Mandy Baker Johnson

There was a time when Jesus the man jumped and skipped with ecstatic, exuberant joy.

He had sent out seventy two of His friends on a mission trip. He told them to heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse disfiguring skin diseases and set people free from evil spirits.

When His friends returned, they excitedly told Him how they’d done these supernatural acts in His name. Wow. No wonder they were thrilled.

It’s easy to miss Jesus’ reaction when reading the Gospels because of how our English translates it: ‘He rejoiced in the Spirit.’ Yeah, He definitely did. The word used for rejoice is agalliao which means to exult, leap and skip for joy, physically showing excessive and ecstatic delight.

Jesus rejoiced because they were grasping the truth of who they were: children of God and secure in Christ.

It’s easy to nod my head to Bible truths. Yes, I believe I’m saved by grace and don’t need to strive for God’s attention, and that I am accepted and beloved. But when that knowledge starts to slip into my heart, I rejoice because it becomes real and changes me.

And that’s when Jesus jumps for joy.