“Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat on it. His countenance was like lightning, and his clothes as white as snow…But the angel said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid, for I know you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for He is risen, as He said’…And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, ‘Rejoice!’ So they came and held Him by the feet and worshiped Him.” (Matthew 28:1-9)

Finally, these same grieving women, who on Friday could not envision what awaited them this Sunday morning, received the news of greatest joy! Now, they truly had a reason to celebrate. And as they met the risen Lord on their way to proclaim this great news to His disciples, He gave them but one command, “Rejoice!” And how did they respond? They held their precious Savior by the feet and worshiped Him.

And these women, the first eyewitnesses of His resurrection, were not the only ones rejoicing. Our Lord Yeshua was rejoicing too! And He wants US to rejoice with all of them who were filled with great joy on that first Resurrection Day. Hebrews 12:1-2 says,

“Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

This is something to shout about! This is what fills the hearts of the believers with joy unspeakable and full of glory. This is what should fill your holiday celebration with rejoicing—more than all the singing and gifts and food and fellowship—for this is the whole reason that Jesus came to earth in the first place—to conquer death, Hell and the grave so we could live with Him forevermore. And His same command to those women resonates through the ages to YOU, and to me and to all who will come and embrace Him as their Savior…

“Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say, Rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4)

May you be filled with joy and peace and comfort as you cling to Jesus’ feet and worship Him this season.

The post A Reason to Celebrate appeared first on Rock of Revelation.

Joy is important in the Hebrew culture. Joy is considered a blessing that comes from God. They even have commands to be joyful on certain occasions, even if it is during a time of sorrow or adversity. Often around holidays in Israel, colorful vans with loudspeakers mounted on the roof will circulate throughout the city of Jerusalem playing upbeat music to remind the citizens to rejoice and be glad. Strangers will spontaneously form a circle on the sidewalk and begin dancing and singing together for the sheer joy of the celebration. Joy is infectious. It spreads easily from the circle of celebrants to bring smiles and clapping from passersby as well.

Hebrew has more than ten words that describe joy in varying degrees. Here are just a few:

• Simcha (שמחה) = exceedingly happy or merry
• Gila (גילה) = to spin around in joy
• Rina (רינה) = to sing for joy
• Sasson (ששון) = gladness or cheer
• Eliza (עליזה) = to jump for joy
• Roah (רוע) = to shout aloud for joy

Zephaniah, who prophesied during King Josiah’s reign, brought a strong message against God’s people. But for the judgments of the first two-thirds of his message, he did not leave the people without hope. He concluded his prophecy with an exultation to the faithfulness of God toward those who would humble themselves and trust in Him. He wanted the people to know that their joy comes from God, even in the midst of sorrow or adversity of His judgment. In his final few verses, Zephaniah used six different terms for joy to describe both God’s attitude over His children and His commands for His people to rejoice in Him and His salvation.

“Sing (רני), O daughter of Zion! Shout (הריעו), O Israel! Be glad (שמחי) and rejoice (עליזי) with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem! The LORD has taken away your judgments, He has cast out your enemy. The King of Israel, the LORD is in your midst; you shall see disaster no more. In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: ‘Do not fear; Zion, let not your hands be weak. The LORD your God in your midst, the Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice (שוש) over you with gladness (שמחה), He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice (יגיל) over you with singing (רנה).’” (Zephaniah 3:14-17)

This is a beautiful ode to joy as it is. But if we substitute each “joy” word with its definition, it makes an even more powerful impact on the reader. Think about it being read this way…

“Sing for joy, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud for joy, O Israel! Be exceedingly happy or merry and jump for joy with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem…The LORD your God in your midst, the Mighty One, will save; He will be glad or cheer over you with exceeding happiness or merriness, He will quiet you with His love, He will spin around in joy over you with singing for joy.”

May you be filled with overflowing rejoicing toward the Lord today. And may His joy over you fill you with strength for everything your day will hold, even if it is sorrow or adversity.  Indeed, the “joy of the Lord is our strength!” (Nehemiah 8:10)

The post An Ode to Joy appeared first on Rock of Revelation.