9th January 2026
The joy of Jesus
At that same time Jesus was filled with the joy of the Holy Spirit, and he said, “O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, thank you for hiding these things from those who think themselves wise and clever, and for revealing them to the childlike. Yes, Father, it pleased you to do it this way. “My Father has entrusted everything to me. No one truly knows the Son except the Father, and no one truly knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”
Luke 10:21-22 (NLT)
I remember the teacher shoving some papers into my hand and telling me to remember the words. It was for an event at school that was only a few days away. She did not say what they were for, or even that they were words to songs for a Christmas programme at school. So, I obediently worked hard on the words, and amazingly the music that night brought them to life. Having no religious training at all as a child, I wondered what this meant to be joyful because my King had come.
How blessed we are to discover who that King is. God wove his way into my life in such a strong and wonderful way that I am amazed even today. How blessed are your children when you give them the gift of hope. And so, we sing: ‘Joy to the world the Lord is come.’ The long-awaited King of our salvation, the answer to our hopes and dreams. God made all the difference in my life. I had no hope as a child and my dreams and happiness had come crashing down, and as they did, God walked in the open door and gave me life and hope again.
We are called to receive our King because our Saviour reigns in our lives, in our hearts. God has given us so much to sing about as we realise the joy of his coming into our lives, of his love and faithfulness to us, and so it fills our hearts with a lasting joy. But what about the Father, the Son, and the Spirit? How do they feel about this? In Luke 10:20 Jesus said: “…rejoice because your names are registered in heaven.” And then it goes on in verse 21 to say that ‘Jesus was filled with the joy of the Holy Spirit…’. It gives God great joy when we come to him. It pleased the Father to bring us home through the open door of Jesus and by the guiding hand of the Holy Spirit.
What pleases God? What brings him joy? When we make God our world instead of this fallen world we live in. When we delight in him, when we love and worship him. When we express faith, trust, obedience, thankfulness, and perform acts of love. When we love God and one another. When we live this life to our fullest as we thank God for his gifts of love in this life. It pleased God to save his children through the gift of his Son. There will be rejoicing in heaven each time one of God’s children comes home (Luke 15:7, 10). What love God has for us.
‘Joy to the world’ then, we sing, ‘let the earth receive her King, ‘joy to the world’ then we sing, ‘let the Angel voices ring’ (Joy to the World, some variations, words by Issac Watts, music by Lowell Mason).
Prayer
What joy you have given to us, merciful God. You sent to us Jesus, to call us home, to give us hearts that beat in your rhythm, to remove all barriers in our lives, to give us freedom to live the lives you planned for us from the beginning. May we live those lives glorifying your name and bringing you joy. In Jesus I pray, Amen.
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Study by: Anne Gillam About the author: |
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