Joy To The World
Christmas 2014
Luke 1:46-56
• Verse 47: "rejoiced“ – aor. act. ind. of
agalliaō (G21) - To show or feel a lively or
triumphant joy; to rejoice exceedingly; to
be highly elated or jubilant.
• Now, This is in spite of the fact that Mary
could have been stoned to death for being
pregnant, or could have been put away
(divorced) by Joseph.
• Mary's “Magnificat” may have been based
on several passages of Scripture. The first
is in Psalm 98.
Psalm 98
• In verses 4, 6, and 8 we have the
concept of rejoicing.
• The word rejoice in verse 4 is a
present middle imperative in the
Septuagint - the mood of command!
• It is the same Greek word (agalliaō)
that Mary uses in Luke chapter 1.
• The Isaac Watts hymn, "Joy to the
World!" is said to be from Psalm 98.
Habakkuk 3:18
• Notice the context of verse 18 - all of
chapter 3 is dealing with judgment.
• Yet Habakkuk is able to rejoice in the Lord
and say, “The Lord God is my strength” in
verse 19.
• This is very similar to Nehemiah 8:10b
which says, “The joy of the Lord is my
strength.”
• The heading in my Bible calls this chapter,
“The Triumphant Faith of Habakkuk.”
I Samuel 2
• Notice that this passage is very similar
to the passage in Luke chapter 1, in that
both women are praying concerning a
supernatural pregnancy.
• Now Hannah did not have the best of
circumstances - she had a rival wife
that tormented her! (See 1:2, 6, & 7.)
• Note that in none of these passages did
rejoicing depend on circumstances.
• In John 10:10 Jesus says the thief does
not come except to steal and to kill and to
destroy.
• Satan is that thief and he desires to steal
and kill and destroy our joy because he
knows that the joy of the Lord is our
strength.
• He does not want strong warriors battling
against him.
• Philippians 4:4 tells us to "Rejoice in the
Lord always. Again I will say rejoice!"