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 Jesus told his disciples that he taught them “so thatmy joy may be in you and your joy may becomplete.” What reason do we have to be joyful?We may rejoice because we have a savior. Oursavior is Christ the Lord. He saves us from thecaptivity of sin.

On the night of Jesus’ birth, there were shepherds inthe fields around Bethlehem. The dark night sky lit

up around them. It terrified them. A messenger toldthem to calm down because he had a message of great joy for all people. “To you is born today aSavior who is Christ the Lord.” Christ is our saviorbecause he saves us by ransoming us from sin’scaptivity. God’s angel told Mary to name him Jesusbecause he would save his people from their sins.

 Jesus told his disciples he came to give his life as aransom for sin (Mark 10:45). Paul wrote to Timothy and further elaborated: “Christ Jesus gave himself as a ransom for all.” (1 Tim. 2:25). Peter clarified

further: “You were ransomed from (sin) … with theprecious blood of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:18). JesusChrist saves us by ransoming us from sin. Is is areason to be joyful. As Peter also wrote: You believein him and rejoice with an indescribable andglorious joy, for you are receiving the outcomeof your faith, the salvation of your souls” (1 Peter1:8b-9).

The film titled Ransom was on Bright House

recently. The main character is Tom Mullen, amillionaire owner of a small airline. His wife, Kay, isthe perfect corporate wife. She balances small talk

 with responsibilities. They have a son, Sean, whomthey adore but often overlook. Sean is eager to grow up and be like his dad. What Kay and Sean do notknow is that Tom is guilty of a crime he has publicly denied. The FBI investigated him, found nothing,and convicted someone else. What Tom does notknow is that Sean has been targeted for kidnappingand Tom for extortion. When Sean vanishes in aneerie split second, Tom and Kay are plunged into anightmare. Sean is held for ransom. Ironically, they must turn to the FBI for help. Agent LonnieHawkins asks Tom for the whole truth and hearshis confession. Tom experiences a causticrepentance when he confronts the man convictedfor his crime and learns the kidnapping wasarranged for revenge. He discovers a shocking fact:

having ruined another for personal gain, he is theobject of another’s sinful vengeance.

The film seeks first to entertain, but also attempts todig into the human condition and examine ourtriumphs, flaws, and fears. Ransom depicts severalimportant truths: Money cannot redeem a life. Allhave sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Weare all in need of a ransom. (1)

 Jesus saves us from sin by paying a ransom for us.1

— SERMON SERIES: FINDING TRUE JOY —

R EASONS TO BE JOYFULMay 2, 2010 David R. Hosick

Luke 2:8–11 In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, andthey were terrified. But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you

 good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior,who is the Messiah, the Lord.

1 Peter 1:8-9 Although you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, youbelieve in him and rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, for you are receiving the

outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

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The Bible speaks of ransoming in several ways: assecuring release from the penalty of death, as God’sdeliverance of Israel from Egyptian captivity, asGod’s continuing to rescue his people in times of trouble. In every case, the concept is delivering aperson from a situation in which he or she ispowerless to free themselves or from a penalty 

 which the person could never pay.

The Greek philosopher Seneca said we areoverwhelmingly conscious of “our inefficiency innecessary things.” (2) We love our vices and hatethem at the same time. What we need, he insisted, isa hand let down to lift us up. We are in the grip of something from which we are helpless to deliverourselves. Paul illustrates Seneca’s dilemma andoffers a solution. He writes:

When I want to do what is good, I end updoing what is wrong. With my whole heart Iagree with the Law of God. But in every partof me, I discover something fighting againstmy will, and it makes me a prisoner of sinthat controls everything I do. What amiserable person I am. Who will rescue me?

Paul concludes:

Thank God! Jesus will rescue me!(Romans 7:21-25)

 Jesus pays a ransom for us.

The U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum is inWashington D.C. between the WashingtonMonument and the Jefferson Memorial, near theheart of the National Mall. It remembers andhonors the countless people murdered by the Nazisin WWII. It is intentionally designed to disturb its

 visitors. According to the architect, “mystery, fear,and disbelief are to fill you as you visit.” The mainentrance is a brick-walled, glass-ceilinged Hall of Witness with a grand staircase at one end. On adark wall next to the staircase, there is a dramaticfloor-to-ceiling crack. It was purposely placed thereto disturb visitors. It declares that life is “cracked,”things are askew, and we alive lives that are tiltedand imperfect. We are all in need of salvation.

Christianity teaches this very thing, but adds that Jesus came to save us from our entrapment to sin.

He paid a ransom to set us free. He saves us by giving his life as a ransom for all. The thought of 

 Jesus paying a ransom raises questions. To whom was this ransom paid? To God? Satan? All sorts of  wild and fanciful theories have been concocted toanswer such questions. Suppose, however, we say,“Sorrow is the price of love.” Are we suggesting thatthe price is paid to someone? No. We mean lovecannot exist without the possibility and likelihoodof sorrow. Suppose we say fitness cannot beacquired without the price of sweat, or knowledgecannot be acquired without the price of time. Wenever think of investigating to whom the price ispaid. To say that Jesus gave his life as a ransom isanother way of saying that it cost the life of Jesus tofree us from sin and open to us eternal life withGod. It means the cost of our salvation was thecross of Christ. Beyond that, we don’t need to go. Weonly need to know that something happened on thecross that enabled us to turn around, like theProdigal Son, and return home to our Father. Forthat reason, Jesus is our Savior.

I remember talking with a woman who was havinga bad time. She said, “I’ve been hoping someone

 would come along and take me away from all this.”The effects of other people’s sins had entrapped herand cracked apart her life. She just wanted savedfrom the situation. Today, her life is mended. She

says she is as joyful as she can remember being.She will be the first to say it is because she openedherself to the saving presence of Jesus Christ. She is,as the hymn sings, “ransomed, healed, restored,forgiven …” (3)

Sir James Simpson discovered the anestheticproperties of chloroform. He was one of the mostprominent scientists of his generation. A friendonce asked him to name his most joyous discovery.His answer came quickly, “That I have a Savior.” A

man once told me with tears in his eyes, “Every year,Christmas and Easter become more joyous for meas I continue to discover that Jesus saves me fromsin.”

 Joy bursts forth naturally from gratitude. Gratitudecomes in response to grace, which has been offeredto us in response to our guilt. Our HeidelbergCatechism is arranged in three sections: guilt, grace,and gratitude. Question One asks: “What is your

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only comfort in life and death?” It answers: “That Iam not my own but belong, body and soul, in lifeand death, to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ. He hasfully paid for all my sins with his precious bloodand has set me free from the tyranny of (evil).”Question Two asks: “What must you know to liveand die in the joy of this comfort?” It answers:“Three things: first, how great my sin and misery are, second, how I am set free from all my sins andmisery; third, how I am to thank God for suchdeliverance.”

Ben Patterson writes:

Gratitude and joy are the twin children of grace, organically joined both theologically and spiritually. In Greek, they are evenrelated linguistically: the words for grace,

gratitude, and joy all share the same root,char, a noun that refers to health and well-being … What is a linguistic relationship inGreek is a burning reality in the kingdom of God. (3)

The great theologian Karl Barth said, “Grace andgratitude belong together like heaven and earth.Grace evokes gratitude like the voice of an echo.Gratitude follows grace like thunder and lightening.

(4) And as gratitude follows grace, so joy followsgratitude. Joy is what we feel when we are grateful.This is precisely what Peter meant in our scripturereading — the natural outcome of believing thegospel is joy. “You believe in (Jesus) and are filled

 with an indescribably and glorious joy …”

 Joy is what we feel when we understand andembrace the gospel; rejoicing is what we dobecause of our joy. Rejoicing widens and deepensour joy. That is why Paul writes “Rejoice in the Lordalways. I will say it again. Rejoice!” We have reasonfor joy — we have a Savior, Jesus Christ the Lord.Therefore, let us rejoice with an indescribably andglorious joy.

Sources:

 World, November 30/December 7, 1996, p 23.

William Barclay, The Letters to the Galatians and Ephesians , Westminster, p. 81.

“Praise My Soul, the King of Heaven”

Ben Patterson, He Has Mad Me Glad, IVP, p. 16-17. Iam indebted to Patterson for this section of thesermon.

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Rev. Dr. David R. Hosick, PastorSermon Series: Finding True Joy 

No. 2: “Reasons to Be Joyful”

701 Beach Drive NE St. Petersburg, Florida 33701-2618 (727) 822-2031 www.fpc-stpete.org Additional copies of this sermon and others are available on the website, or by contacting the church office.