"So there was great joy in that city."
Acts 8:8
Joy yearns to manifest itself in some way. Whether it be a smile, a song, or a statement, joy longs to be expressed. Numerous biblical accounts speak to this. Through joy, a king shamelessly danced unto God through the capital city’s streets in the sight of numerous residential spectators (2 Sa. 6:14-15). Through joy, learned men left their homes in order to find what lay beneath a mysterious, glorious star (Matt. 2:1-10). Through joy, two weary, beaten men sang songs of praise from the shackled confines of a prison cell in the midnight hour (Acts 16:22-25).
Even today we find examples of joy all around us, as was the case when my daughter, Abby, provided a powerfully vivid and joyful illustration some time ago. Just sixteen months old at the time, Abby was rapidly enlarging her vocabulary. With great frequency she used and applied new words, seemingly daily. Observing her speech development was a fascinatingly marvelous adventure. One day, our family was driving across town. My wife, Dawn, and I were conversing while our two children were listening to a CD of modern-day worship songs. Dawn and I had been engaged in a discussion for awhile, until we were abruptly interrupted. Abby spontaneously started singing along to the song “How Great Is Our God”. She did not know or sing all the lyrics, but what she did know she belted out with enthusiasm, and with remarkably precise rhythm and timing.
I glanced back at Abby who was fully enraptured in the song, evidenced by an adorable shoulder sway motion she had incorporated into her impromptu performance. The whole scene was captivating. It felt as though I had a front row seat to the concert of a lifetime. Whatever emptiness my spiritual cup had that day was immediately filled, better yet overflowing, with praise. Did Abby fully understand what the importance of what she was singing or Who the song was dedicated to? No. But she exhibited a spirit and a spontaneity that reflects how moving and contagious joy should be. Furthermore, she displayed a fervent passion that, regrettably, often escapes me.
Joy can be revealed at any given moment. Although we tend to associate joy with cheerful times and circumstances, joy should be manifested in all seasons for it is the byproduct of a thriving relationship with God, a relationship, consequently, which produces elated wholeness, as well as the ability to absorb even the toughest of life’s storms. If believers ardently engage in fellowship with God and faithfully abide by His Spirit, God can turn calamities into opportunities to rejoice. The joy that God provides does not diminish, which is clearly displayed by the narrative presented in Acts 8.
The first three verses of Acts 8 begin by delivering some troubling news, which, at first glance, would suggest that the work of the church was going to be temporarily or permanently stifled. The Jewish religious leaders formally organized an effort to persecute the Christian movement, conferring upon Saul, the man who gave his consent to Stephen’s murder in Acts 7, authority to imprison and put to death Christ’s followers. Saul not only pursued Jesus’ followers in the temple courts, where they had been regularly convening, he barged into peoples’ homes and took captive men and women, fathers and mothers. The life that Saul and the Sanhedrin council took from Stephen, despite Stephen’s dying prayer of forgiveness for them, did not appease their anger towards Jesus and His disciples. As a result of the religious leaders’ sadistic campaign against Christianity, all the remaining believers, save the apostles, abandoned Jerusalem and resettled in the surrounding regions of Judea and Samaria.
And yet after Acts 8:3, the text yields a remarkably encouraging report, confirming the gospel ministry was not weakened because of the heinous actions of the religious leaders in Jerusalem. In fact, the priest-led opposition to Christianity prompted the Christians to take their families and the gospel message to neighboring areas. Akin to Joseph’s declaration to his brothers, what man intended for harm God was able to use for good (Gen. 50:20). The exodus of believers from Jerusalem at the hands of the persecutors was the exact means by which the Holy Spirit initiated the mission to make salvation known to the world. Clearly, God is able to turn tragedy into triumph and pain into praise.
We may be curious as to why the apostles remained in Jerusalem in spite of the religious firestorm sparked by Stephen’s murder. The answer is not given. Perhaps the Holy Spirit directed the apostles to stay, promising necessary protection or the courage to withstand the verbal and physical assault. Maybe the apostles were compelled to try and overturn the alarming, shameful reality that Jerusalem, the epicenter of the Hebrew faith, had become so spiritually antagonistic and apathetic. Regardless of such conjecture, we know that God used both the tarrying of the apostles in Jerusalem, as well as the scattering of the remaining believers, to advance His kingdom and mission.
In Acts 8:5, Luke begins to chronicle the church’s evangelistic exploits by focusing on Philip, one of seven men called to a specialized ministry in Acts 6. Fleeing Jerusalem, Philip was promptly promoted from the role of a financial overseer to the role of an evangelist, preaching the words and work of Jesus. According to Acts 8:6, Philip launched his ministry by going to Samaria, a place reviled by many Judeans in Philip’s time. The Judeans’ disdain and disrespect for the Samaritans had a lengthy history that warrants brief exploration.
Two generations after King David ruled Israel, the kingdom entered into civil war, which tore apart the unification the twelve tribes of Israel once enjoyed. Ten tribes, often referred to as the northern tribes, aligned themselves with a man named Jeroboam, while the two remaining tribes, or southern tribes, recognized King Rehoboam, the reigning king when the nation split apart, as their leader. The ten northern tribes thereafter became known as Israel, while the two southern tribes were identified as Judah. Jeroboam initially resided in and ruled from Shechem (later he would come to establish a dwelling in Tirzah) while Rehoboam remained in Jerusalem.
The Bible discloses that Jeroboam was not concerned with the spiritual state of Israel; he was concerned with establishing and solidifying his control over Israel. In order to discourage the ten northern tribes from going to Jerusalem’s temple for worship, Jeroboam set up idolatrous worship centers dedicated to golden calves in Bethel and Dan. He hoped this action would prevent the people of Israel from desiring to reunite with the two southern tribes, and thereby reestablish Rehoboam as their king (1 Kings 12:25-30). Sadly, the idolatry Jeroboam introduced became a stumbling block which plagued Israel for many generations.
Several kings passed before King Omri assumed reign over Israel. Because of his desire to leave Tirzah and build a royal palace elsewhere, Omri bought hill country roughly forty miles north of Jerusalem, where he built a city and named it Samaria (1 Kings 16:24). Although Samaria was christened as Israel’s new royal city, in time Samaria became synonymous with the entire territory occupied by the ten northern tribes of Israel. Under King Omri, the personal and corporate sin Jeroboam established and endorsed did not relent. In fact, the Bible says Omri sinned more than all the kings had before him (1 Kings 16:25). After King Omri’s death, his son, Ahab, succeeded him and ushered in an even greater state of depravity for Israel, going so far as to construct a temple for Baal at his wife’s request in Samaria (1 Kings 16:33). Clearly, Samaria had become a haven for abominable behavior.
In the years that followed, Israel’s military strength was undermined by a barrage of attacks and battles. Eventually, Assyria conquered Israel altogether. Samaria soon became an area of deportation for exiles of other nations, which further allowed immoral cultural and religious influences to multiply (2 Kings 17:24-33). Despite God’s numerous warnings, the Samaritans refused to relinquish the acceptance and worship of false gods (2 Kings 17:40). This pattern repeated itself when the Greeks took control of Samaria many years later. As the result of the various assimilations, some Israelites married people of non-Jewish descent and faith. Taken as a whole, the Samaritans were, in the eyes of the Judeans, a people who decided to abandon their commitment to worship God and ignore their commitment to serve alongside their Jewish brethren, a betrayal that was not forgotten or forgiven by many of the Judean believers.
The view of Samaritans as outcasts and outsiders was still very present during Jesus’ ministry. When Jesus was nearing the time for His trial and execution, He sent messengers into a Samaritan village to make preparations for His arrival en route to Jerusalem. When the Samaritans discovered Jesus’ primary destination was Jerusalem, they refused to accommodate Him. The disciples James and John were so furious with this response that they asked Jesus if they could pray for fire to rain down from heaven and destroy the villagers. Jesus rebuked James and John for this statement (Luke 9:51-56). The Judean-Samaritan relationship, therefore, was a tense, quarrelsome one because it had intensified over the course of several decades.
Before Jesus ascended to heaven, He charged the apostles, which included James and John, to be His witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria (Acts 1:8). This directive was not just for the apostles, but for all of the believers, including Philip. Philip obeyed Christ’s directive and witnessed to the Samaritans. During Philip’s ministry in Samaria, miraculous events transpired. Evil spirits, who had long tormented lost souls, were cast out of the bodies they afflicted. Acts 8:7 mentions that the evil spirits shrieked as they exited their victims, indicating the demons were removed by a great power and great force. Furthermore, paralytic and crippled Samaritans were healed. The miracles soon made way for the reception of Philip’s message, which many Samaritans embraced. Hearing led to understanding. Understanding led to conviction. Conviction led to salvation. Salvation led to joy. According to Acts 8:8, great joy abounded in Samaria.
Philip’s crusade in Samaria identifies three actions that accompany joy. One, joy excites communication of Christ. A spiritual awakening took place in Samaria because Philip proclaimed Christ there. We do not know what he said specifically about Christ, but we do know that God’s Spirit was at work for the Samaritans gladly received his message. Philip was an instrument of God, who trumpeted the Lord’s truth. He communicated God’s Word, knowing the gospel possesses the power to bring spiritually dead people to life.
Two, joy excites consideration of Christ. As Philip spoke and performed miraculous signs, the Samaritans paid close attention to what he said. Philip’s message and the activity of God compelled the Samaritans to evaluate their lives in light of Jesus’ life. It obligated them to consider God’s ways. Something undeniably remarkable was taking place and it demanded a reckoning of the heart.
Philip was not responsible for the peoples’ acceptance of salvation; he was only responsible for preaching the truth of Jesus, ensuring that he did not withhold it, or water down the gospel presentation. In a world that prefers casual, superficially accommodating sentiments, Philip’s unyieldingly Christ-centered message reminds us that Jesus’ life should always be the central theme of our considerations, and thereby our communication.
Three, joy excites a commitment to Christ. When the Samaritans heard Philip’s redeeming message and accepted it as truth, they were baptized, which signified their commitment to honor God and enter into the church family. Baptism was not taken lightly by the first century church for it was a time-honored public profession of faith and repentance.
The impact of the Samaritan’s commitment to cherish Christ is further elaborated by community’s rejection of Simon, a man who had practiced sorcery in Samaria for a substantial period of time. Simon was well thought of by the Samaritans because of his skills in the magical arts. Through creative, and likely deceptive, acts, he was able to amaze the people. Driven by power, Simon arrogantly boasted of his greatness, causing many Samaritans to accept and promote his falsehoods. Some even claimed Simon possessed divine powers. But when Philip came to Samaria, performing real, supernatural miracles, Simon’s spell over the Samaritans was broken. The people immediately recognized that Simon was a fraud and a swindler, underscoring the point that the Holy Spirit not only perpetuates truth, the Holy Spirit exposes lies. So great was the Samaritans’ dismissal of Simon’s influence that Simon himself investigated and came to believe the words which Philip had spoken, being baptized shortly thereafter.
When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent the apostles Peter and John to investigate, and, perhaps, to build upon the foundation that was being established. Peter and John immediately realized that the Holy Spirit had not descended upon the Samaritan believers so they prayed that the people would receive the Holy Spirit. When Peter and John placed their hands on the people, they received the Holy Spirit. Unfortunately, Simon’s lust for influence, which appeared to have been broken through faith, resurfaced. He tried to purchase the supernatural authority that the apostles possessed. Peter rebuked Simon, rightly sensing Simon’s impure motive. Simon did not seek to have supernatural for God’s glory, but for his own. The proclamation that Simon touted he was someone great in Acts 8:9 resembles his aspiration to procure divine gifts from Peter and John in Acts 8:19, which transpired after his pronounced conversion. Peter called out Simon and told him he was full of bitterness and shackled to sin. Simon asked that Peter pray for God’s mercy to reign in his life. Peter, John, and Philip returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel to many Samaritan villages along the way
The Samaritans, once considered outsiders to God’s favor, were ushered into God’s blessing through salvation. Redemption freed them from many vices, including the dependency upon sorcery and magic. They rightly chose to consider the majesty of God and acknowledge that He was moving in their midst. As a result, God produced in the Samaritans a joy that flooded the streets. Philip’s willingness to go to a territory so loathed and despised by many Jewish people underscores that God’s grace is not biased or prejudiced.
Before Acts 8 concludes, Luke records one more of Philip’s evangelistic campaigns. An angel told Philip to leave Jerusalem and head south to Gaza. As he journeyed along a desert road, Philip encountered a eunuch, a chief official in the Ethiopian government. Directed by the Holy Spirit, Philip approached the eunuch, who was seated inside a chariot. The eunuch was reading a copy of Isaiah 53, a section often referred to as the “suffering servant”, a passage that outlines Jesus’ death as being necessary to cover the transgressions of humanity. The eunuch was perplexed as to who the suffering servant was.
Philip approached the eunuch and asked him if he understood what he was reading. The eunuch expressed he was confused about the meaning of the text and invited Philip to join him in his carriage so that he could explain the passage to him. Philip utilized the opportunity to tell the eunuch about Jesus. Somewhere in the course of the conversation, the eunuch became a believer because he asked Philip to be baptized into faith. After they located a reservoir, Philip baptized the eunuch. Remarkably, as the eunuch was remerging from the water after his immersion, the Holy Spirit transported Philip to another place: Azotus.
Philip’s God-ordained encounter with an Ethiopian eunuch, a man who lived in a land on the southern edge of the ancient landscape, served to send the gospel far and wide. To consider that Acts 8 begins with a persecution-caused dispersion of believers but ends with a revelation that God's hand was at work in scattering the gospel message across the world is yet another confirmation of the Lord's greatness. It should encourage us to marvel at the mysteriously authentic ability of God to arrange circumstances, even harsh circumstances that are persecutory, in such a way that brings God glory, honor, and praise. This truth should also move believers to perceive and exude the joy that comes from knowing and serving God.
Joy exhibits several inspiring characteristics, but perhaps one of the most notable traits is its propensity to prevail. It can withstand hardships and still find a reason to rejoice. It can absorb man’s afflictions and still produce a desire to worship. How? Because joy stems from the enjoyment of God, an enjoyment that is imperishable. The inner turmoil and unrest of the human heart is a most resilient foe, but God’s love is greater. His grace is stronger. His joy is sufficient.
Is joy being demonstrated in your life?
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