Another time in the New Testament that we read this phrase “great joy” is in what the angels say to the shepherds. And interestingly, it’s also said in the context of fear. “Do not be afraid,” the angel says to the shepherds, “I bring you good news that will cause great joy, mega joy. It will fill you with joy.” This news of Jesus Christ’s birth caused great joy. And it’s the same with the Magi. Seeing the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. His resurrection caused great joy. And the question for you is, have you experienced it?
All over the Bible we see examples of the Lord Jesus causing joy in those who follow Him.
In the Old Testament the joy he was to bring in his incarnation was anticipated in the feasts—Esther 9:22— ‘For in these days the Jews rested from their enemies, and in the month which was turned for them from sorrow to joy and from mourning to a good day, they made it a day of feasting and gladness, sending portions to one another and gifts to the poor.” Zechariah 8:19— ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘The fast of the fourth, the fast of the fifth, the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth month shall be joy and gladness and cheerful feasts for the house of Judah; therefore love truth and peace.’’
He even promises it. In John 16:20, He says, “Your sorrow will turn into joy.” This is not a general kind of happiness, but a very specific joy — one that belongs uniquely to the Christian. It is the joy of being with Him, known by Him, loved by Him. As the psalmist testifies in Psalm 30:11, “You have turned for me my mourning into dancing.” This is the character of Christian joy — not shallow cheeriness, but deep gladness that rises from suffering transformed by the presence of God.
Christian joy springs from faith. Paul speaks of this in Philippians 1:25 when he refers to “joy in the faith.” It is faith that sees Jesus and rejoices. That’s what Peter tells the churches: “Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory” (1 Peter 1:8). This is a joy that defies explanation, yet it fills the believer with heavenly hope and beauty. Jesus causes joy.
But joy isn’t just vertical—it moves horizontally too. Paul says to Philemon in Philemon 1:7, “I have derived much joy and comfort from your love.” In the church, we can cause joy for one another. Joy can be prayed for, and joy can be received. Paul models this when he writes in Philippians 1:4, “Always in every prayer of mine for you all, making my prayer with joy.” There is also a filling of joy that comes from presence and fellowship, as in 2 Timothy 1:4: “I long to see you, that I may be filled with joy.” We can cause joy in others, but we never forget that Jesus is the source.
God’s word, too, is meant to be received with joy. Jesus says in the parable of the Sower that there are those who “hear the word and immediately receive it with joy” (Matthew 13:20; also Mark 4:16; Luke 8:13). The people of God are to be marked by joyful prayer, as in Philippians 1:4, and by joy in their fellowship: “Receive him then in the Lord with all joy” (Philippians 2:29). Even in suffering, we are called to respond with joy — a joy that baffles the world. Hebrews 10:34 says, “You joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one.” That’s the strange and powerful interplay of fear and joy in the Christian life.
Leaders in the church also know this mix. There is a kind of groaning in leadership — it can be hard and painful. But the writer to the Hebrews exhorts the church to allow their leaders to “keep watch over your souls as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning” (Hebrews 13:17). Joy is not just the reward for leadership; it is the calling. The weight of responsibility and the fear of God are real, but so is the deep joy that comes from shepherding God’s people.
