“For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.” Luke 1:44
The gospel of Christ is one of joy, a joy of the Eternal Father, communicated by the Eternal Spirit, and filling the Eternal Son. It is a joy that God desires and wills to communicate to all men, especially to those who will truly trust Him. The evidence of this joy to be known and experienced in part on this earth by the Spirit of God is seen when the angel Gabriel reveals himself to Zacharias the priest, announcing to him the news of a son to be born to him by Elizabeth his wife. He tells Zacharias, “And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth.” (Luke 1:14) This joy and gladness is carried forth in Gabriel’s greetings and message when he declares: “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and was sent to speak to you and bring you GLAD tidings.” (1:19)
After Mary, the mother of Jesus, was visited by Gabriel later with the news that she would give birth to a child, Him being the “Son of Highest, … who will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end,” she went into the hill country of Judah to visit her relative Elizabeth, the expecting mother of the soon to be born John the Baptist. Upon hearing Mary’s voice of greeting, the babe John, still in his mother’s womb leaped for joy. In other words, even as a child, he could scarce contain the joy of the knowledge of the presence of the babe Jesus in Mary’s womb. Why? It was, and is because of the love of God, the love of the Father giving that which was His highest, and greatest gift, as a testimony of His love for all men. There was great joy in heaven in those days, though few were those on earth who realized Christ’s coming. Mary also knew this joy when she expressed in her great prayer, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.” (1:46,47) How deep and far reaching was this love of God, expressed with such joy? How was it affirmed to mankind, though brought about in such a humble, and lowly manner, and yet perfectly on time?
It was during the ministry of Isaiah, approximately 700 BC, that the Eternal God would give him to write down the announcement of the coming of John the Baptist at the time of Christ. Like a singular prophetic arrow let loose by the hand of God, it would take its flight over hundreds of years, passing over the confirmation of it by the prophet Malachi in about 500 BC. It would pass over the rising and falling of several empires, the coming and going of many peoples, nations, and circumstances on the earth, but nothing and no one would alter or obstruct the arrow’s trajectory. Its path was sure, certain, and on time. After several hundred years the arrow began its descent towards its target. The moment that Isaiah’s prophecy would have its accomplishment, was the moment when “…the word of God came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.” (3:2) That day, though few recognized it, God would prove the unalterable fact that He loved the world, and that His Son would soon make His appearance as the Lamb of God which takes away the sins of the world. No one could have prophesied such a word as Isaiah, then to have it perfectly accomplished around seven hundred years later in such a demonstrable, yet humble and discreet manner, unless the entire matter had been designed and accomplished by God. In the spirit and power of Elijah, this man chosen and anointed by God, would come to prepare the way for mankind to know the joy of God, the same joy that Elizabeth, Mary, the babe John, and Christ Himself knew. It was the eternal joy of the Father.
Dear Father, Fill us with joy. In Jesus’ name, Amen.