(Interior of the Schlosskirche, Wittenberg, with the simple tombs of Luther and Melanchthon in the foreground.)
Martin Luther says this about joy: "Christ says: "Rejoice because your names are written in heaven." Where this joy of the Spirit is, there the heart inwardly rejoices through faith in Christ, with full assurance that He is our Savior and our Bishop, and outwardly it expresses this joy with words and gestures. Also, the faithful rejoice when they see that the gospel spreads abroad, that many are won to the faith, and that the kingdom of Christ is enlarged."
Christ's atonement for our sins, His forgiveness toward us, is our greatest of all joys. It's a personal joy, that reaches the depth of the "wellsprings" of our souls, and may well-up, an even bring tears of joy. And from this first of all joys is birthed many other joys as well.
Paul the Apostle said that the church, (those whom have trusted in Christ), are his joy. And so it is with all of us. We should be someone's joy, and we also should have joy over others: When others are found by Christ our Lord, and brought into the kingdom of the Savior and His Father.
"Thou art giving and forgiving, ever blessing, ever blessed,
Wellspring of the joy of living, ocean depth of happy rest!
Thou our Father, Christ our Brother, all who live in love are Thine;
Teach us how to love each other, lift us to the joy divine."
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