to you and many will be made joyful again “REJOICE” To fill with joy; gladden. To feel joyful; be delighted:
God knew what they needed and so many others needed as well JOY.
Beloved that is what we need a good dose of JOY and He will give it to us.
Be faithful to God in your life and See God’s Promises work in and through you. Vs 58 They shared her Joy
We now see God has kept His promise and see they rejoiced as well as those around them did. Vs 64&65
Luke 1:57-66 NIV
57When it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son. 58Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they shared her joy.
59On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to name him after his father Zechariah, 60but his mother spoke up and said, “No! He is to be called John.”
61They said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who has that name.”
62Then they made signs to his father, to find out what he would like to name the child. 63He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone’s astonishment he wrote, “His name is John.” 64Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue was loosed, and he began to speak, praising God. 65The neighbors were all filled with awe, and throughout the hill country of Judea people were talking about all these things. 66Everyone who heard this wondered about it, asking, “What then is this child going to be?” For the Lord’s hand was with him.
This is the time of year God wants to not only be joyful but to share that JOY with others, all those we come into contact with.
What JOY do we share? The JOY of A God who keeps HIS promises to us and the world. He brings us what we need JOY!!!!
