REJOICING TO HEAR THE VOICE OF THE BRIDEGROOM
I. JOHN 3: THE FRIEND OF THE BRIDEGROOM REJOICES GREATLY
“You yourselves are my witnesses that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah, but I have been sent ahead of him.’ 29He who has the
bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s
voice. For this reason my joy has been fulfilled.” John 3.28-29
A. John the Baptist was the forerunner for the Messiah Jesus and together they heralded the nearness and dawning of
the Kingdom of God in its inauguration at his first coming. Before the second coming of Jesus the Lord is raising up
forerunners, or heralds, to announce the glorious gospel of the kingdom, which He will consummate with the
establishment of the Millennial Kingdom and New Creation.
B. John 3 is a programmatic verse for the life of the forerunner. Here we learn that a primary dimension of John’s life
was to possess an understanding of Jesus as a bridegroom filled with fiery love and desire. Understanding Jesus in
this way caused his heart to be filled with joy.
“Comfort, yes, comfort My people!’ Says your God.” Isaiah 40.1
C. This is the first mention of the forerunner ministry in the Bible. Isaiah 40 is another critical passage for understanding
the functions and message of the forerunner. All four Gospels quote it to describe the ministry of John the Baptist
(Mat. 3.3; Mk. 1.3; Lk. 3.4-6; Jn 1.23)
1. The first word of the forerunner is to comfort the people of God. We do not usually think of John the Baptist as
operating in a ministry of comfort. It is common to think of John as the crazy man in the wilderness. The totality of
John’s message was not simply calling people “brood of vipers.” Zechariah’s prophetic oracle in Luke 1 tells us what
the essence of John’s proclamation was: “…for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, 77to give
knowledge of salvation to his people by the forgiveness of their sins. 78By the tender mercy of our God,
the dawn from on high will break upon us…
“The friend of the bridegroom…rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice.” John 3.29
2. John was a man with happy love for Jesus. When he heard the voice of the bridegroom he was filled with joy.
Examples of John's comfort and joy – Mat. 11.17; Lk. 1.14, 44,78; Jn. 5.35.
When John preached the message of repentance he did so from a heart that primarily operated in a spirit of comfort
and a spirit of joy.
D. In contrast to John’s forerunner spirit of comfort, there is a widespread stronghold of grumpiness in the Church.
It is dangerous to attempt to bring John’s message of repentance and gravity without having the heart that rejoices
in hearing the bridegroom’s voice. A partial message of the forerunner without the heart of the forerunner can be
damaging to God’s people.
1. To preach repentance and judgment out of a grumpy spirit results in bitterness, crankiness and railing. We should be
careful not to project our own grumpiness and imagine that it is the Spirit anointing repentance preaching.
2. It is impossible to apply a positive layer over unresolved, untransformed negativity. No matter how hard we try and
despite our sincerest efforts the negativity will come through and will be felt by those we relate to. We will try to be
positive but come across as harsh, mean, nasty, etc.
II. BEHOLDING AND BECOMING – 2 CORINTHIANS 3
“And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed
into the same image from one degree of glory to another.” 2 Corinthians 3.18
III. MOSTLY MAD OR MOSTLY SAD?
“…according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, with which I have been entrusted.” 1 Tim. 1.11
A. The foundation of God’s personality and disposition is gladness (Ps. 16:11; 45:7; Heb. 1:9; Lk. 15 esp. v. 33).
Jesus is by far the happiest person in existence. He delights in and enjoys relating to us. Many however, believe that
God is mostly mad (he despises us) or mostly sad (he is grieved as us), when He relates to us. This belief may be
explicit or implicit, conscious or unconscious.
B. Some people have an image of God that is mostly mad. He is always on the hunt for sin and when He finds it He is
shocked at how bad it is. In this way of thinking God is always just on the verge of releasing His wrath because of
wickedness, either corporately or individually. This is the primary posture of his heart in relation to humanity.
C. Others do not necessarily perceive God to always be mad at them, but instead is always sad or grieved about their sin.
When talking to people about their struggles in their relationship with God, I commonly ask this question, “when you
come to God what is God feeling, or what kind of expression does He have on His face?”
D. One of the most frequent answers I get is that they perceive God to be disappointed in them. God is so crushed by
their sin, so upset that they would hurt Him so badly by transgressing His laws, and so saddened by the fact that they
aren’t doing better than they are and aren’t progressing more quickly.
E. The God these people perceive is so fragile and emotionally unstable, and is crushed when He finds out that we’ve
sinned again. Our sin puts God on the verge of emotional breakdown. The truth is that our sin does not shock God
(1 John 3:19-20). He knows our weak hearts better than we do.
IV. THE GLADNESS OF GOD IN THE TRINITY – MATTHEW 3
“And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him
and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. 17And a voice from heaven said, “This is
my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.” Matthew 3.16-17
V. THE GLADNESS OF GOD IN CREATION – PROVERBS 8
“…then I was beside him, like a master worker; and I was daily his delight, rejoicing before him always, 31rejoicing in his
inhabited world and delighting in the human race.” Proverbs 8.30-31
“Then God said, ‘Let there be light’ and there was light…God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was
very good.” Genesis 1.3, 31
VI. THE GLADNESS OF GOD IN NEW CREATION – ISAIAH 65
“For I am creating new heavens and a new earth; the former things shall not be remembered or come to mind. 18But
be glad and rejoice forever in what I am creating; for I am creating Jerusalem as a joy, and its people as a delight.
19I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and delight in my people; no more shall the sound of weeping be heard in it, or the cry
of distress.” Isaiah 65.17-19
A. The concept of “new creation” is a central idea in the entire Scripture. It is the final goal of the Scriptural narrative
as seen in Revelation 21 and following. It is critical for the subject of the Millennial Kingdom and New Creation not
only to be subjects under the category of “eschatology” but must become central subjects for our pursuit of intimacy
with the Lord.
B. God’s future for the world brings us the definitive and final revelation of God Himself.
1. The Scripture often links the revelation of God not only to words about God, but from God’s actions in history. What God
does shows us what He is like. The primary way the people of Israel understood themselves and God historically was
through the Exodus. He is the God of freedom, the God of deliverance.
2. Many passages of Scripture also link the revelation of God to a future time when God will show himself to be faithful in
restoring His people. This is seen in the phrase, “in that day/then you will know that I am the Lord” (Isa. 48.23; 60.16;
Eze. 37.13; Hos. 2.20; Joel 3.17).
“…and His servants shall serve Him. 4They shall see His face…” Revelation 22.3b-4a
3. This can also be seen at the conclusion of the story. In Revelation 22 something unprecedented happens – his
people see his face. This speaks of having direct, unhindered communion to and revelation of God. Biblical tradition
tells us that no one can see God’s face and live. It is something that just does not happen. This then means that,
in a sense, all revelation we have of God now is partial and provisional. It awaits a final word yet to come.
4. This “final word” comes at the end, when God renews all things. In the New Creation we will see God fully as He is.
We will “know as we are fully known” (1 Cor. 13.12). We will understand God’s heart aright. All the conflicts and
confusions that mark the present age will
be dispelled in the light of his shining face.
5. “Only God’s final revelation at the end of history will bring with it final knowledge of the content and truth of the act
of God in Jesus of Nazareth. God alone has the competence to speak the final word about God’s work in history.”
C. Who is this passage directed to? It is to those of whom the remembrance of the past is painful. These memories are
indeed so painful that it makes living in the present difficult. In order to carry, on these people need reassurance that at
some point, life will be so transformed that the former things shall not be remembered or come to mind. This is precisely
what God comes to communicate to His people.
1. This passage however is bewildering on one end or of little meaning on the other to the person whose consciousness
lacks these painful remembrances. For the person who seems to get by pretty well and has managed to forge an
existence devoid of sadness and pain, the idea of a renewed world may be an exciting novelty, but has little profound
significance. Why would
one need a renewed world if one is getting by okay the way things are?
1 Wolfhart Pannenberg, Systematic Theology Volume 1 (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1988), 16.
2. Rather, the promise of a new creation is for those who feel the groan of creation’s present existence (Rom. 8.22;
Isa. 33.9; Jer. 9.10; 12.4; 23.10; Joel 1.10; Hos. 4.3). It is for those who need to know that woeful realities of this age
will pass so far out of existence as to be never remembered again. Those pain-ridden experiences leave their impress
on our conscious and unconscious memory causing us to despair for life and ever shrink back in self-protection and
self-preservation, reducing our lives to mere survival. These impressions render our dreams as whimpers of resignation
and painful screams of perpetually anticipated failure. This is the condition that Scripture calls “losing heart”
(2 Cor. 4.1, 16; Gal. 6.9; Col. 3.21).
3. It is in the midst of this loss of heart, where we try despairingly to be ourselves, or try despairingly not to be ourselves
2, that God speaks. It is into the heart of the life that is nearly spent, the bruised reed that is almost broken, the
smoldering wick that is nearly snuffed out, that the voice of God comes.
D. It is to the heart that has lost its most basic sense of trust, openness to the future and engagement with life (i.e., hope)
that God promises to recreate the earth and restore all things. When He comes He will make all things new. “He will wipe
every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more” (Rev. 21.4).
E. Until God comes the threat always remains that these painful remembrances will actualize again in a repetition of their
horrors and agony. The forces of evil, hatred, violence and injustice always threaten to surge once again, and flood our
lives with their chaotic havoc. The memories coupled with this possibility locks our hearts in fear. When God himself
comes, he will forever free our hearts from the paralysis of fear. Through the annihilation of sin, death, violence and
injustice from the planet, the reign of God will open only possibilities of peace, love, freedom, justice and joy.
F. The recreative and restorative activity the flows from God’s buoyantly generous heart will wash away these imprisoning
recollections in a manner that truly can be called making our lives new. We will be fully awakened to the child-like trust
of free-hearted wonder, the uninhibited celebratory embrace of all that is true, good and beautiful, and the unfettered
heart fully open to give and receive love to and from God and neighbor. This will be a quality of life that can truly be
called happiness (cf. Zeph.
3.16ff.; Lk. 1.74). This is exactly what God promises us in this passage.
“But be glad and rejoice forever in what I am creating… no more shall the sound of weeping be heard in it, or the cry of
distress” Isaiah 65.18a, 19b
G. What is remarkable about this verse is that the rejoicing of our hearts at God’s new creation will be forever. What can
eternal rejoicing even begin to mean? Unbelievably, when God makes all things new, it will awaken a rejoicing that has
eternal sustenance. This act of God will be so dramatic, so firm, so freeing that our hearts will surge with a pleasure that
never dies away. The entire creation’s song of
liberation will endlessly resound into the unfathomable reaches of eternity.
H. That fresh sense of wonder and excitement that we briefly, barely and infrequently taste will be ours with perpetual
newness. It will swell in our hearts with unreined freedom, wonderfully permeating all of existence.
2 To borrow a pair of phrases from Kierkegaard’s Sickness Unto Death
“…for I am creating Jerusalem as a joy, and its people as a delight. 19I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and delight in my people;
no more shall the sound of weeping be heard in it, or the cry of distress” Isa. 65.18b-19
I. We have previously discussed how the end gives us the definitive revelation of God. If we want to have the clearest
insight into God’s heart we must look to the historical end of God’s purposes. Here we see that when God makes all
things new, freeing our hearts into unimaginable gladness, God’s own heart simultaneously soars with pleasure.
J. There seems to be a correlation between our delight and God’s delight, our restoration and his rejoicing. There is a degree
to which God’s own emotional existence is tied to the ambivalent, conflicted, anxiety-laden existence we live prior to the
restoration of all things. We often think that God’s grief and our perfection are correlated. In actuality, it is our restoration,
our well-being and God’s gladness that are correlated because in the extravagant generosity of his heart, He has
so joined
Himself to us in love and compassion.
K. God’s heart is so rich that in a very poignant and profound way, He finds His joy in the joy of His beloved. Therefore,
when all things are made new, our hearts will not be the only ones that swell with joy. God’s own heart with eager
anticipation broods over this bent and broken world. It will rise with uncontainable delight to see the end of our mourning,
for in the resolution of our suffering and lamentation is the resolution of his own lamentation. “No more mourning”
means so for God as well.
L. That God will take the fragmented broken pieces of our existence and restore all things displays an extravagant,
overflowing heart of untold proportions. Such exuberant benevolence and cheerful generosity radiates from the core
of his being. The way he relates to broken people and a broken world in redemption and restoration only confirms
this with hearty assurance.
VII. THE GLADNESS OF GOD IN REDEMPTION – MICAH 7
“Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over the transgression of the remnant of your possession? He does
not retain his anger forever, because he delights in showing mercy.” Micah 7.18 A. The context of this verse is in a
collection of prophecies that are mostly negative. The people of God are in a period of serious sin, rebellion and
apostasy. This included demon worship and idolatry (Micah 1:7; 5:13), rampant murder (7:2), abuse of judicial and
political power, oppression of the poor (2:1-2), lying (6:12), theft (6:11), and occult practices (5:12).
B. In response to this God sends the prophet Micah with harsh words against such behavior and lifestyles. To be
perfectly clear, these were not people who were simply struggling to overcome a sin or two from which they wanted
to be free. It says that they openly and without shame hated good and loved evil (3:1-4). To these people Micah
makes this stunning statement about God and his heart.
C. This message centers on the holiness of God, though not in the way we usually conceive of holiness. In the Old
Testament the word translated "holy" basically means "set apart," expressing the ideas of uniqueness or something
that is totally other than anything else. The opposite of holy is not unclean (whose opposite is clean), but common,
or normal. It points not so much to the fact that he is devoid of and diametrically opposed to sin (which he is nevertheless)
but to his incomparability, that there is no one or nothing else like him, that he is utterly magnificent in beauty and in
all his ways. It is a kind of summary attribute for God describing all of his attributes.
D. When Micah says, "Who is like you?" this rhetorical question is the language of incomparability, he is giving us
insight into what exactly it is that makes God holy. While there could potentially be many answers to this question,
Micah's discussion of God's holiness is so remarkable it is unmatched in any other religious document in the world.
What makes God holy, what sets him apart from all other people and things, the center of his uniqueness is his
profound ability in and enjoyment of forgiving us even when we come woefully short of His standards.
E. God's holiness is not just about his separation from sin, but his unique expertise in taking weak and broken people like
ourselves, who love doing things our own way, when we struggle and stumble and even willingly choose what is wrong,
he draws us back to his side. He “delights in showing mercy.”
F. As believers, we all know that when we place faith in the Messiah, we are forgiven of our sins and all of heaven
rejoices (Lk. 15:7). Nevertheless, after coming to God confessing the same sins over and over, it is easy to think that
God must be thinking something like, “oh, again?” in some kind of disappointed or annoyed tone. It seems almost as
though we slipped in the back door into God’s favor, that the Father was obligated to let us in because Jesus had
already died. If he at all liked us when we first came to him, now He surely begrudgingly bears with us.
G. We can also tend to think that God’s delight in us is based on our performance. It’s as if there’s a sliding scale–
the more we obey, the more God is happy towards us and vice versa. We understand our life before God in a vacuum–
when there is something much bigger going on. We have to understand our own lives and our lives before God in
context to the larger story–the larger picture which I’ve been laying out here of God’s unbounded elation in the
ellowship of the Trinity, in the opening of his heart to a fragile world in creation and in the restoration of a broken
world in the age to come.
H. What this story shows is a God of immeasurable happiness in eternity past, at the founding of creation and at the
renewal of creation into eternity future. It is not that God is happy because of the cross. Rather the cross and forgiveness
happens because God was already the fountain of overflowing delight.
I. This passage in Micah shows us the reason why God forgives. This reason is not the cross. God is not forced to forgive
against his will. Such would be an utter contradiction within God’s own being. Does He want to forgive or not? He forgives
because he delights… The inner logic of his mercy is his roaring happiness and incessant generosity. Even before the
incarnation, before the crucifixion, God
had the type of personality that rejoices in forgiveness, that delights in showing mercy.
J. The cross may be the how of forgiveness, but an eternally happy heart is the why. It was for the joy set before him
that Jesus endured the cross (Heb. 12.2). It was for the pleasure of the Lord to prosper that the Father embraced the
painful reality of the crucifixion (Isaiah 53.10). It was because of the good pleasure of his will that He adopted us as
sons and daughters (Eph. 1.5).
K. He doesn't forgive us because He has to—He wants to, He enjoys it. His heart fills with joy and a smile comes to His
face whenever He removes any and all hindrances in our relationship with Him, wipes the slate clean, gives us a new
beginning and embraces us as His precious children. Next time you think about holiness, try looking at it from that
perspective. God's holiness does mean he hates sin, but it also means that when you do struggle, what fills him with
delight is to forgive, embrace and restore you.
“I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins.” Isa. 43:25