Sermon Tone Analysis

Text: Luke 10:21-24

Series: The Emotional Life of Christ

There is an overwhelming amount of misery in our world - a misery that we are unaware is showing.

[Song: “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” while parents yelling, kid’s crying]

It’s as if we have learned to be ok with smiling for the camera while simultaneously living angry, depressed lives.

And we tend to be unaware of it until the camera is gone.

There is a lack of real joy.

It seems that many Christians today see the “cup as half empty”.

Illustration: The Eeyore Kind-Of Life:

“It’s not much of a tail, but I’m attached to it.”

The reality is that on a day like today, we rejoice that it is Christmas but we are aware that the gladness we feel today will most-likely be gone tomorrow.

Is there a kind of joy and gladness that is always available?

What is the Jesus-believer’s joy?

As so often is the case, people look at Christianity as a kill-joy; but that is typically because they understand gladness and joy to be based on doing whatever they want to do whenever they want to do it.

So we do need to ask, What is the primary cause of our rejoicing?

The historical account before is about Jesus and his emotion of joy.

In it we will see:

What Jesus’ rejoicing IS

How Jesus expressed rejoicing

Why Jesus’ rejoiced

How we rejoice like Jesus

(1) What Jesus’ rejoicing is

Luke 10:21 says, “In that hour Jesus rejoiced in the spirit...”

The word rejoice

The word rejoiced here means to be exceedingly glad or to exult.

The wonder of Jesus’ rejoicing

When considering Jesus’ emotion of joy, this passage is more astounding than we give it credit.

Jesus, who is the eternal God incarnate rejoices.

He who knows the Father, who came from Heaven, rejoices.

Because we often rejoice based upon gifts, money, relationships, or things we have it is hard for us to imagine Someone like Jesus being caused to rejoice.

How do you make someone glad who has everything, knows everything…etc?

Jesus’ joy was not a temporary fleeting, event-based joy.

Notice the phrase In the Spirit.

...The rejoicing was a divine rejoicing - “in the Holy Spirit” (v.

21)

Jesus is Perfect in Spirit of Joy

This phrase tells us two important things.

First, Jesus was perfectly and fully endowed with the Holy Spirit.

There was no part of Jesus’ humanity that was not submitted to the will, work, and control of the Holy Spirit.

He possessed the fruit of the Spirit perfectly.

The Spirit is the One of Joy

Secondly, this tells us something about the Holy Spirit.

He is the Spirit of rejoicing.

He brings about the rejoicing of Jesus.

App:

“Joy he had: but it was not the shallow joy of mere pagan delight in living, nor the delusive joy of a hope destined to failure, but the deep exultation of a conqueror setting captives free...” - Warfield

The rejoicing of Jesus is the kind of rejoicing for which we should strive.

It only happens by the Holy Spirit.

Only one Source for this Joy

This means that the kind of rejoicing seen here is not produced when you give control of your life to your career, your spouse, your children, your wallet, your social media accounts, sexual pleasure…All of those people and things may bring about a temporary happiness but they will not produce an eternal joy.

Illustration: In the Azures Islands, they grow pineapples in the dirt, in greenhouses.

They do not export the pineapple, and it is the sweetest pineapple I’ve ever tasted; but there is only one source.

In like manner, we should not think that we will find true joy anywhere other than in the Lord and by His Holy Spirit.

You must make a decision whether you will have the kind of rejoicing that only comes by the Holy Spirit.

It is only produced in the life of someone both has and is yielded to the Holy Spirit’s Word.

There is no other Source.

The rejoicing of Jesus is divine, and notice how Jesus expressed this rejoicing.

(2) How Jesus expressed rejoicing

Luke 10:21 says that Jesus expressed his rejoicing through thanksgiving to the Father.

...The rejoicing was expressed in praise - “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth...” (v.

21)

This tells us something about the nature of true joy as well as of the nature of the Father.

The Nature of True Joy

First, the nature of true joy is that is leads to impromptu thanksgiving to the Father.

The Holy Spirit so warms the affections within the heart of an individual that he must do one thing — thank God!

The Nature of the Father

Second, something of the God the Father is in view here.

When the Holy Spirit brings you to this point of rejoicing, the object is always the Father.

What of the nature of the Father is revealed here?

He is Lord of heaven and earth.

The Father is sovereign ruler.

There is no greater power.

There is no greater throne.

The rejoicing is “Father-centered.”

Jesus is here expressing the kind of worshipful thanksgiving that God deserves from all his creatures.

App:

The Plight of Mankind

This is the plight of mankind.

We are sinfully ungrateful.

We do not recognize God as God.

Illustration: Not just being thanked as a parent for what we do but because of who we are.

Who is the center of your rejoicing?

If the center of your rejoicing is you, others, and not the Father — you may rest assured that the rejoicing is not divine.

The real question though is “Why did Jesus rejoice?”

When we think about our rejoicing, we may speak of many reasons, but see here the cause of Jesus’ rejoicing.

(3) Why Jesus’ rejoiced

Luke 10:21 tell us that thou [Father] hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes:…it seemed good in thy sight.

....The rejoicing was about by God’s good revelation - “these things…to little children…your gracious will” (v.

21)

The Identify of the Babes

We must ask, what are these things that been revealed?

Who are these babes?

Luke 10:17-20 tell us what these things are and who the babes are.

The babes are the disciples (incl.

72)

The Identity of “These Things”

These things refers to two major basis

#1 - Lesser Reason:

Luke 10:17 - The certainty of the greater kingdom:

the domination of the Satanic kingdom (v.

17)

by the coming of God’s Kingdom “in the name of Christ” (v.

17)

exercised through Jesus’ followers (v.

19)

This tells us something about Jesus.

He is the kingdom of God manifested, and has come to destroy the works of Satan.