“For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy saluation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.” Luke 1:44
In the letter to the Hebrews, we read concerning “…the race set before us,” (12:1), that we are to look unto Jesus, “…the author and finisher of faith; who for the JOY that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (v.2) That which is central to Christ overcoming the ordeal of Calvary, was the “joy that was set before Him.” What joy? First of all, we need to understand that the joy of which He speaks is a joy that is OF GOD, and not of men. Just as He told his disciples, “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you,” (Jn. 14:27) so it is concerning the joy of God, that He gives, by the Spirit, is not of this world, not having its origin in sinful man. As the peace of God was a gift to be received, and known, even though it “passeth understanding” in its essence, quality, and depth, that peace was is very real and powerful. So was the joy of Christ. The first three fruits of the Spirit, that manifestation of His presence and Life in the heart, are love, JOY, and peace. They are of God, given, to be known by the Spirit, and revealed in the life of the believer.
This joy of Christ, and the fullest of it, which He would know again as He knew it before the foundation of the world with His Father, was the great power and strength of His life, especially at the critical time of the cross. But there was certainly another aspect of this joy. We discover it in Isaiah 53, where the author writes: “He shall see the travail of His soul, and shall be satisfied; by His knowledge, shall My righteous servant justify many; for He shall bear their iniquities.” (v.11) God the Father who is love, by the righteous offering of His Son, with the Son’s acceptance of the Father’s will, rejoices to see the fruit of His Son’s perfect sacrifice. Christ was looking down that very dark corridor of the cross to the certain light at the end of the tunnel, where the redeemed of all ages would be found, living in the light of His great salavtion. He would rejoice to see those for whom He died, and purchased with His precious blood.
When Mary visited Elizabeth, her cousin, both being with child, the babe in Elizabeth’s womb leaped for joy when Mary greeted Elizabeth. Why is this? There is great joy in heaven when a sinner repents, but there is also immeasureable joy in the revelation of WHO Christ is, and what He came to do. The Spirit of God communicated to the babe, John, His joy, the absolute thrill of God’s delight in providing a Savior of the world. This is that same joy of which Jesus spoke in His “High Priestly Prayer” in John’s gospel: “And now, come I to Thee: and these things I speak in the world, that they might have My JOY fulfilled in them.” (17:13) Here is a joy, declared by Christ, that is small enough in measure as to make a babe leap in the womb of a mother. It is a joy that was revealed, and intended, to be known by those who would follow and know Christ. It is also that joy that would enable the Lord Jesus to overcome the cross and to sit down at the right hand of God.
But what about, “fulness of joy?” Is it possible to know such joy? David wrote in Psalm 16,”…in Thy preseence is fulness of joy.” (v.11) The measure of Christ’s joy that we can know is according to our faith, yet beyond what we can ask or think. It is measured by the Spirit according to the capacity that God gives.
Dear Father, Fill us with joy. In Jesus’ name, Amen.