Jesus was a man of gladness

JESUS WAS A MAN OF GLADNESS
EDITED BY GLENN PEASE
Matthew 5:12 12Rejoiceand be glad, becausegreat is
your reward in heaven, for in the same way they
persecuted the prophets who were before you.
New Living Translation
Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward
awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient
prophets were persecuted in the same way.
As PastorCharles Edward Jeffersonshows, evenJesus’scritics recognized
His joy. And Jesus saidHis joy would be in us, if only we abide in Him.
Imagine the joy of Jesus
“We are trying to see Jesus ofNazareth! Our one question is: What kind of
man was he? . . . It is by no means easyto see him as he was, the mists blow in
betweenus and him, and blur the features of his face. The dust settles upon
the picture which the evangelists have painted and the man becomes dim to
our eyes. All sorts of men — poets, philosophers, painters — have like so

many human spiders wovencobwebs overthe picture, so that until we brush
the cobwebs awayit is impossible to see him.”
“All the Christian churches take their name from this man. The churches
differ widely from one anotherin worship, in government, in teachings, . . .
but this one thing is remarkable, that all the Christian churches of the world
are clinging tenaciouslyto the garments of this man. . . . ‘He,’ they say, ‘is our
example. We are to reproduce the characteristic notes displayed in him.’ And
therefore it becomes not only an interesting enterprise, but one of tremendous
importance, this effort to find out what kind of man he was. If we geta
distorted image of him, we harm ourselves and rob the world.”
“Pushing then all the poets and philosophers aside, let us ask ourselves the
question: Did Jesus of Nazarethimpress men as glad or sad, solemn or
radiant, jubilant or melancholy? There is no doubt about the answerwhich
the painters give. They nearly always paint him sad. . . . But we cannotafford
to follow the painters. They paint Jesus with a halo. Nobody in Jerusalemever
saw the halo. . . . We want to see him as he was.”
Hostile Witnesses
“To find out what impression he really made upon the people of his day, it will
be worth our while to listen to what his enemies had to say. Of course his
enemies will not speak the ungarbled truth, they will deal in falsehoods;but
even falsehoods are ofgreat advantage in trying to make one’s waytoward the
truth. . . . For falsehoods whenarrangedin a row have a curious fashionof
pointing in the direction of the truth. When a man begins lying, if you can
only keephim lying long enough, he will by and by put you on the track of
discovering what the truth is. And so it is with the enemies of Jesus.”
“Theyhave said certain things which are invaluable to us in our searchafter
authentic knowledge ofthe characterof Jesus. . . . They declaredhe was a
glutton. Of course he was not, but they said he was. Now a glutton is never a
glum and sour-facedman. Gluttony is a form of pleasure. . . . When men said
he was a glutton we may rest assuredhe was not an ascetic in his looks or
habits.”

“Theyalso called him a wine bibber. Of course he was not, but the very fact
that they accusedhim of guzzling wine points in the direction of the kind of
man he was. A wine bibber is usually a jolly man. . . . A man under the
influence of wine is exceedinglysocialand talkative and genial. The enemies of
Jesus would never have calledhim a wine bibber if he had been as glum and
sad as some of the artists have painted him.”
“Theycalled him also the friend of publicans and sinners. . . . He associated
with people who had no piety at all. When they declaredhe was a friend of
these non-churchgoers, they implied that he was of the same stripe as they. . . .
So his enemies declared, and if Jesus had been taciturn and sullen, grim and
morose, his enemies would never have declaredhe was a boon companion of
lighthearted men. . . . Put, then, these three bits of falsehoodtogether, and
what is the direction in which they point? They are the most precious bits of
slander that ever slipped from slimy lips. They prove indisputably that
whateverJesus was or was not, he was not morose or sour or melancholy.”
Wedding Joy
“Having listened to the testimony of his enemies, let us now study one of the
words Jesus applied to himself. . . . Some people came to Jesus one day in
disgust, saying, ‘Why do your disciples not fast?’The reply of Jesus is
illuminating. He said, ‘How can the children of the bridechamber fast when
the bridegroom is with them?’ Did you ever mark the use of that word
‘bridegroom’? . . . He seized upon a word that is the symbol of human joy. If
ever a man is happy in this world, it is on his wedding day. Jesus says that he
lives in an atmosphere of wedding joy, and so also do his disciples.”
“It would seem, then, that Jesus was a man abounding in joy. Gladness was
one of the notes of his character. Listen to him as he teaches,and againand
againyou catchthe notes of happiness. He was all the time saying, ‘Unless you
become like a little child, you cannot enter the kingdom of God’ — and what
was it in the little child that attractedhim? One thing which attracted him
was the child’s sunny heart. What would we do in this world without the
children laughing awaythe cares and sighs?”

“Or listen againto what he says about worry. He defines it as one of the
deadliestof all sins. We are not to worry about the present, about the
necessitiesofexistence, abouttomorrow, about what we ought to do or say in
the greatcrises whichlie aheadof us. It is not right, he says;it is contrary to
the law of God. Look at nature: see the lilies and the birds, there is not a trace
of worry or of care in all nature’s lovely face.”
“Listen againto the exhortations which he gives his disciples. He tells them
that when men persecute them and say all manner of evil againstthem falsely,
they are to rejoice and be exceeding glad. The English translation does not do
justice to the Greek. He says, ‘Rejoice andleap for joy.’ Let your joy express
itself. When matters are at their worst, then you ought to have the happiness
which leaps. Certainly a sad-heartedman could never give advice like that.”
“Listen to him againas he says to the great crowds, ‘Come unto me all ye that
labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest; for my yoke is easyand
my burden is light.’ A glum-facedprophet could never speak so. He was glad
even to the end. Even in the upper chamber, with death only a few hours
away, he goes right on speaking ofthe joy that is bubbling up in his own heart
and he prays that the same joy may abound in the hearts of those that love
him. He tells his disciples that all of his teaching has been granted unto them
because ofhis desire that his joy might remain in them.”
Son Kissed
“A Christian must then, if he would follow Jesus, be a joyous and jubilant
man. Someone says atonce, ‘Ah, I know many Christians who are anything
but happy, they are the most doleful creatures in all the world, they whine and
whimper, they soband cry, their very faces are images of woe — how will you
explain that?’ The explanation is that all such persons although they profess
to follow Jesus, follow him afar off.”
“Theyare not developedChristians, mature or ripened Christians. The very
finest apples, you know, in the earlierstages oftheir growth are sour and
green. It is not until the sun has done his perfect work that they are golden
and luscious. Justso it is with souls in the earlierstages ofdevelopment —
they are often greenand sour, crabbed, and full of acid. But if they will only

subject themselves to the shining of the sun, the greatjoyous, exuberant,
laughing sun, all the juices of their nature will grow sweetand mellow, and
they will find themselves at last in the kingdom of peace and joy.”
Excerpts from The Characterof Jesus by Charles EdwardJefferson(Thomas
Y. Crowell& Co., 1908)
CHARLES EDWARD JEFFERSON
THE GLADNESS OF JESUS
"Rejoice, and be exceeding glad."
— Matthew 5:12
We are trying to see Jesus ofNazarethI Our
one question is: What kind of man was he? We
are not studying his personality or considering his
ideas — all we want to know is what kind of a man
he was, how did he impress the people who saw
him in Galilee and Judea. We are trying to get
rid of impressions which have been made upon us
by painters and our own imagination. It is by no
means easyto see him as he was, the mists blow in

betweenus and him, and blur the features of his
face. The dust settles upon the pictiure which the
evangelists have painted and the man becomes dim
to our eyes. All sorts of men — poets, philosophers,
painters — have like so many human spiders woven
cobwebs overthe picture, so that until we brush the
cobwebs awayit is impossible to see him. In the
words of the familiar hymn, "We would see Jesus,"
we would bring him out of the shadows and see him
as he is. It is an interesting enterprise in which
we are engaged, becauseallthe Christian churches
take their name from this man. The churches
243
244 CHARACTER OF JESUS
differ widely from one anotherin worship, in govern-
ment, in teachings, — Protestants of many kinds are
separatedfrom one another, and Catholics ofmany
classesare also separatedfrom one another, — but

this one thing is remarkable, that all the Christian
churches of the world are clinging tenaciouslyto
the garments of this man. They all without excep-
tion callhim Master;they all hold him up as the
pattern of a perfect life. "He," they say, "is our
example. We are to reproduce the characteristic
notes displayed in him." And therefore it becomes
not only an interesting enterprise, but one of tre-
mendous importance, this effort to £ind out what kind
of man he was. If we geta distorted image of him,
we harm ourselves and rob the world. Just in
proportion as we see him clearlyand understand
preciselywhat sort of man he was, do we become
able to pattern our lives after his and become the
men God would have us to be.
Pushing then all the poets and philosophers aside,
let us ask ourselves the question: Did Jesus of
Nazarethimpress men as glad or sad, solemn or
radiant, jubilant or melancholy? There is no doubt
about the answerwhich the painters give. They
nearly always paint him sad, they love to paint him
on the cross, they picture him dying with a great

melancholy in his eyes — or if they do not paint
him on the cross, theypaint, him on the way to the
cross with the crownof thorns on his head, bending
imder the burden as he staggers up Golgotha. In
HIS GLADNESS 24S
all the Catholic churches of the world you see the
twelve stations of the cross. The Jesus ofChristian
history is a man of sorrows and acquainted with
grief; there is sadness in his face and a greatpang
in his heart. Christianity is the religion of sorrow,
said Goethe, and Carlyle declaredthat Goethe's
judgment was correct. And not only do the painters
paint him sad, but so also does our imagination.
When we think of him we think of him as crucified.
In that wonderful painting of Holman Hunt the
cross on which Jesus died casts a shadow out across
Jerusalemto the end of the world, and that is what
the cross does in the pictures which our mind paints
of Jesus and the world in which he lived — we always

see him with the shadow of the cross upon him,
we always think of him as severe and sad. But
we cannot afford to follow the painters. They
paint Jesus with a halo. Nobody in Jerusalemever
saw the halo. They paint him with a shadow on
his face — do you suppose the men in Palestine
saw the shadow ? We want to see him as he was.
In order to find out what impression he really
made upon the people of his day, it will be worth our
while to listen to what his enemies had to say. Of
course his enemies will not speak the ungarbled
truth, they will deal in falsehoods ;but even false-
hoods are of greatadvantage in trjring to make one's
way toward the truth. There is nothing that so
dumfounds a lawyer in the questioning of a witness
as imbroken silence. If a witness will only speak.
if he will only speak falsehoods, his speechis more

illuminating than continuous silence, for falsehoods
when arranged in a row have a curious fashion of
pointing in the direction of the truth. When a man
begins lying, if you can only keephim lying long
enough, he will by and by put you on the track of
discovering what the truth is. And so it is with the
enemies of Jesus. Theyhave said certain things
which are invaluable to us in our searchafter au-
thentic knowledge ofthe characterof Jesus. Among
other things which they said, they declared he was a
glutton. Of course he was not, but they said he
was. Now a glutton is never a glum and sour-
facedman. Gluttony is a form of pleasure. Men
overeatbecause overeating gives enjo)anent. A
glutton is likely to be round and rotimd. When the
men of Jesus'day said he was a glutton we may
rest assuredhe was not an ascetic in his looks or hab-
its. They also calledhim a wine bibber. Of course
he was not, but the very factthat they accusedhim
of guzzling wine points in the direction of the kind
of man he was. A wine bibber is usually a jolly man.
Wine unlocks the lips and gives temporary brilliancy
to the mind. A man under the influence of wine is

exceedinglysocialand talkative and genial. The
enemies of Jesus would never have calledhim a wine
bibber if he had been as glum and sad as some of
the artists have painted him. They calledhim also
the friend of publicans and sinners. By publicans
and sinners we are to understand non-churchgoers.
HIS GLADNESS 247
This man not only went to church and associated
with pious people, but he associatedwith people
who had no piety at all. When they declaredhe
was a friend of these non-churchgoers, they implied
that he was of the same stripe as they — "Birds of
a feather always flock together." He would never
have associatedwith such godless people if he himself
had not had a godless heart. So his enemies declared,
and if Jesus had been taciturn and sullen, grim and
morose, his enemies would never have declaredhe
was a boon companion of light-hearted men. Their
lying would have takenanother form. Put, then,

these three bits of falsehoodtogether, and what is
the direction in which they point? They are the
most precious bits of slander that ever slipped from
slimy lips. They prove indisputably that whatever
Jesus was orwas not, he was not morose or sour or
melancholy.
Having listened to the testimony of his enemies,
let us now study one of the words Jesus applied
to himself. There were pious people in Palestine
who were greatly scandalizedbecause Jesus never
fasted, nor did he teachhis disciples that it was their
duty to fast. Fasting was a recognizedfeature of
the Jewishreligion. Every person of orthodox
piety in Palestine fastedtwice every week. Fasting
had been prescribed by the greatestof the rabbis;
it had also been the requirement of John the Baptist
himself. Some people came to Jesus one day in
disgust, saying, "Why do your disciples not fast?"
I

The reply of Jesus is illuminating. He said, "How
can the children of the bridechamber fast when the
bridegroom is with them?" Did you ever mark
the use of that word " bridegroom '' ? Jesus says that
he is a bridegroom. He seizedupon a word that is
the symbol of human joy. If ever a man is happy
in this world, it is on his wedding day. Jesus says
that he lives in an atmosphere of wedding joy, and
so also do his disciples. It is impossible therefore
for either him or his disciples to take up any of the
old fashions of the grim and solemn piety of the past.
He told the men who criticisedhim that his life
was diflferent from the life of John the Baptist and
also from the life of the Pharisees.You cannotmix
the two kinds of piety, the two forms of life will not
mingle. Let me give you an illustration or two, he
said: "A man does not put a new patch on an old
garment, because the new patch will tear out and

the rent will be still worse. Neithercan you put
my form of life on to the old form of piety, the two
will not hold together, the strength that is in my
form of life will simply tear the old form of life to
pieces. Or, to give you another illustration, men
do not put new wine into old wine skins, for there is
too much life and movement and sparkle in new
wine for the old skins. If you attempt to put the
new wine into the old skins, the old skins will burst
and the wine will be lost. So do not think that you
can put the new life which I live and which I want
all my followers to live into old forms of pharisaic
i
HIS GLADNESS 249
piety, for this cannot be done. I am living a new
kind of life, and I want a new kind of man, a new

spirit, a new fonn of religion."
It would seem, then, that Jesus was a man abomidr
ing in joy. Gladness was one of the notes of his , q
character. Listen to him as he teaches, andagain
and againyou catchthe notes of happiness. He was
all the time saying, "Unless you become like a little
child, you cannotenter the kingdom of God" — and J
what was it in the little child that attractedhim?'
One thing which attracted him was the child's
sxmny heart. What would we do in this world
without the children laughing awaythe cares and
sighs? Have you ever listened to their laughteif
in the streets while the f imeral processionwas pass-
ing by? Have you ever seena golden-haired little
child with beaming face at the centre of a room in
which there was a casketaround which broken-
hearted men and womenwere gathering? Look at
that child in the centre of the chamber of death —
that is the picture of the Christian amid the shadows
of this darkenedworld. Or listen againto what
he says about worry. He defines it as one of the
deadliestof all sins. We are not to worry about the

present, about the necessitiesofexistence, about
to-morrow, about what we ought to do or sayin
the greatcrises whichlie aheadof us. It is not right,
he says ; it is contrary to the law of God. Look at
nature: see the lilies and the birds, there is not a
trace of solicitude in all nature's lovely face. Listen
againto the exhortations which he gives his disciples.
He telb them that when men persecute them and
say all manner of evil againstthem falsely, they are
to rejoice and be exceeding glad. The English
f translation does not do justice to the Greek. He
says, "Rejoiceandleap for joy." Let your joy
express itself. When matters are at their worst,
then you ought to have the happiness which leaps.
Certainly a sad-heartedman could never give advice
like that. Listen to him againas he says to the
greatcrowds, " Come unto me all ye that labor and
are heavy laden, and I will give you rest; for my

yoke is easyand my burden is light." A glum-
facedprophet could never speak so. He was glad
even to the end. Even in the upper chamber, with
death only a few hoiu:s away, he goes right on speak-
ing of the joy that is bubbling up in his own heart
and he prays that the same joy may abound in the
hearts of those that love him. He tells his disciples
that all of his teaching has been granted imto them
because ofhis desire that his joy might remain in
them and that their joy might be full. There was
no shadow on his face that night in the upper cham-
ber. The cross is near, but it casts no shadow.
But does not the New Testamentsaythat Jesus
wept? It does. And does the New Testament
ever saythat Jesus laughed? It does not. Are
we therefore to infer that Jesus oftenwept and never
laughed ? The inference is unfounded. Why does
the New Testamentsaythat Jesus wept? Probably
HIS GLADNESS 25 1

because it was so exceptional. It is the exceptional
thing that is written down. There are four million
people in New York City, let one of them kill another
— he gets at once into the papers. Murder is
exceptionaland so it is always noted. Thousands
of people walk the streets, let one of them fall and
break his leg and that accidentis noted — no atten-
tion is paid to the thousands who meet with no acci-
dent. Jesus laughedso frequently it was not worth
while calling attention to it. He wept so seldom
that when he did weepit struck the disciples with
consternation. Johncould never forgetit. He
remembered the day at the tomb of Lazarus when
Mary was weeping and her sister and all the relatives
and friends, and it was then that Jesus wept, so tender
and sympathetic was he that he broke down — that
greatstrong, radiant, exuberant man wept. John
says that the world itself could not containthe books
that could be written if he attempted to put down
all the things which Jesus saidand did. He will
crowdback a million things, to make room for that
one surprising fact that at the grave of Lazarus

Jesus wept. The sentence insteadof proving that
Jesus was lachrymose and doleful bears eloquent
witness to the factthat Jesus was buoyant and
exultant.
A Christian must then, if he would follow Jesus,
be a joyous and jubilant man. Some one sa3rs at
once, "Ah, I know many Christians who are any-
thing but happy, they are the most doleful creatures
in all the world, they whine and whimper, they sob
and cry, their very faces are images of woe — how
will you explain that?" The explanation is that
aU such persons although they profess to follow
Jesus, follow him afar off. You may be tempted
to say that glum and dismal Christians are not
Christians at all. That is probably somewhattoo
severe. It would be nearer right to say that they
are not developed Christians, mature or ripened

Christians. The very finest apples, you know, in
the earlierstages oftheir growthare sour and green.
It is not until the sun has done his perfect work that
they are golden and luscious. Justso it is with souls
in the earlierstages ofdevelopment — they are often
greenand sour, crabbed, and full of acid. But if
they will only subjectthemselves to the shining of
the sun, the greatjoyous, exuberant, laughing sim,
all the juices of their nature will grow sweetand
mellow, and they will find themselves at lastin the
kingdom of peace and joy.
It is the tragedy of this world that there are so
many people in it who find it impossible to rejoice.
What is the matter with you that you are not happier
than you are? Certainly there is something wrong i
What a pity it is to live in a world like this and not
enjoy living 1 It is amazing that any one should live
in a imiverse so glorious, and not feellike shouting 1
If you are lachrymose and drooping it is because there
is something wrong. You are not well in body or
in mind, or it may be you are sick in both. You have

HIS GLADNESS 253
not yet learned the high art of living, you have not
yet come to Jesus. Why not come and sit at his A,
feet? Why not take his yoke upon you and learn
of him, for his yoke is easyand his burden is light.
BIBLEHUB RESOURCES
COMMENTARIES
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers
(12) Rejoice, andbe exceeding glad.—The secondword implies a glorious and
exulting joy. The same combination is found, possibly as an actual echo of its
use here, in 1Peter1:8; 1Peter4:13;Revelation19:7.
Your reward.—The teaching of Luke 17:10 shows that even here the reward
is not “ofdebt, but of grace” (Romans 4:4). It may be added that the temper
to which the “reward” is promised practically excludes the possibility of such
claim as of right. The reward is for those only who suffer “for righteousness,
for Christ,” not for those who are calculating on a future compensation.

In heaven.—Literally, in the heavens, as in the phrase, the “kingdom of
heaven.” the plural being used possibly with reference to the Jewishbelief in
three (2Corinthians 12:2) or seven heavens, more probably as implying, in its
grand vagueness (like the “many mansions” of John 14:2), the absence of any
space limits to the promised reward. As with the “kingdom of heaven,” so
here, the word is not to be thrown forward into the far-off future, but points
to the unseeneternal world which is even now present to us, and of which all
true disciples of Christ are citizens (Philippians 3:20).
So persecutedthey the prophets.—Zechariahthe sonof Jehoiada (2Chronicles
24:21), Jeremiah(Jeremiah 11:21;Jeremiah 20:2), and the sufferers in the
reign of Ahab (1Kings 18:4), are the greathistoricalinstances. Isaiahmay be
added from tradition. But the words were, we can hardly doubt, true of the
prophetic order as a whole. The witnessesfor unwelcome truths have never
had, anywhere or at any time, a light or easytask. In the words “the prophets
which were before you” there is a tacit assumption that the disciples also to
whom He spake were calledto a prophetic work. There was to be, in part at
least, a fulfilment of the old grand wish, “Would God that all the Lord’s
people were prophets!” (Numbers 11:29). The Church of Christ, endowed
with the Pentecostalgift, was to be as a prophet to the nations.
Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary
5:3-12 Our Saviour here gives eight characters ofblessedpeople, which
representto us the principal graces ofa Christian. 1. The poor in spirit are
happy. These bring their minds to their condition, when it is a low condition.
They are humble and lowly in their own eyes. Theysee their want, bewail
their guilt, and thirst after a Redeemer. The kingdom of grace is of such; the
kingdom of glory is for them. 2. Those that mourn are happy. That godly
sorrow which workethtrue repentance, watchfulness, a humble mind, and
continual dependence for acceptanceonthe mercy of God in Christ Jesus,
with constantseeking the Holy Spirit, to cleanse awaythe remaining evil,
seems here to be intended. Heaven is the joy of our Lord; a mountain of joy,
to which our way is through a vale of tears. Such mourners shall be comforted

by their God. 3. The meek are happy. The meek are those who quietly submit
to God; who can bear insult; are silent, or return a softanswer;who, in their
patience, keeppossessionof their own souls, when they can scarcelykeep
possessionofanything else. These meek ones are happy, even in this world.
Meeknesspromotes wealth, comfort, and safety, even in this world. 4. Those
who hunger and thirst after righteousness are happy. Righteousnessis here
put for all spiritual blessings. Theseare purchasedfor us by the righteousness
of Christ, confirmed by the faithfulness of God. Our desires of spiritual
blessings must be earnest. Thoughall desires for grace are not grace, yetsuch
a desire as this, is a desire of God's own raising, and he will not forsake the
work of his own hands. 5. The merciful are happy. We must not only bear our
own afflictions patiently, but we must do all we canto help those who are in
misery. We must have compassiononthe souls of others, and help them; pity
those who are in sin, and seek to snatch them as brands out of the burning. 6.
The pure in heart are happy; for they shall see God. Here holiness and
happiness are fully described and put together. The heart must be purified by
faith, and kept for God. Create in me such a cleanheart, O God. None but the
pure are capable of seeing God, nor would heaven be happiness to the impure.
As God cannot endure to look upon their iniquity, so they cannotlook upon
his purity. 7. The peace-makersare happy. They love, and desire, and delight
in peace;and study to be quiet. They keepthe peace that it be not broken, and
recoverit when it is broken. If the peace-makersare blessed, woe to the peace-
breakers!8. Those who are persecutedfor righteousness'sakeare happy. This
saying is peculiar to Christianity; and it is more largely insisted upon than any
of the rest. Yet there is nothing in our sufferings that can merit of God; but
God will provide that those who lose for him, though life itself, shall not lose
by him in the end. BlessedJesus!how different are thy maxims from those of
men of this world! They callthe proud happy, and admire the gay, the rich,
the powerful, and the victorious. May we find mercy from the Lord; may we
be owned as his children, and inherit his kingdom. With these enjoyments and
hopes, we may cheerfully welcome low or painful circumstances.
Barnes'Notes on the Bible

Rejoice, andbe exceeding glad - Regardit as a greatprivilege thus to be
persecutedand to suffer - a thing not to be mourned over, but as among the
chief blessings of life.
For greatis your reward in heaven - That is, your reward will be greatin the
future world. To those who suffer most, God imparts the highest rewards.
Hence, the crownof martyrdom has been thought to be the brightest that any
of the redeemedshall wear; and hence many of the early Christians soughtto
become martyrs, and threw themselves in the way of their persecutors, that
they might be put to death. They literally rejoiced, and leapedfor joy, at the
prospectof death for the sake ofJesus. ThoughGod does not require us to
seek persecution, yetall this shows that there is something in religionto
sustain the soul which the world does not possess. Nothing but the
consciousnessofinnocence, and the presence of God, could bear up the
sufferers in the midst of these trials; and the flame, therefore, kindled to
consume the martyr, has also been a bright light, showing the truth and power
of the gospelofJesus.
The prophets ... - The holy men who came to predict future events, and who
were the religious teachers ofthe Jews. Foranaccountof their persecution,
see Hebrews 11.
Jamieson-Fausset-BrownBible Commentary
12. Rejoice, andbe exceeding glad—"exult." In the corresponding passageof
Luke (Lu 6:22, 23), where every indignity trying to flesh and blood is held
forth as the probable lot of such as were faithful to Him, the word is even
strongerthan here: "leap," as if He would have their inward transport to
overpowerand absorb the sense ofall these affronts and sufferings; nor will
anything else do it.
for greatis your reward in heaven: for so persecutedthey the prophets which
were before you:—that is, "You do but serve yourselves heirs to their
characterand sufferings, and the rewardwill be common."
Matthew Poole's Commentary

Be so far from being troubled, as to count it all joy, when you fall into these
trials, Jam 1:2. Let it be music in your ears to hear that the drunkards make
you their song. Rejoice inyour hearts, express it in your lips and behaviour,
for greatis your reward, not of debt, but of grace;for our light and
momentary afflictions are not worthy to be compared with an eternal and
exceeding weightof glory; where there is no proportion, there can be no
merit: especially, when it is given to us on the behalf of Christ to suffer,
Philippians 1:29. Peterupon this argument saith, The spirit of glory and of
God resteth upon you, 1 Peter4:14. Our Saviour adds,
for so persecutedthey the prophets before you. The magistrates, andthe
rulers of the Jews, persecutedElijah, Micaiah, Jeremiah, Amos, and the rest
of the prophets, whom you succeed, notin time only, but in the same office of
revealing the mind of God to the people.
Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible
Rejoice and be exceeding glad,.... Becauseofthe honour put upon them, the
glory they bring to Christ and his cause, by cheerfully suffering for it; and
because ofthe glory and happiness that shall follow upon their sufferings:
for greatis your reward in heaven; not of debt, but of grace;for there is no
proportion or comparisonbetweenwhat the saints suffer for Christ, and the
glory that shall be revealedin them by him; not in earth, but in heaven. Saints
must not expecttheir reward here, but hereafter, when God himself will be
their reward; he will be all in all; Christ and all his glory, glory and all the
riches of it will be the reward of the inheritance, and which must needs be a
"great" one. And the more to animate them to suffer with joyfulness, and to
support them under all their reproaches and persecutions, it is added;
for so persecutedthey the prophets which were before you; as Isaiah,
Jeremiah, Zechariah, and others; which shows, that what should befall them

was no new and strange thing, but what had been the lot of the most eminent
servants of God in former ages.
Geneva Study Bible
Rejoice, andbe exceeding glad:for greatis your reward in heaven: for so
persecutedthey the prophets which were before you.
EXEGETICAL(ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)
Meyer's NT Commentary
Matthew 5:12. Ὁ μισθός]comp. κατεργάζεται, 2 Corinthians 4:17, and
remarks thereon. The article denotes:the rewardwhich is destined, kept in
readiness for you (Matthew 25:34; Colossians 1:5), and that for the
indignities, persecutions, and lies borne through faith in me.
ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς]is greatin heaven. A reference to the book of life (Fritzsche,
Gratz), Php 4:3, Revelation3:5; Revelation20:15;Revelation21:27, Daniel
12:1, is not yielded by the text, which only presents the idea that the rewardis
laid, up in heaven until the future communication of it, which begins with the
establishment of the kingdom, and therefore not ἔσται, but ἐστί, is to be
supplied; and this is to be takennot as irrespective of time (de Wette), but as
present.
γάρ] assigns the reasonfrom the recognisedcertainty (Matthew 10:41)that to
the prophets, who formerly were persecutedin like manner (Matthew 23:29
ff.), greatreward is reservedin heaven for future communication in the
kingdom of the Messiah.
The prophets (comp. Matthew 7:12) are a typical example for the disciples.
On the conceptionof μισθός, which κατὰ χάριν λογίζεται (Romans 4:4), comp.
Matthew 20:1 ff.; Luke 17:10; see generallyWeiss in d. Deutsch. Zeitschr.
1853, p. 40 ff.; Bibl. Theol. p. 104 ff.

Expositor's Greek Testament
Matthew 5:12. χαίρετε καὶ ἀγ. In spite of all, joy, exultation is possible—nay,
inevitable. I not only exhort you to it, but I tell you, you cannot help being in
this mood, if once you throw yourselves enthusiasticallyinto the warfare of
God. Ἀγαλλιάω is a strong word of Hellenistic coinage, fromἄγαν and
ἅλλομαι, to leap much, signifying irrepressible demonstrative gladness. This
joy is inseparable from the heroic temper. It is the joy of the Alpine climber
standing on the top of a snowcladmountain. But the Teachergives two
reasons to help inexperienced disciples to rise to that moral elevation.—ὅτι ὁ
μισθὸς … οὐρανοῖς. Forevil treatment on earth there is a compensating
reward in heaven. This hope, weak now, was strong in primitive Christianity,
and greatlyhelped martyrs and confessors.—οὔτως γὰργὰρ ἐ. τοὺς
προφήτας. If we take the γὰρ as giving a reasonfor the previous statement the
sense will be: you cannot doubt that the prophets who suffered likewise have
receivedan eternal reward (so Bengel, Fritzsche, Schanz, Meyer, Weiss). But
we may take it as giving a co-ordinate reasonfor joy = ye are in good
company. There is inspiration in the “goodlyfellowship of the prophets,”
quite as much as in thought of their posthumous reward. It is to be noted that
the prophets themselves did not getmuch comfort from such thoughts, and
more generallythat they did not rise to the joyous mood commended to His
disciples by Jesus;but were desponding and querulous. On that side,
therefore, there was no inspiration to be gotfrom thinking of them. But they
were thoroughly loyal to righteousness atall hazards, and reflectionon their
noble careerwas fitted to infect disciples with their spirit.—τοὺς πρὸ ὑμῶν:
words skilfully chosento raise the spirit. Before you not only in time but in
vocationand destiny. Your predecessorsin function and suffering; take up the
prophetic successionand along with it, cheerfully, its tribulations.
Cambridge Bible for Schools andColleges
12. so persecutedthey the prophets …] Persecutionis a test and tokenof true
discipleship, that which naturally brings distress and despair to men will
bring delight in the kingdom of God. The passionand death of Christ gave a
fresh force to these words, see 1 Peter4:13-14.

Bengel's Gnomen
Matthew 5:12. Χαίρετε, rejoice)Joy is not only a feeling, but also a duty of the
Christian (see Php 4:4); and in adversity, the highestgrade and very nerve of
patience.—ἀγαλλιᾶσθε,be exceeding glad) so that others also may perceive
your joy.—ὅτι, κ.τ.λ, because, etc.)You may therefore rejoice on accountof
your reward.—ὁ μισθὸς, the reward) sc. of grace. The word Rewardimplies
something further beyond the beatitudes, which spring from the very
disposition of the righteous. Therefore it is said, Rejoice.—τοὺς προφήτας, the
prophets) who, by bearing witness to Christ, have encountered hatred (see
Acts 7:52), whose rewardyou know to be great. Persecutionhas not occurred
only in the case ofbarbarous nations whilst they were being convertedto the
Gospel, but always in the times of both the Old and New Testament:see 1
John 3:12-13.
Pulpit Commentary
Verse 12. - Rejoice, andbe exceeding glad(χαίρετε καὶ ἀγαλλιᾶσθε). Our
Lord uses no weakerexpressionsthan those which describe the joy of the
saints over the marriage of the Lamb (Revelation19:7). The first word
expresses joyas such, the secondits effect in stirring the emotions; this
thought St. Luke carries still further in σκιρτήσατε. (Forjoy felt under
persecution, cf. Acts 5:41.) For great. The order of the Greek, ὅτι ὀ μισθὸς
ὑμῶν πολύς, does not bear out the emphatic position assignedto "great" in
the EnglishVersions from Tyndale downwards (exceptRheims), including
RevisedVersion. Is your reward. The doctrine of recompense, whichhas so
large a place in Jewishthought (for a not often-sire example, cf. 'Ab.,' 2:19,
Taylor) comes also in Christ's teaching. In Matthew 20:1-16 rewardis
expresslydivested of its merely legalside, and exhibited as ultimately
dependent on the will of the greatHouseholder. But here it is mentioned
without reference to the difficulties involved in the conception. These
difficulties centre round the thought of obligation from God to man. But it
may be doubted whether these difficulties are not causedby too exclusively
regarding the metaphor of contracting, insteadof considering the fact
indicated by the metaphor. In God's kingdom every actionhas a
corresponding effect, and this effectis the more certain in proportion as the

actionis in the sphere of morality. The idea of "quantity" hardly enters into
the relationof such cause and effect. It is a question of moral correspondence.
But such effectmay not unfitly be called by the metaphors "hire," "reward,"
because, onthe one hand, it is the result of conditions of moral service, and, on
the other, such terms imply a PersonalWill at the back of the effect, as well as
a will on the part of the human "servant." (Forthe subject in other
connexions, cf. Weiss, 'Bibl. Theol.,'§ 32; cf. also ver. 46; Matthew 6:1, 2, 4, 5,
6.) In heaven. Our Lord says, "your rewardis great," because the effectof
your exercise ofmoral powers will be receivedin a sphere where the accidents
of the surroundings will entirely correspondto moral influences. The effectof
your present faithfulness, etc., will be seenin the receptionOf powers of work
and usefulness and enjoyment, beside which those possessedonearth will
appear small. On earth the opportunities, etc., are but "few things;" hereafter
they will be "many things" (Matthew 25:21). For. Not as giving a reasonfor
the assuranceofreward (apparently Meyer and Weiss), but for the command,
"rejoice,"and be exceeding glad, and perhaps also for the predicate
"blessed."Rejoiceif persecuted, for such persecutions prove you to be the
true successors ofthe prophets, your predecessors in like faithfulness (cf.
James 5:10). So. By reproach, e.g. Elijah (1 Kings 18:17), Amos (Amos 7:12,
13); by persecution, e.g. Hanani (2 Chronicles 16:10), Jeremiah(Jeremiah
37:15); by saying all manner of evil, e.g. Amos (Amos 7:10), Jeremiah
(Jeremiah 37:13), Daniel(Daniel 6:13). Which were before you. Added, surely,
not as a mere temporal fact, but to indicate spiritual relationship (vide supra).
PRECEPTAUSTIN RESOURCES
Matthew 5:12 "Rejoice andbe glad, for your rewardin heavenis great; for in
the same way they persecutedthe prophets who were before you. (NASB:
Lockman)

Greek:chairete (2PPAM)kai agalliasthe,(2PPMM)hotio misthos humon
polus en tois ouranois; houtos gar ediochan(3PAAI) tousprophetas tous pro
humon.
Amplified: Be glad and supremely joyful, for your reward in heaven is great
(strong and intense), for in this same way people persecutedthe prophets who
were before you. (Amplified Bible - Lockman)
KJV: Rejoice, andbe exceeding glad:for greatis your reward in heaven: for
so persecutedthey the prophets which were before you.
who are the salt of the earth
NLT: Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a greatreward awaits you in
heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted, too. (NLT -
Tyndale House)
Philips: Be glad then, yes, be tremendously glad - for your reward in Heaven
is magnificent. They persecutedthe prophets before your time in exactly the
same way. (New Testamentin Modern English)
Wuest: Be rejoicing and exult exceedingly, because your reward is greatin
heaven. For in this manner they persecutedthe prophets who were before
you. (
Wuest: Expanded Translation: Eerdmans
)
Young's Literal: rejoice ye and be glad, because yourreward is greatin the
heavens, for thus did they persecute the prophets who were before you.
REJOICE, AND BE GLAD: chairete (2PPAM)kai agalliasthe, (2PPMM):
Luke 6:23; Acts 5:41; 16:25; Romans 5:3; 2Corinthians 4:17; Philippians
2:17; Colossians1:24;James 1:2; 1Peter4:13
Matthew 5 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries
Matthew 5:10-12 The Only Way to Happiness: Endure Hardship 1 - John
MacArthur

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Matthew 5:10-12:Happy are the Harassed1 - Study Guide - click dropdown -
John MacArthur
Matthew 5:10-12:Happy are the Harassed1 - John MacArthur
John MacArthur
Williams translates it "Keepon rejoicing and leaping for ecstasy".
Rejoice (5463)(chairo)means to be cheerful (cheer "full"), to be calmly happy
or well-off or to enjoy a state of happiness and well-being. "Rejoice" is use to
describe a little lamb skipping around for joy. It describes a physical change
in one's countenance and is not something one can fake. It is a physical
expressionof joy that radiates to others (cf Mt 5:16). You canwalk around
and saythat you are rejoicing but if it's not seenthen you are not rejoicing!
Both rejoice and be glad are commands to carry out these attitudes and
actions at all times (present imperative), especiallywhen you are being
persecutedfor the sake ofGod's righteousness (not self-righteousness)and the
Name of your Lord and King, Christ Jesus. We canall naturally rejoice when
we are prosperous, but we canonly supernaturally rejoice when we are
persecuted!The joy commanded here, as elsewhere in Scripture (esp. Jas 1:2-
note), is not an emotion but an attitude (and a fruit of the Spirit - Gal 5:22, 23-
see notes Gal5:22; 23). Without meaning to sound harsh, one aspectis that if
we don't rejoice whenwe suffer for our King's sake, it amounts to
disobedience and is a reflection of our failure to really believe His promises.
The world can take awayevery possessionwe ownbut it cannotdisown us
from Jesus and the joy He gives. Notonly that, the worstthe world can do to
us is only temporary. Keep in mind that God's commandments always include
His enablements!And truth be told, the only waywe canrejoice and jump for
joy (also a command), is by relying on supernatural power, by jettisoning self-
reliance, and relying solelyon the Spirit Who indwells us. This reliance begins

with being filled with (controlled by) Him (Eph 5:18). Do you rise in the
morning and give the day to God, acknowledging that you can't live the
supernatural life unless the Spirit of Christ lives it through you? You can
begin tomorrow. Presentyourself to God as a living and holy sacrifice. You
can be sure you will have some "tests" whichwill determine on whose power
you are depending, selfor Savior!And if you fail (like yours truly), don't give
up in frustration. Keep coming back to God eachmorning begging for Him to
live His life through you so that He gets greatglory! This surely is a prayer in
the vein, so to speak, of1John5:14-15!
We also needto remember that because we are in covenant with our Lord,
when the world persecutes us, they are in effectpersecuting Him and He is
ultimately our Avenger. (see Acts 9:3, 4, 5, cf Gal 6:17, Col1:24-note). (See
Covenant: The Exchange of Armor and Belts )
Matthew first used chairo of the wise men recording that "when they saw the
star, they rejoicedexceedinglywith greatjoy." (Mt 2:10)
Be glad (21) (agalliao from agan= much + hallomai = jump; gush, leap, spring
up) means literally "jump for joy" or experience a state of greatjoy and
gladness. As you might surmise, agalliao oftenis accompaniedby verbal
expressionand appropriate body movements. The idea is to be extremely
joyful and to express it. You really can't fake this joy. Agalliao expresses
extreme joy, especiallyas it is used in the Septuagint (LXX) (see uses in Isa
12.6;25.9;29.19;35.1, 2;41.17;49.13;61.10;65.14, 19).
A B Bruce notes that "agalliaois a strong word of Hellenistic coinage, from
aganand hallomai, to leap much, signifying irrepressible demonstrative
gladness. This joy is inseparable from the heroic temper. It is the joy of the
Alpine climber standing on the top of a snow cladmountain. But the Teacher
gives two reasons to help inexperienced disciples to rise to that moral
elevation. For evil treatment on earth there is a compensating rewardin
heaven. This hope, weak now, was strong in primitive Christianity, and
greatly helped martyrs and confessors. (The Expositor's Greek Testament)
Be glad is in the middle voice which is reflexive meaning the subject initiates
the actionand participates in the effector result. "Be glad yourself"!

Someone has well said of the Christian like that "Faith makes a Christian.
Life proves a Christian. Trial confirms a Christian. Deathcrowns a
Christian." Hallelujah!!!
Another anonymous writer phrased it "The Christian life doesn'tget easier;it
gets better."
Spurgeonnotes that "You are in the true prophetic succession, if you
cheerfully bear reproachof this kind for Christ’s sake, you prove that you
have the stamp and sealof those who are in the service of God.
Richard Wurmbrand (Voice of the Martyrs) describedthis kind of joy. How
was he persecuted? Probably not like any of us will ever be calledupon to
endure. While in a Romanian prison, Wurmbrand's torturers ripped chunks
of flesh out of his body as his scars dramaticallytestified. He endured the
horror of solitary confinement, so that for weeks to months no one would
speak to him in his tiny cell. Amazingly, despite such inhumane treatment
Wurmbrand experiencedtimes when he was overcome with sheer joy,
sometimes to the point of actually weaklyrising to his feetand dancing
around his cell confident that the angels were dancing with him. When
Wurmbrand was unexpectedly releasedfrom prison , he left the looking like a
scarecrow including his rotting teeth. Along the road he met a peasantwho
offered him a strawberryfrom the basketshe was carrying, to which he
replied “No thank you. I am going to fast!” He went home to his wife, and
they prayed and fasted as a memorial to the joy he had experiencedwhile
undergoing the horrors of persecutionfor the cause ofChrist while in prison,
asking Godfor the same joy outside of his prison cell. Wurmbrand believed
Jesus'promise in this beatitude. Do we?
PastorRayPritchard offers some interesting insights on this beatitude noting
that...
Our text promises a blessing to believers who are persecutedfor the sake of
righteousness. Letme show you in a simple diagram how this works:
1. I am righteous
2. The world persecutes me

3. God blesses me
4. I rejoice
Now note something important. All four things happen at the same time. As I
am righteous, the world persecutes me. As a result, God blesses me, which
causes me to rejoice. That joy encouragesme to continues my righteous
lifestyle, which prompts the world to persecute and God to bless, which leads
to more joy and increaseddesire for righteousness. Onand on the process
goes with righteousness,persecution, blessing and joy coming on top of each
other. How many of those things are positive and how many are negative?
Positive = Righteousness, Blessing, Rejoicing
Negative = Persecution
Three out of four are positive in every sense;only persecutionis negative.
Think of it this way: Persecutionis the trigger that causes Godto pour out his
blessings on your life. And that enables you to rejoice. If you focus only on the
persecution, you’re going to miss 75% of the fun of the Christian life! (The
Blessing No One Wants)
DON'T BE RESIGNED!- As sorrowful, yet always rejoicing. 2 Corinthians
6:10
To rejoice in sorrow, to be happy when we are persecuted, and to give thanks
in everything, takes grace. Yet, this is the Lord's command to eachof His
testedchildren. If the Savioris leading, and we recognize Him as the tender
GoodShepherd who never makes any mistakes, then we should not let
distresses unnerve us, or sorrow break our spirit.
Many years ago someone handedme a tract on which were printed these
instructive words from an anonymous author:
It is better to rejoice than to, be resigned. The word `resigned' is not found in
the Bible, but `rejoice'runs through the Scriptures like a greatcarillon of
music. There is dangerof self-pity in resignation— and self-pity is deadly

poison. There is no danger, however, that we will be pitying ourselves while
rejoicing `with joy unspeakable and full of glory.' (1Pe 1:8-note) Resignation
often means a certainmock piety — perhaps unconsciouslyso, but
nevertheless real. Joy, however, is `the fruit of the Spirit' (Gal 5:22-note); not
a counterfeit, but real with supernatural and divine power. The Lord Jesus
Christ told His disciples that hard times were coming for them, and that these
difficulties meant blessing (Luke 6:22). And how did the Lord say the disciples
should take those experiences whenthey came? With resignation? God
forbid! He said, `Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy; for, behold, your
reward is greatin heaven'!"
Yes, we must avoid self-pity and its sorrow-facedcounter-partof "mere
resignation." Bothare unworthy reactions to God's leading. Don't be
"resigned";it is a form of unholy fatalism, and, as such, is never mentioned in
the Bible. (Our Daily Bread, Copyright RBC Ministries, Grand Rapids, MI.
— Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved)
So bless the travail of gloom-filled hours,
For joy is oft wrought with pain
And what if the day be dark? Thank God
That the sun will shine again!
—MacLennan
True victory is to rejoice in what God sends,
and never to long for what He sees fit to deny!
FOR YOUR REWARD IN HEAVEN IS GREAT:hoti o misthos humon polus
en tois ouranois
Mt 6:1,2,4,5,16;10:41,42;16:27;Ge 15:1; Ru 2:12; Ps 19:11;58:11;Pr 11:18;
Isa 3:10; Luke 6:23,35;1 Cor 3:8; Col 3:24; Heb 11:6,26

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THE REWARD FOR BEING
PERSECUTED FOR JESUS'SAKE
For - Praise Godfor this strategic term of explanation! This is pie in the sky
bye and bye! This is the non-lying God, giving us His sure word of promise,
"Forall the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory
of God." (2Cor 1:20KJV) Practice pondering the "for's" in Scripture and you
will be wonderfully rewarded with rich insights on the passage!
Reward(3408)(misthos) means pay for service, wages orreward. The main
idea is that of a compensationwhich is valuable and special. (See Lu 6:23 Mk
9:41 Mt 10:42, Heb 11:26 Mt 5:46 Lu 6:35, 2Jn 1:8,1Co 3:10-15, cf. Mt 25:35,
40; Heb 6:10)
If it bothers you to think of "rewards" you need to realize that it is a reward
of God’s grace, andis not something earnedin the strict sense. In other words,
the rewardis that which God wills to give to those who serve Him faithfully. It
is not a compensationfor work done, but rather a gift which far exceeds
services rendered. In fact rewards are one of the motives that God Himself
gives for service that glorifies Him. Clearlyour highest motive for service is
our love for Him. The conceptof rewards is neither selfish nor unspiritual.

Notice that heaven is forever which dramatically contrasts with our short time
on earth, James reminding us...
"You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away."
(James 4:14, cf Job 7:17, 14:1-2, Psalms 39:5 [Spurgeon's note], Ps 90:5-6 [See
Spurgeon's notes on Verse 5 ; Verse 6], see note 1 Peter1:24)
Great(4183)(polus) means many, much of number, quantity or amount. So
not only are our rewards eternalbut they are great. And so whateverwe do
for the Lord now (as we abide in the Vine, John 15:5), especiallysuffering for
His Name, will reap greateternal dividends that neither moth nor rust can
destroy and thieves cannot steal.
Nothing is lost that is done for the Lord,
Let it be ever so small;
The smile of the Saviorapproveth the deed,
As though 'twere greatestofall.
—A. M.
Expositor's Bible Commentary has this explanatory note on "rewards" - "C.
S. Lewis (They Asked For a Paper[London: Geoffrey Bles, 1962], p. 198;cited
in Stott, pp. 131-32)rightly distinguishes various kinds of rewards. A man
who marries a woman for her money is "rewarded" by her money, but he is
rightly judged mercenary because the rewardis not naturally linked with
love. On the other hand, marriage is the proper reward of an honestand true
lover; and he is not mercenary for desiring it because love and marriage are
naturally linked. "The proper rewards are not simply tackedon to the activity
for which they are given, but are the activity itself in consummation" (ibid.).
The rewards of the NT belong largelyto this secondcategory. Life lived under
kingdom norms is naturally linked with the bliss of life in the consummated
kingdom. Talk of "merit" or of "earning" the reward betrays lack of
understanding of Jesus'meaning (cf. further on Mt 11:25; 19:16-26;20:1-16;
25:31-46). (Expositor's Bible Commentary ) (Bolding added)
O the things of this world are a will-o'-the-wisp,

Having values that tarnish and fade;
But true treasures ofjoy with abundant reward,
Are the ones which in Heaven are laid!
—G.W.
He weighs things well, and makes decisions wise,
Who keeps eternity before his eyes!
—Bosch
FOR IN THE SAME WAY THEY PERSECUTED THE PROPHETSWHO
WERE BEFORE YOU: houtos gar ediochan(3PAAI) tous prophetas tous pro
humon
Mt 21:34-38;Mt 10:16-42 23:31-37;1Ki 18:4,13;19:2,10-14;21:20;
22:8,26,27;2Ki 1:9; 2Chr 16:10; 24:20-22;36:16; Neh 9:26; Jer2:30; 26:8,21,
22, 23; Luke 6:23; 11:47-51;13:34; Acts 7:51; 1Th 2:15
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For - Another encouraging and motivating occurrence ofthis strategic term of
explanation!

A B Bruce - If we take the for (gar) as giving a reasonfor the previous
statementthe sense will be: you cannot doubt that the prophets who suffered
likewise have receivedan eternal reward (so Bengel, Fritzsche, Schanz,
Meyer, Weiss). But we may take it as giving a co-ordinate reasonfor joy = ye
are in goodcompany. There is inspiration in the “goodlyfellowship of the
prophets,” quite as much as in thought of their posthumous reward. It is to be
noted that the prophets themselves did not getmuch comfort from such
thoughts, and more generallythat they did not rise to the joyous mood
commended to His disciples by Jesus;but were desponding and querulous. On
that side, therefore, there was no inspiration to be got from thinking of them.
But they were thoroughly loyal to righteousness atall hazards, and reflection
on their noble careerwas fitted to infect disciples with their spirit. Were
before you are words skillfully chosento raise the spirit. Before you not only
in time but in vocationand destiny. Your predecessorsin function and
suffering; take up the prophetic successionand along with it, cheerfully, its
tribulations. (The Expositor's Greek Testament)
Persecuted(1377)(dioko from dío = pursue, prosecute, persecute)means to
follow or press hard after. "Persecuted" is clearlya key word Jesus does not
want His audience (or us) to miss!
Note carefully that Jesus is neither encouraging Kingdom citizens to seek
persecutionnor is He advocating retreating, sulking or retaliation.
Guzik - Why will the world persecute them? Becausethe values and character
expressedin these Beatitudes are so opposite to the world’s manner of
thinking. Our persecutionmay not be much comparedto others, but if no one
speaks evilof you, are these Beatitudes traits of your life? (Commentary)
Prophets (4396)(prophetes from pró = before or forth + phemí = tell) refers in
the presentcontext to those persons in the OT who spoke under divine
influence and inspiration foretelling future events or exhorting, reproving,
and admonishing individuals or nations as the ambassadorofGod and the
interpreter of His will to men. Hence the prophets spoke not their own
thought but what they receivedfrom God, retaining, however, their own
consciousnessandself–possession(cf 2Peter1:21)

Before (4253)(pro) in this context refers not to place but time and thus those
who were prior or before you in time. (See 2 Chr 24:21; Neh9:26; Jer20:2; cf.
Matt 21:35; 23:32-37;Acts 7:52; 1Th 2:15-note).
Who does this bring to mind in Genesis?Rememberrighteous Abel murdered
for the sake ofhis righteous sacrifice!And he was just the beginning of the list
of godly believers in every era that followed...Noah...Abraham ...Moses
...Samuel...David(by Saul) ...Isaiah...Jeremiah...Daniel...Peter...Paul...John
...the restof the apostles ...andof course Jesus Himself. Genuine citizens of the
Kingdom of Heaven(and light, see note Colossians 1:13)have never been very
popular with those who belong to the kingdom of darkness ofthis world.
The Old Testamentprophets were regardedas heroes to the Jews (cf 2Chr
36:16;Mt 23:29-36;Acts 7:51, 52, 53;James 5:10).
Pritchard emphasizes again what most of us are already too painfully aware
of "True believers have never been popular with the people of the world. Our
righteousness intimidates them, our boldness annoys them, our refusal to
participate in their sin infuriates them, and our love for God mystifies them.
Becausethey don’t understand us, they hate us. Becausethey hate us, they
oppose us. We seemlike subversives, dangerous enemies who must be hunted
down and destroyed. In the words of John Calvin, “We cannot be Christ’s
soldiers on any condition but this, that the world will muchly rise up against
us and pursue us even until death.” (ibid)
The fact that the world persecutedthe prophets should also motivate us to
endure to the end. We are members of an elite corps. We have joined the
ranks of godly men and womenwho counted it a privilege to lay down their
lives for their God. And when we suffer for Christ's sake, we canknow
beyond a shadow of a doubt that we belong to Him.
One of the bestcommentaries on the persecutionof the prophetes is found in
the "hall of faith" chapter of Hebrews, chapter 11, where we read that
"others experiencedmockings and scourgings, yes, also chains and
imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawnin two (tradition holds that
this was the manner in which Isaiahentered into glory), they were tempted,
they were put to death with the sword;they went about in sheepskins, in

goatskins,being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated (men of whom the world was
not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the
ground. And all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not
receive what was promised, because Godhad provided something better for
us (is this not a clearmotive for endurance in present persecution!), so that
apart from us they should not be made perfect. (Heb 11:36-40-see notes
Hebrews 11:36; 11:37;11:38;11:39;11:40)
In summary, why will the world persecute citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven?
Becausethey truly manifest the values and characterexpressedin the
Beatitudes, traits that are so radically counter to the world's way of thinking
and doing. Your persecutionmay not be much compared to others (you may
not be stoned to death, just slandered), but if no one ever speaksevil of you,
then you have to ask "Are Jesus'Beatitudes genuinelypresent in my life?" If
not, you may not be a member of the Kingdom of Heaven.
It is interesting that in Jesus'stern warning at the end of His sermon, He does
not state that it is those who have been persecutedfor His Name who must
depart from Him but those who prophesied in His name, castout demons and
performed miracles but failed to do the will of His Father. (Mt 7:21, 22, 23-see
notes Mt 7:21; 22;23)
So here in this last beatitude our King alerts his loyal subjects that they would
face trials but He comforted them with the assurance ofa greatreward. F. B.
Meyer speaksofone of the other advantages ofpersecutionfor the sake of
Christ writing that
“If I am told that I am to take a journey that is a dangerous trip, every jolt
along the way will remind me that I am on the right road.”
Many saints down through the ages have countedthe costand were willing to
pay the price of the "jolts of persecution", among them men like John
Chrysostom, whose name means "goldenmouthed" and who was an eloquent,
uncompromising voice for the cause ofChrist. But His rhetoric againstsin
offended the Empress Eudoxia (an oxymoron for her name means something
like "goodglory"!Not!). When Chrysostomwas summoned before Emperor
Arcadius, and was threatenedwith banishment unless he ceasedhis Bible

centeredpreaching, he replied as one who knew Who Whom he had believed
and was confident that his King could guard and keepsafe that which he had
entrusted to Him. And so he answered
"Sire, you cannotbanish me, for the world is my Father’s house.”
“Then I will slay you,” Arcadius said.
“Nay, but you cannot, for my life is hid with Christ in God,” saidChrysostom
“Your treasures will be confiscated”the Emperor threatened again.
“Sire, that cannotbe, either. My treasures are in heaven, where none can
break through and steal.” saidJohn.
“Then I will drive you from man, and you will have no friends left!” was the
final, frustrated threat to which John replied...
“Thatyou cannot do, either “for I have a Friend in heaven Who has said, ‘I
will never leave you or forsake you.’”
Chrysostomwas banished for taking a firm stand for righteousness, firstto
Armenia and then died on his way to a farther place of exile on the Back Sea,
passing immediately from his momentary light affliction into his eternal
weight of glory far beyond all comparison. But neither his banishment nor his
death disproved or diminished his claims. The things that he valued most
highly not even an emperor could take from him.
You may have heard their names before, Hugh Latimer, Nicholas Ridley and
Thomas Cranmer. We will meet them someday soonso it behooves us to know
their story and be encouragedby their willingness to suffer for Christ's sake.
Nicholas Ridley had been raisedCatholic but convertedto Protestantism.
Hugh Latimer became a greatpreacher and Ridley helped author the Book of
Common Prayer. During the Protestantpersecutionby Queen Mary ("Bloody
Mary") of 1553-55, both men were arrestedand condemned to be burned at
the stake. As the flames were being lit, Latimer cried out to his fellow-martyr,
Be of goodcheer, MasterRidley, and play the man. We shall this day light
such a candle by God's grace in England as shall never be put out.

Thomas Cranmer watchedthem die in agony. At one time he had been the
Archbishop of Canterbury. Later under great pressure he recantedhis
evangelicalfaith. But watching his two friends die seemedto give strength to
his souland a few months later he was condemned to die at the stake. As they
lit the flames, he placed his right hand into the fire to show his tormentors
that he was not afraid to die (cf "a signof destruction for them" Php 1:28-
note). (For more detail see Hugh Latimer, Bishopand Martyr)
As the Romans attempted to obliterate Christianity, one of the early church
fathers, Tertullian noted that every time the church was persecuted, it seemed
to grow faster and thus he concludedwith a famous quote...
“The blood of the martyrs is the seedof the church”
History has proved the truth of his words. Wheneverdictators have tried to
destroy the church, Christ has used the blood of his followers to waterthe
seedof the gospel. Justlook at the evangelicalgrowthin China that followed
Mao's attempts to abolish Christianity and replace it with Communism.
JosephTson, a Romanian pastor who stoodup to the brutal dictator
Ceausescu'srepressionsofChristianity, wrote
This union with Christ is the most beautiful subject in the Christian life. It
means that I am not a lone fighter here: I am an extensionof Jesus Christ.
When I was beaten in Romania, He suffered in my body. It is not my
suffering: I only had the honor to share His sufferings. (cf Acts 5:41) (A
Theologyof Martyrdom)
If you have time and want further encouragement(especiallyif you are
currently undergoing persecution) you might considerreading some of the
accounts of"a noble army, men and boys, the matron and the maid,"
"climbed the steepascentof heaven, 'mid peril, toil, and pain" as recorded in
the classicwork Fox's Book ofMartyrs . It has been said that
"After the Bible itself, no book so profoundly influenced early Protestant
sentiment as the Book of Martyrs. Even in our time it is still a living force. It is
more than a record of persecution. It is an arsenalof controversy, a
storehouse ofromance, as well as a source of edification."

Am I a soldierof the cross
a followerof the Lamb,
And shall I fear to own His cause,
or blush to speak His name?
Must I be carried to the skies
on flowery beds of ease,
While others fought to win the prize,
and sailedthro’ bloody seas?
Are there no foes for me to face?
Must I not stem the flood?
Is this vile world a friend to grace,
to help me on to God?
Sure I must fight if I would reign;
increase my courage, Lord;
I will bear the toil, endure the pain,
supported by Thy Word.
(play) (Isaac Watts)
THOUGHT - When was the lasttime you were persecutedfor the sake ofthe
Name above all names? What have done in the last month that has caused
anyone to challenge your faith? When have you riskedspeaking out in favor

of righteousness?How have you defended the cause ofChrist and the purity
of the gospel?
F. B. Meyerin his book BlessedAre Ye writes...
MARTYRS AND PROPHETS
"Blessedare they which are persecutedfor righteousness"sake:for theirs is
the kingdom of heaven," etc.--Matt. 5:10-12.
THIS beatitude completes the octave, but there is no specialreasonwhy our
Lord should not have finished with the seventh, because the eighth is
altogetherso different to the foregoing. Theyrather deal with character, this
with condition; they with the internal quality of the Christian soul, this with
its external relation. So far as we understand the first seven, they might be
developed in the spirit, apart from all the world beside, immured in some
secludednot to apart from the world; but this indicates that our Lord's
conceptionfor His Church was that it would be constantly in the midst of the
world; not of it, but in it; and therefore in perpetual collisionand antagonism
with its evil.
He seems to have been sketching His own life. These beatitudes tell the story
of our Saviour's personallife, as, indeed, it is the story of His life as developed
step by step in the believer's heart. They are therefore objectively and
subjectively historical. They are objectively historical, for we know that our
Lord Jesus was poorin spirit, emptied Himself, mourned and wept for the sin
of man; was meek; hungered and thirsted for righteousness;was merciful and
pure in heart; and that He came to make peace. All these qualities in our
Saviour's experience brought Him to the Cross--broughtHim into collision
with the evil of the world, and in three years to Calvary. Thus the beatitudes
afford a true history of the progress ofour Saviour's life from the emptying of
the incarnation to the laying down of His life for men.

They are also true of eachone of us. We begin by being poor in spirit, broken
in heart, and lowly in mind. We pass through phase after phase of added
knowledge ofGod and of His truth; and as we do so we approximate always
more and more to the climax of the Cross, and just in proportion as we are
like Christ in the attainment of these lovely qualities, we become like Him also
in our suffering and sorrow even to death.
How clearly our Lord Jesus Christ predicts the effectwhich these qualities
will have upon the world. It is as if He said, " It is impossible for you to be
thus and thus without incurring a very avalanche of hate, but in the midst of it
all, you may retain the blessedplacidity and rest which I have promised.
There is no need that the benedictions which I have already uttered to those
who are merciful and meek and pure in heart, should forsake you when you
stand at the stake or are nailed to the Cross, for the blessedlife is altogether
independent of outward circumstances;it may be deeply seatedand rootedin
the soulwhen all without is in turmoil and war."
One of the Scotchmartyrs, when they were putting the faggots athis feet,
said, " Methinks they are casting roses before me." Another of the martyrs,
when he was about to die, said, " I was gladwhen they said to me, Let us go
into the house of the Lord." And it is said of the great Argyle, that when his
physician felt his pulse, as he laid his head upon the block, he could detectno
fluttering, but the quiet steady beat of health and peace. Since, then, the
qualities our Saviour characterizedin the beatitudes were inevitably driving
Him and all His followers into collisionwith the world, it was very delightful
and beautiful of Him to say, " In the midst of all this you may be blessed;yea,
you may rejoice, your heart may leap and bound with exceeding joy." And the
more we think about it, the more sure it seems that all those who died for the
faith had some specialgrace givenwhich enabled them to be more than
conquerors, and it will come still to those who are accountedworthy to suffer
for Christ amongstmen.
Let us notice, first, why we are persecuted;secondly, the manner of the
persecution;thirdly, the blessednesswhichis possible amidst it all.
I. THE CAUSE OF PERSECUTION

It is twofold. First we are " Persecutedforrighteousness'sake,"and then He
says, " And shall persecute you for My sake."Evidently men must feel that
His cause was righteousness;that He was the righteous Servant of God, and
that righteousness was no longeran abstractionor sentiment, because He had
embodied it. This is a greatdistinction, and makes it so much easierto suffer
for Him. It is well enough to suffer for a cause, the cause ofjustice, truth, and
righteousness, but how much better to think of suffering for Him! It is an
inspiration to realize that righteousness is Christ, and that whenevermen
suffer for righteousness theydo really suffer for Him who is the Prince of
Righteousnessand the King of Truth? Wherever there is right in the world
for which men suffer, the cause of Jesus Christ is somehow implicated in it.
But how wonderful that Jesus, atthe very beginning of His ministry, a
Nazarene peasant, standing amid a number of peasants on the Mount of
Beatitudes, should identify the cause of righteousness withHimself in this
marvellous combination. " For My sake,"He said.
Now why is it that the world hates and persecutes us for His sake? There are
just these reasons. First, that the more there is of Christ in us, the more we
condemn the world, and there is nothing the ungodly man so dislikes as to
have the search-lightof unsullied purity flashedin upon the workings of his
heart and life. Jesus Christ is to the ungodly what the sun at noontide is to the
diseasedeye;what the bounding joyousness ofthe child is to the weakened
nerve. And hence it is in proportion as we are living in the powerof Jesus
Christ, and are bringing to bear the influence of our characterand life upon
other men that they wince beneath the impinging ray; they shrink from it; it
causes them pain, and they turn naturally in indignant hatred on those who
have thus inflicted upon them suffering.
Secondly, the more there is of Christ in us, the more we offend the pride of
men and womenaround, who desire to have the admiration which we have, or
which true godliness has, but which they are not able to win, through their
inability to pay the price for it. Hence jealousyand envy immediately begin to
work. Remember how Aristides was hated, because he was always called"
The Just." Men who were notoriously unjust envied him the love of his fellow-
citizens. And so there will always be a greatjealousyon the part of the
ungodly toward those who love Christ.

Thirdly, the Christ-spirit in any one of us is always aggressive, and compels us
to attack the vested interests of wrong-doing. The Lord Jesus never
contemplated that His children should go quietly through the world exerting
only a negative influence. He expected that there would be a constantpositive
effectproceeding from His Church, that, like salt, it would sting. But when the
craft is in danger, when the receipts fall off, we naturally rouse the
indignation of those who suffer in consequence. The search-lightbrought to
bear upon the diseasedconscience,the constantfeeling that the Christian
possesses a characterwhichthe ungodly cannotemulate, and which wins an
admiration they cannotreceive, togetherwith the fear that worldly position
and possessions are threatenedby the progress ofthe Christ-spirit--all these
things tend to make men.
And yet the source of hatred really lies deeper than all this. It seems as if there
is a malignancy of hatred in evil againstthe goodwhich cannotbe perfectly
explained by any of these reasons, andwhich must be attributed to that
eternal warand hatred which exist betweenSatan and all his legions, and
Jesus Christ and the armies of heaven. There is a greatwar in the universe, a
fire raging beyond the range of our sight, and we may be pretty sure the signs
of it will break out wheneverwe manifest on earth something of the purity
and beauty of Jesus Christour Lord. These are the causes ofpersecution.
II. THE FORMS WHICH THIS PERSECUTIONTAKES
Our Lord characterizes it in three distinct ways --first, in word; secondly, in
act; and thirdly, in imputation of evil. In word men reproachus; in act they
persecute us; in imputation of evil they " sayall manner of evil againstus
falselyfor His sake."We needhardly dwell upon this. We know something of
the hiss of the serpent. We have all suffered more or less from the unkind
word. We know what it is for stories to pass round and round, for we
ourselves have been only too prone to take them upon our lips and pass them
forward. The word and the act, how many have suffered, how many are
suffering? Think of the eight hundred Quakers--to take one of the smallest
religious sects--who in the reign of Charles II. suffered for their religion, and
the one million pounds exactedfrom that body in payment of fines for

conscience'sake, andof all the countless numbers who have suffered for the
cause ofChrist.
And then as to the imputation of evil. I do not think any of us should shrink
from it. We are very anxious about our character, but if we live close to
Christ, men will impute to us all manner of evil. They will impugn our
motives, misrepresentour actions, and circulate malicious stories about us.
The nearerwe live to Christ the more certain it is it will be so;that if they
calledHim Beelzebub they will callus the same. My belief is that we should be
very carelessaboutthese things, and that the only time when we should
defend our charactershould be when aspersions onit may injure the cause of
Christ; that as far as we are concernedwe should be contentto lose our
characterand be countedthe offscouring of all things.
When these reports are circulating, and these stories being told, and these
unkind words being hurled from lip to lip, we should immediately turn to our
Masterand tell Him we are content to suffer with and for Him. Ask Him to
intercede for and to vindicate us, if it is His will we should be vindicated, and
if not, to give us grace to suffer patiently and wait. We are so eagerto stand
well; we are so sorry if the leastthing is said againstus; we are so irritated if
we are misunderstood and misrepresented;we are so anxious to write the
explanatory letter to the paper or the private individual. It is a profound
mistake. We should be content to trust God with the aspersion, to leave to
Him our vindication, and meanwhile to plod on, doing our work quietly day
by day, as in His sight, only being more tender and thoughtful and careful of
those who have done us wrong. That is the true Christian spirit.
III. THE BEATITUDE
Why is it that we are blessed, and how does the blessednesscome?The Master
says that they which are persecutedfor righteousness'sakehave the kingdom,
and that was the very promise with which He commencedthis series of
Beatitudes, " Blessedare the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of
heaven." It would almost seem, therefore, as if we had come back to where we
started, but it is not quite so. It is quite true that the poor in spirit have the
kingdom, and that those who are persecutedhave the kingdom, but we must

remember that just as steps in the spiral staircasealways come back upon
their starting-point, but upon a higher level, so we come back to the kingdom,
but upon a higher level than we were when we started with the poor in spirit,
and it may be that this series is constantly repeating itself in higher rounds. It
may be that we shall begin to-day, by poverty of spirit, to climb up the spiral
staircasetowardthis eighth beatitude, and then starting againfrom this
eighth beatitude we shall pass, so to speak, through a higher series, passing
through the same notes but in another key. We shall never getaway from
mourning, only we shall mourn for deeperreasons. We shall never ceaseto be
learning the lessonofmeekness, but it will be a deeper down meekness than
ever before, one that dyes our very heart fibre. We shall always be seeking
purity, but we shall have new conceptions ofpurity, and as we know these
things in a more perfectdegree we shall be persecutedmore, and so every
time we will come back and back and back to where we started, but higher up.
Persecutedforrighteousness'sakeand yet possessing the kingdom.
Our Lord Jesus Christ was looking overthe wall of time; there were patent to
Him things which none but He knew of. In the tenth verse He speaks in the
past tense, but in the present tense in the eleventh verse. " Blessedare they
that have been persecutedfor righteousness'sake, fortheirs is the kingdom of
heaven," as if at that moment He saw all the spiritual witnesses to the truth of
God who had suffered from the time of Abel, and He says, "I see them, and
they have already entered upon the royalties of the eternal world, and sit on
thrones and judge;" and then turning to His disciples He said, " Blessedare
ye when men shall revile you: for your reward is greatin heaven." In future,
when we are persecuted, I think it will help us if we seek to look into the
future, as Jesus did, and realize the greatnessofour reward, for every reward
that we receive in heaven will carry with it greateropportunity of blessing in
the ages thatare yet to be. That was why the Lord spoke about thrones. The
thrones on which we are to sit imply that we shall be able more widely to help
those needing help; to serve God more efficiently; to minister before Him, and
carry His blessedgospel, perhaps to regions of the universe where it has never
been heard. We shall indeed be blessedif the persecutionof this world shall
make us more fit to serve and minister in the next.

Notice how the Lord Jesus puts the martyr upon the same footing as the
prophet. He said, " So persecutedthey the prophets," as if the martyr were a
prophet. It is a profound thought, but a very true and deep one. The prophet
stoodamong his fellows witnessing to the unseen and eternal; the martyr or
the suffererdoes the same. So that the fagots onwhich the martyrs of Christ
have been burnt have lighted up the souls of men almost as much as the words
of prophets have done, and have casta glow upon the centuries. Prophets
witness to the unseenand eternal by their words, sufferers do it by their
agonies. If we, day by day, are willing to suffer for Christ in the workshopor
in the home, we are drawing aside the veil of the unseen and eternal, through
our fiery trials people are catching a glimpse of the faith and heroism and
strength of Christianity, and we are witnessing to the reality of things unseen
by ordinary vision, but which animate us to endure.
To Thee, my God, I flee, to hide from the rebuke and hate of men, who daily
pursues, oppresses, and wrestmy words; hide me in the secretof thy pavilion,
I entreat Thee, from the strife of tongues. F. B. Meyer. BlessedAre Ye
The Oil of Gladness
Biblical Illustrator
Psalm45:7
You love righteousness,and hate wickedness:therefore God, your God, has
anointed you with the oil of gladness above your fellows.
The anointing receivedby our Lord was the resting upon Him of the Spirit of
God without measure (Isaiah 61.). Therefore by the "oil of gladness" is meant
the Holy Spirit as the Spirit of joy. The whole Trinity is engagedin our

salvation. The Fathersends the Son, the Son comes, the Holy Spirit anoints
Him.
I. THE SAVIOUR'S ANOINTING WITH GLADNESS. We think more often
of our Saviour as the "Manof Sorrows" ratherthan in connectionwith
gladness. To those who only saw Him outwardly He was the Man of Sorrows,
but those who knew His heart knew well that a deep joy abode there. Is there
not seento be happiness in the heart when the noblest motives are paramount
and the sweetestgracesbearsway?
1. Our Lord's gladness which He had in His work, Psalm40. tells of Him as
saying, "I delight to do Thy will, O my God." At the well of Samaria His joy
in the conversionof the woman He met there made Him quite forgetall about
His need of food. "I have meat to eat that ye know not of" — so He tells His
disciples. Once, indeed, His joy flowed over, so that others could see it, when
He said, "I thank Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because,"etc.
And it is added, "At that hour Jesus rejoicedin spirit." And so, in their
measure, is it with those who are His followers. Theyalso are in like manner
anointed with the oil of gladness. "With gladness and rejoicing shall they be
brought;" they work for the King with a willing heart.
2. Note, further, that our Lord had this oil of gladness from His work. He did
reap in joy as well as sow in tears. The goodshepherd rejoicedwhen he had
found his sheepthat was lost. The Saviour looks upon the redeemedwith an
unspeakable delight. And we may be partakers in this joy of being
instrumentally the saviour of others;then you, also, partake ofHis gladness.
3. And our Lord has this gladness in this sense too — that His person and His
work are the cause of ineffable gladness in others. It fills us with delight only
to think of Him. "The very thought of Thee with sweetnessfills my heart."

What gladness He createdwhen He was here below. And if the Lord Jesus be
with us, we can give joy to others. There are some whose very presence
comforts others, their words are so full of consolationand help.
II. THE REASON FOR THE BESTOWALOF THIS ANOINTING UPON
HIM. "Thoulovest righteousness and... therefore God," etc. There must be
perfect holiness before there can be perfect happiness. Sin is the enemy of joy.
Let the sinner saywhat he likes, sin can no more dwell with real joy than the
lion will lie down with the lamb. Now, every way Jesus loved righteousness
intensely. He died that He might establishit. And those who are in fellowship
with Him are anointed also. The holy oil was forbidden to be placed upon a
strangerto God's holy house;and upon man's flesh it could not be poured,
because man's flesh is a corrupt and polluted thing. So, then, because He is
righteous Himself, and because He makes others righteous, Christ has
receivedthis anointing.
III. THE MANNER OF THE OPERATION OF THIS, THIS OIL OF
GLADNESS UPON US. Now, does the Holy Spirit give us gladness?
1. Becausewe are anointed "kings and priests with God, and we shall reign
for ever."
2. We are consecratedto the Lord. We are not our own, we are bought with a
price.
3. By this oil we are qualified for our office (1 John 2:20).

4. The Spirit of God heals our diseases. The Easternmode of medicine was
generallythe application of oil, and certainly the Holy Spirit is a healer to us.
What wounds and bruises have been healedwith this oil.
5. Thus, also, we are supplied and softened. So was it with the body when oil
was applied to it, and softness and tenderness of heart are the work of the
Holy Spirit.
6. By the oil of the Holy Spirit we are strengthened.
7. Beautified.
8. Perfumed.
( C. H. Spurgeon.)
A Life of Joy and Gladness (Acts 2:25-28)
RelatedMedia

Everyone wants to be happy. The Rolling Stones complained years ago that
they couldn’t getany satisfaction, but clearly satisfactionwas their goal.
Sixteen centuries ago, Augustine observed, “I am not alone in this desire [for
happiness], nor are there only a few who share it with me: without exception
we all long for happiness… They may all searchfor it in different ways, but
all try their hardest to reachthe same goal, that is, joy” (Confessions,X, 21,
cited by John Piper, The Legacyof SovereignJoy [CrosswayBooks], p. 70).
Probably you could explain all human behavior as a searchfor joy or
happiness or satisfaction, althoughmost searchin the wrong place. People get
married and pursue a certain careerbecause theyhope to find happiness
through these things. They divorce and change careers forthe same reason.
People commit sexual immorality because they think that it will bring them
happiness. They stealbecause they think that having material possessionswill
satisfy. Murderers kill because they think that they will be happier if they get
rid of an enemy or take what belongs to the other person. Even suicidal people
hope that death will bring relief from their problems.
One of Satan’s most successfullies is that God is a cosmic killjoy who wants
everyone to be miserable. People view God as a greatsadistin the sky, who
gets perverse delight in making His creatures miserable.
But even a casualreading of the Bible reveals that, to the contrary, God is a
being who has greatjoy and that everyone who comes to know Him enters
into the only true and lasting joy possible. The Psalms overflow with joy and
gladness. Jesustold the disciples that He spoke to them so that His joy would
be in them and their joy would be made full (John 15:11). The fruit that the
Holy Spirit produces in the believer is first love, then joy (Gal. 5:22). God has
promised eternal, lasting joy for us in heaven (Rev. 21:4). The Puritans had it
right when they said, “The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him
forever.” So, rather than discouraging us from seeking joyand gladness, the
Bible rather exhorts us to seek it, but to seek it in the right place. God Himself
is the source ofall joy and gladness. If we seek joyin God, we will find eternal
satisfaction.

In his sermon on the Dayof Pentecost, PetercitedPsalm16:8-11, and applied
it to Jesus Christ (“for David says of Him,” Acts 2:25). Peteris arguing that
this psalm, in which the author says that God will not allow his body to
undergo decay, did not ultimately apply to David, whose body did undergo
decay. Rather, as a prophet, David was writing about his descendant, Jesus
the Messiah, whomGod raisedfrom the dead. Thus while on one level the
psalm applied to David, on another level it applies only to Christ.
What I want you to see is that the subject of the psalm, Jesus Christ, was full
of joy and gladness. He says, “Myheart was gladand my tongue exulted;
moreovermy flesh also will abide in hope” (2:25). “You will make me full of
gladness with Your presence” (2:28). Peterleft off the final line of the psalm,
which reinforces the theme, “In Your right hand there are pleasures forever”
(Ps. 16:11). Since Jesus was full of God’s joy and gladness, if we are growing
to be like Christ, we will be growing in God’s joy and gladness. Our text
teaches us that …
God wants us to be growing in His joy and gladness.
While true joy and gladness come from God, our text breaks it into three
sources:Joy and gladness come from knowing God’s presence;from being
conformed to God’s holiness; and, from the hope of God’s raising our bodies
so that we caneternally dwell with Him.
1. Joyand gladness come from continually knowing God’s presence.
“ForDavid says of Him [Jesus], ‘I saw the Lord always in my presence;for
He is at my right hand, so that I will not be shaken’” (2:25). Peter is citing the
Greek translationof Psalm16. The Hebrew reads, “I have setthe Lord
continually before me.” It implies a deliberate action. To have the Lord at
one’s right hand signifies protection. Advocates would sit to the right of their
clients to defend them in court (R. C. H. Lenski, The Interpretation of the
Acts of the Apostles [Augsburg], p. 86). Bodyguards would stand on the right
side so they could coverthe person they were protecting with their shields and
still have their right arm free to fight (John MacArthur, The MacArthur New
TestamentCommentary, Acts 1-12 [Moody Press], p. 65). Jesus had God’s joy
and gladness becauseHe continually knew God’s presence. Butbefore we go

further, we need to define the terms “joy and gladness.” The bestway to
understand it is:
A. Joy and gladness are exemplified in Jesus.
At first you may think it strange to lift up Jesus as the greatexample of joy
and gladness since He was known as a man of sorrows who bore our grief (Isa.
53:4). It is ironic and instructive that the shortestverse in the English Bible is
John 11:35, “Jesus wept.” Butthe shortestverse in the Greek New Testament
is 1 Thessalonians5:16, “Rejoicealways.” The two verses are not
contradictory. Biblical joy and gladness do not deny sorrow and grief. In the
garden, Jesus told the disciples that His soulwas deeply grieved to the point of
death (Mark 14:34). Hebrews 12:2 says that Jesus, forthe joy set before Him,
endured the cross. The cross itselfwas not joyful, but there was greatjoy
ahead. Thus, biblical joy and gladness are the deep undercurrent or
foundation in God that sustain the believer in and through times of sorrow
and grief.
On my 36th birthday, I had to conduct the funeral of a 39-year-oldman who
had died of cancer. After the service, I was consoling the widow, who was
weeping, when her former pastor bounced up with a big smile and said,
“Praise the Lord! Scott’s in glory now!” I wanted to pop him in the mouth!
What he saidwas true, but he was denying the biblical command to weepwith
those who weep(Rom. 12:15). Biblical joy and gladness are not a superficial
happy face that we paint over deep sorrow. Rather, they are the foundation
that comes from knowing that our sovereignGodworks all things togetherfor
goodto those who love Him and are called according to His purpose (Rom.
8:28).
I am saying that if we want a picture of biblical joy and gladness, we should
look at the life of Jesus Christ. Though He went through times of great
difficulty and sorrow, especiallyas He bore our sins on the cross, He also had
times of great joy and gladness. The word gladness is used in Luke 15:32,
where the father of the prodigal son explains to his complaining older son,
“We had to be merry and rejoice, forthis brother of yours was dead and has
begun to live, and was lostand has been found.” Throughout that chapter,

Jesus emphasizedthe greatjoy in heavenwhen a single sinner repents (Luke
15:5-7, 9-10, 23-24, 32). Onanother occasion, Jesus rejoicedgreatlyin the
Holy Spirit over God’s sovereigngrace in the lives of the apostles (Luke 10:21-
22). The word used there is the same word in our text translated “exulted.”
Jesus told the disciples that He wanted His joy to be made full in them (John
15:11;17:13). Although He acknowledgedthat they would be sorrowfulwhen
He was crucified, He also promised that when they saw Him alive again, they
would rejoice, and no one could take that joy awayfrom them (John 16:20,
22). Thus biblical joy does not deny times of sorrow and grief. But it does
overcome suchtimes because it rests on the sovereignGodand His certain
promises to every believer. I like the wayJohn Newton, in his hymn,
“Glorious Things of Thee are Spoken,” calledour legacy, “solid joys and
lasting treasure.”
What was the source ofJesus’abiding joy?
B. Joyand gladness result from continually cultivating God’s presence in our
lives.
David says of Jesus, “Isaw the Lord always in my presence;for He is at my
right hand, so that I will not be shaken” (2:25). Jesus lived eachmoment
aware of the Father’s presence. He never had a secondwhenHe lived unto
Himself. The only time He did not know the Father’s presence was that awful
moment on the cross whenHe cried, “My God, My God, why have You
forsakenMe?” Jesus always livedin God’s presence.
That is the keyto joy and gladness, daily to cultivate a sense of God’s
presence. Then, even if we go through trials, we will not lose our joy, because
God is with us. JonathanEdwards expressed it well in a sermon, “Godthe
BestPortion of the Christian” (The Works of Jonathan Edwards [Banner of
Truth], 2:106):
Hence we may learn, that whatever changes a godly man passes through, he is
happy; because God, who is unchangeable, is his chosenportion. Though he
meet with temporal losses, andbe deprived of many, yea, of all his temporal
enjoyments; yet God, whom he prefers before all, still remains, and cannot be

lost. While he stays in this changeable, troublesome world, he is happy;
because his chosenportion, on which he builds as his main foundation for
happiness, is above the world, and above all changes. And when he goes into
another world, still he is happy, because that portion yet remains.… But how
greatis the happiness of those who have chosenthe Fountain of all good, who
prefer him before all things in heavenor on earth, and who cannever be
deprived of him to all eternity!
We all face the danger of enjoying God’s gifts, but not loving Him as the One
who gave these gifts to us. Augustine used the illustration of a man who made
a ring for his bride-to-be, but she loved the ring more than her betrothed who
made it for her. Certainly she should love the gift. But what would we think if
she said, “The ring is enough. I do not want to see his face again”? Augustine
concludes, “God, then has given you all these things. Love Him who made
them” (cited by Piper, SovereignJoy, p. 71).
As we go through our day, we should see God’s hand in every situation. Every
trial He brings lovingly to shape us into the image of Jesus Christ. Every
blessing He graciouslygives to show us His greatlove. Every delight to our
senses,whetherthe taste of food or the beauty of creationor the sounds of
birds chirping, should cause us to rejoice in the presence ofour God.
While I often fall far short of experiencing God’s constantpresence in my life,
I can offer three things that will help you move in the right direction:
First, spend time often with God in His Word and in prayer. Even if it’s a
short time, getup early enough to meet with God before you head out the
door. The godly George Mullerused to say that “the chief business of every
day is first of all to seek to be truly at rest and happy in God” (A. T. Pierson,
George Mullerof Bristol[Revell], p. 257;see also pp. 314-315). Memorize His
Word and meditate on it throughout your day.
Second, relate everything, even little events, in your day to God’s providence.
Everything is from His loving hand. Nothing happens by chance. As the hymn
writer put it, “Every joy or trial falleth from above, tracedupon our dial by
the Sun of Love” (Francis Havergal, “Like a River Glorious”).

Jesus was a man of gladness

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