John 2, Leviticus 25, Luke 4, Luke 22, John 13, Matthew 4, John 10:10

Richard Townend shows how celebration was an integral part of Jesus' life and should be in ours too.

Richard Townend

Something strange is happening in Britain at the moment.

From the Olympics to the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, 2012 has so far been a year of celebration, and celebrating is something that the British don't pride themselves in doing! In recent weeks, tens of thousands of people have welcomed the Olympic Torch across the UK in events which have brought communities together. Even the terrible weather has not put people off.

In his book 'A Celebration of Discipline', Richard Foster points out that the act of celebration is vital in our Christian lives. As we study the life of Jesus, it's clearly evident that he practised spiritual disciplines such as prayer (Luke 22:39-46), service (John 13) and solitude (Matthew 4). But Foster points out that celebration itself is a spiritual discipline that Jesus was in the habit of practising, and if we are called to follow Him, then we should know how to celebrate too!

Is it any coincidence that Jesus chooses to reveal his glory for the very first time not by an act of healing or authority over evil, but by a simple miracle at a party? In John 2, we are told that 'Jesus and his disciples were invited to the celebration' of the wedding in Cana, but the wine ran out whilst the wedding was in full flow. Faced with disgruntled guests and a premature end to the wedding, Jesus steps in and turns some water to wine - his first miracle. What's more, the wine was the best that they had tasted (John 2:9-10). Jesus didn't just save the wedding banquet, he enhanced it and added something more, making the celebration all the more special.

You may have enjoyed taking part in events to mark the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. Jubilee itself is a celebration that has its roots in the Mosaic Law. In Leviticus 25, God ordains that in the fiftieth year, 'everyone is to return to their own property.' That is, slaves are to be returned to their families. Jubilee was also highly significant in Jesus' own ministry. In Luke 4, he enters the synagogue in Nazareth on the Sabbath, and takes a scroll written by the prophet Isaiah:

"The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,
to proclaim the year of the Lord's favour."

Jubilee goes even further than this though, as this celebration calls on people to welcome strangers in their homes and help out those who are struggling to make ends meet. (Leviticus 25:35-36)

And what of the various celebrations in Jewish culture that Jesus and his disciples kept? There were seven feasts in the Jewish calendar, and on the face of it, it seems they would celebrate anything: Unleavened bread, First Fruits, Weeks, Shelters, Trumpets, Atonement, Tabernacles and Passover. Of course, all of these celebrations are deeply symbolic, none more so than Passover, which Jesus celebrated with his disciples shortly before his death (Luke 22: 7-29). As Christians, this celebration has become known as 'The Last Supper', and although it is loaded with the inevitable sadness of what happens next, it is through this that we celebrate the new covenant. Through Jesus blood, poured out for us, we have communion with Him through the forgiveness of our sins.

So we can see that Jesus lived a life of celebration, but how can we live out the same?

Firstly, we need to know how to party! We need to be positive people who role model what it means to celebrate, particularly in these troubled times. We need to show that being a Christian isn't dull and boring, and that Jesus came to bring us life in all it's fullness (John 10:10).

Secondly, we need to understand that to enjoy celebration, we need to help others, in the true spirit of Jubilee. We need to welcome strangers and provide for the needy in our own communities.

Thirdly, we need to remember exactly what we have to celebrate. The Last Supper reminds us of a new covenant with a God who loves us, cherishes us, and forgives us. Through his death and resurrection we each have an invite to the best party anyone could possibly imagine.

Now that's something worth celebrating!