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“A Song of Joy”
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Recently the top five Christmas songs of all time were listed:
1. Jingle bells.
2. Rudolph the red nose reindeer.
3. Blue Christmas by Elvis Presley.
4. Frosty the Snowman.
5. White Christmas.
I enjoy every one of the songs, and we play Christmas music in our car in our home during this time of year.
But none of those songs capture the real meaning of Christmas; which is the birth of the Lord Jesus.
But the song were looking at this morning is the first Christmas Carol, and it captures perfectly the joy that we should have as we think of the birth of Jesus.
Now, I may not know a lot about you, but I know this; you want joy in your life!
Every one of us wants to experience joy!
And as a Christian you should have joy; it is God’s will for you to have joy.
I’m not talking about a pep rally, past the spirit-stick, cheer-leader, cheer-master, shallow joy.
I’m talking about a real-joy, a deep-joy, a full-joy that comes from a right relationship with God.
If you’re saved, and you don’t have joy in your heart, there’s something wrong.
A Christian without joy is away from God.
Because the Bible tells us, in his presence is fullness of joy.
The joy of the Lord is so important in the Christian life; joy is not optional; it is mandatory, it is a must for you as a Christian to have the joy of the Lord.
The fact is joy will make you an easier to live with.
The joy of the Lord will make you a better worker on your job.
The joy of the Lord will make you a better church member.
Joy is the most attractive quality of a Christian, and a church!
Our lives should be filled with joy!
Our church services should be filled with joy!
Our homes should be filled with joy!
If you are a sad, defeated, negative person with a sad face all the time, and doom and gloom in your voice, and look like you’ve have sucking on dill pickles; you’re not filled with the Holy Spirit.
But when we’re living a life filled with the Holy Spirit, and the joy of the Lord people see that, and they say what that person has is what I need, and it opens a door to share the gospel.
There’s something contagious about a Christian full of the joy of the Lord, there’s something contagious about a church full of the joy of the Lord!
The Bible says about the early church; at the height of their reaching the city of Jerusalem with the gospel, -“They were praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people”
Joy is not a side issue in the Bible, the word joy is used 250 times in the Bible.
The word rejoice is used 200 times the Bible.
450 times were told to be joyful and rejoice.
These verses we just read or filled with joy, rejoicing, leaping, blessing, and singing!
The birth of the Lord Jesus brought great joy to all people, starting with these two mothers.
I want us to visit the home of Elizabeth and sense Joy, and hear the Joy in the conversation between Elizabeth and Mary.
Both of these ladies are filled with joy and rejoice over the amazing mercy of God to send the Savior.
The angel Gabriel has just told Mary that she’s going to be the mother of the Messiah; and that her cousin Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age.
Mary leaves Nazareth’s and travels almost 100 miles to the rugged hill country of Judea to the home of Zacharias and Elizabeth.
Elizabeth is six months pregnant; she has no way to know that Mary is coming to visit her, Mary couldn’t text her and tell her I’m going to be dropping by for a visit.
Mary just travels those hundred miles and shows up at Elizabeth’s front door.
Mary the younger of the two women, would give a formal greeting to Elizabeth the older woman.
Can you picture these two expectant mothers; one very young, and the other very old and very pregnant?
Two miracles standing face-to-face, two women chosen by God to be a part of God’s plan of redemption.
And while Mary is greeting Elizabeth the 6 month old John the Baptist is leaping in Elizabeth Womb and Elizabeth is feel with the Holy Ghost (V:41)
Before Elizabeth could respond to Mary’s greeting, John the Baptist has a shouting, leaping fit in Elizabeth womb.
John responded before Elizabeth did.
In his presence is fullness of joy!
Now some of you mothers are sitting there thinking; what’s the big deal my baby kicked at different times also.
One of our children kicked Tess so hard and often it bruised her ribs, I called him my field-goal kicker.
But this is not talking about a regular kick or turn; it is a word that means to leap as a sheep in the field, to leap with delight.
John responded this way even in his mother’s tummy because he was a prophet, and this was his first prophecy.
John was to be filled with the Holy Spirit from his mother’s womb for the special purpose of being the forerunner, announcer of the Messiah.
Do not miss this; this fetus, yet to see the light of the world, experience emotion of joyous delight.
This is a testimony to the pre-birth person of John the Baptist.
John would be about 9 inches long and weigh about 1 ½ pounds, he looked like a perfect miniature newborn.
He had fingerprints, he could open his eyes for a brief period, and he was God’s prophet inside the womb of his mother.
But there’s more; Elizabeth filled with the Holy Spirit begins to bless Mary, and bless the baby in her womb, and says in amazement I can’t believe the mother of my lord has come to visit me.
Who was in the womb of Mary?
A potential human being, a blob of tissue?
No!
He was the son of God, the Lord of glory?
Elizabeth is filled with the Holy Spirit, and without any previous knowledge declares that Mary is going to give birth to the Messiah.
Oh how this most of encourage the heart of Mary, as Elizabeth told her you have believed God and you will have the Messiah.
Elizabeth is absolutely filled with joy, and a song and rejoicing, John the Baptist is leaping in her womb for joy and Mary is being encouraged and strengthened; and she begins to rejoice and praise God as well.
And Mary sings in V:46-55, what is commonly called the Magnificat.
It is Mary’s song of joy; as she rejoices in God choosing her to be the mother of the Savior of the world.
In this song of joy we find three reasons we should have a song of joy in our heart.
The first reason you should be filled with joy is:
1.
The Grace of God Displayed in Your Life!
V:46-48.
Mary’s song is the first of several songs in Luke’s Gospel; there is also Zacharias song, the Angels song, and Simeon’s song.
Luke’s Gospel is the singing gospel; because when you know Jesus Christ he puts a song in your heart!
What God has done in giving us Jesus Christ to be our Savior is something to sing about!
Mary sings and rejoices because of the grace of God shown to her.
V:46-47-She says my soul doth magnify the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.
Mary uses the personal pronouns my and me several times in these verses.
She says in V:48, that God saw my low estate in life and came to me.
She says in V:49, that he that is mighty have done great things for me.
She is amazed at the mercy and grace of God to reach down to someone as lowly and humble as her, and choosing her to be the mother of the Savior.
The source of her joy was the grace of God in providing a savior for her!
V:47-“And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior”.
Mary says, V:48-“for he has regarded the low estate of his handmaiden…
She says God regarded, looked upon, gazed at with pity and divine favor upon me!
God saw me, cared for me, came to me, and changed the course of my life.
Mary knew that she was a sinner and needed a savior; she knew that God was showing mercy and providing a savior, and that filled her heart with joy.
Jesus Christ in you is the source of joy!
Mary knew that she was not sinless, or perfect, she knew that she could not provide forgiveness for anyone!
Mary was in need of the mercy forgiveness, and salvation as much as any other sinner.
And when she received the message that she was going to give birth to the Savior, she rejoiced in her soul and spirit; over the coming Savior!
There is no joy like the joy of knowing Jesus Christ as your Savior!
Jesus sent his disciples out to win souls, heal, and cast out demons.
They came back rejoicing, saying Lord even the demons are subject unto us through your name.
Jesus said to them:
-“Rejoiced not that the spirits are subject unto you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven”.
When the Ethiopian eunuch was saved in , the Bible says he went on his way rejoicing!
He climbed in his chariot, took off burning rubber, put in a CD and began singing “He’s the chain breaker”!
Mary knew that Jesus was the Savior and she was rejoicing in her innermost being.
Do you know Jesus?
Do you have joy in your heart?
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