JOY Luke 24:33-53
Last week the speaker spoke a bit about the Emmaus Road
we have 2 disciples they are joined by Jesus they eventually
realise who He is.
How would they have felt well the simple answer is they
were completely overwhelmed and full of JOY.
They were so full of JOY and excited that they rushed all the
way back to Jerusalem to tell the other disciples what had
happened.
I wonder what we think of when we think of Joy I can’t
remember the last time someone said to me I was full of joy.
What sort of things do we associate with joy birth of a baby,
surprise party, seeing someone you haven't seen for a long
time.
So in our modern language it would be great time, cool time
or totally awesome time.
Let’s just stop and think of a moment in time like that for you
and also what is the one thing in life that you would like to
see more than anything else.
How would you feel if that happened.
One of the fruits of the Holy Spirit is Joy these feeling
because thats what it is is what is being referred to.
The Holy spirit bring joy to every Christian.
He feels our hearts with praise and thankfulness to God.
Yet as you look back over the last few weeks how joyful
have you really been.
The problem is life gets in the way and it is just so easy for
any joy to get crowded out when the problems of life come
along.
Let’s retrace our steps just for a moment as we think of
Palm Sunday everyone cheering and shouting as Jesus
came in to Jerusalem.
The disciples must have felt pretty good
Hey I'm with Him what a joyful occasion.
But then along comes Good Friday and the joy is completely
crushed as Jesus is crucified, they thought He was the one
who would save Israel and set them free from the Romans
but it didn't happen.
So when these two return and tell the disciples Jesus is
alive you would expect joy but rather it is disbelief.
But then Jesus appears stand among them and tells them to
touch Him and look at the holes in His hands and they are
overcome with amazement but also great joy.
Suddenly the atmosphere completely changes as they
realise Jesus really is alive.
As Jesus had something to eat their faith level rises as they
realise He is real and not a ghost, and so as Christians
there is a direct link between faith in Jesus and joy.
Now we have a big advantage over the disciples because
we can look at things through the lens of 2000 years of
Christian history.
This is happening to them and completely outside their
experience they are on a roller coaster of emotions.
Would this have been beyond their wildest dreams I think it
probably is so if your wildest dream became true how would
that feel.
This must be how the disciples felt and maybe even more.
Can you remember that moment when you realised Jesus
was real or when you fully realised the significance of your
belief in Jesus did you have that feeling of great joy.
Jesus opened the mind of the disciples and explained what
had happened in the light of the scriptures.
Repentance, forgiveness of sins and the promise of
everlasting life.
This was really something to get joyful about isn't it.
Jesus then tells them how the Father will send the Holy
Spirit to them and they will have power from on high.
We need the Holy Spirit in our lives so that we can fulfil what
Jesus calls us to do but also so we can have life and have it
in abundance.
I have stood outside some churches and watched the
people coming out they look as if they have just been to the
dentist.
Its only when the Holy Spirit is in your life that you
experience real joy.
The special events those special moments are just that but
other things get in the way afterwards and the joy dispels.
But Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit is an everyday
event, there with us in every situation.
He is the rock upon which we build everything else.
Like all of you probably I watched the after mouth of the
election I know some here stayed up watching it but
whatever your politics I could not help but feel sorry for
Miliband and Clegg.
Suddenly their life's work and ambitions were in shreds
broken men Miliband has declared he is a non-believing
Jew. I am not aware of Clegg being a person of faith.
Without Jesus to see them through times like this what have
they got left.
It is knowing Jesus is real and with us till the end of the age
which means we can experience real joy.