God dances!

Posted on July 3, 2015 Updated on October 30, 2017

The word picture is of the Creator of the universe, spinning and revelling in joy before and audience of angels, and more than likely calling them onto the dance floor to join Him…

“Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” – Jesus

Jesus has just told the second short parable of three lost-found parables that are in told sequence. Jesus has just told the gathered hostile Pharisees and scribes is the parable about the woman who lost one of her valuable coins but then after a dilligent search finds it and throws a party!

Then Jesus makes this statement in Luke 15:10. So, what can we learn from it?

Firstly, maybe surprisingly, God is the one who is celebrating with joy before the angels! God Himself is compared to the woman who lost the coin, God is the primary one experiencing joy because of one person repenting! There is joy ‘before the angels’, and who is before them? None other than God Himself.

So why does God rejoice? What is it about sinners repenting that makes God so happy?

Just as the shepherd who receives back 1 of 100 sheep (1%), just as the person who receives back 1 of 10 coins (10%) and just like the Father who receives back half (50%) his family – so too God rejoices, celebrates greatly the text says when even one sinner repents.

Why?

Because every person God created, He loves. He is their Father whom they have estranged themselves from and He wants to be reunited with them and so there is joy in every person’s repentance because repentance is the only way for people to come back to right relationship to the Father.
Because there is joy over every one person who repents because every person has immense value to God.
Because every person who repents honours Jesus’ life and work on the cross and because in repenting they acknowledge His Lordship, His rightful reign in their lives as King of kings.
Because another saved sinner is another true worshiper of God.
Because every saved sinner is another one rescued from the control of the evil one.

This second of the trilogy of lost-found parables is not the climax, the lost son is. But there again, one of the major themes is the joy of the Father in having His son back with Him, running to meet his son, embracing & kissing him, quick forgiveness, throwing a party and calling others to join in with the Father’s joy.

God dances, delights in every single person who comes to repentance. And therefore we know how to make God exceedingly happy while simultaneously transforming people’s lives here on earth and forever into eternity. When we share the Gospel with people and they believe and repent – we make God happy and we bless people forever and ever.

Let’s make God happy and truly bless those all around us!