What is the cause of joy?
- Thoughts for Sunday’s lesson on Joy
- What is the cause of joy?
- For the Joy set before him…
What is the cause of joy?
Question:
When you read these verses, what is the cause of joy? Is it really as simple as “the Joy of my salvation comes when receiving the word, and when sharing the word” ?
Joy in the Gospel (from the Composite of Matt Mark Luke John)
http://www.creation-science-prophecy.com/compositeBible/index.html
Zacharias
13 But the angel said to him, “Don’t be afraid, Zacharias, because your request has been heard, and your wife, Elizabeth, will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.
14 You will have joy and gladness; and many will rejoice at his birth.
Elizabeth
43 Why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
44 For behold, when the voice of your greeting came into my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy!
Shepherds
10 The angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be to all the people.
11 For there is born to you, this day, in the city of David, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
The Magi
9 They, having heard the king, went their way; and behold, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, until it came and stood over where the young child was.
10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy.
The Prophet John
29 He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. This, my joy, therefore is made full.
Jesus – The Beatitudes
22 Blessed are you when men shall hate you, and when they shall exclude and mock you, and throw out your name as evil, for the Son of Man’s sake.
23/12 Rejoice in that day, and be exceedingly glad, and leap for joy, for great is your reward in heaven, for their fathers did the same thing to the prophets. For that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Jesus – Parable of the Sower
16 In the same way are what was sown on the rocky places, who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with joy.
17 But they have no root in themselves, and are short-lived.
20 So, this is he who hears the word, and immediately with joy and (gladness), receives it.
21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures and believes only for a while. For when oppression or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles. So, he falls away in time of temptation.
Jesus – Parable of the Hidden Treasure
44 “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure hidden in the field, which a man found, and hid. In his joy, he goes and sells all that he has, and buys that field.
The Seventy sent Out Two by Two
17 The seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!”
Jesus – The Lost Sheep, The Lost Coin
7 I tell you that even so there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents, than over ninety-nine righteous people who need no repentance.
Zacchaeus
5 When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and saw him, and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for today I must stay at your house.”
6 He hurried, came down, and received him joyfully.
Lord
21 “His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a few things, I will set you over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’
Jesus – about bearing fruit
8 “In this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit; and so you will be my disciples.
9 Even as the Father has loved me, I also have loved you. Remain in my love.
10 If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and remain in his love.
11 I have spoken these things to you, that my joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be made full.
Jesus – about his imminent death
19 Therefore Jesus perceived that they wanted to ask him, and he said to them, “Do you inquire among yourselves concerning this, that I said, ‘A little while, and you won’t see me, and again a little while, and you will see me?’
20 Most certainly I tell you, that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy.
Jesus – praying for his disciples
13 But now I come to you, and I say these things in the world, that they may have my joy made full in themselves.
14 I have given them your word. The world hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
The Women following Jesus
7 Go quickly and tell his disciples, and Peter, ‘He has risen from the dead, and behold, he goes before you into Galilee; there you will see him.’ Behold, I have told you.”
8 They departed quickly and fled from the tomb with fear and great joy, for trembling and astonishment had come on them
Most disciples – seeing resurrected Jesus
40 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet.
41 While they still didn’t believe for joy, and wondered, he said to them, “Do you have anything here to eat?”
The discples – after Jesus’ ascension
11 who also said, “You men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who was received up from you into the sky will come back in the same way as you saw him going into the sky.”
52 So, they worshiped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy,
Assuming it’s true that “the Joy of your salvation comes when receiving the word, and when sharing the word”, what opportunities to share the Gospel do you have?
What is your favorite hobby or greatest talent? How can you use this to share God’s Word?
Study by Glen Stewart