"I have told you this so that my joy may be in you
and that your joy may be complete." John 15:11
What comes to mind when you think of joy?In the Bible, the word "joy" is used to express gladness, delight, happiness, and wellness. It is often accompanied by great rejoicing, like when the Wise Men saw the Star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy; and when the Prodigal Son came home and his father said, "We had to celebrate and be glad because he was lost and is found."
You are likely familiar with this kind of joy. When special moments happen, when what you've been waiting for comes to fruition, when the delightful surprises of life come along. You don't need someone to say, "Be filled with joy!" It just happens. We enjoy happy moments and things that make us glad because as human beings, it's what our hearts are made for.
But in day-to-day life of routine, work, activities, and relationships, joy is often lost; or it's there, but more as an afterthought. It's easy to forget why we're doing what we're doing. It's easy to forget life is supposed to be happy and good. It's easy to get bogged down by problems, relationships that aren't great, and work that seems pointless or frustrating.
When Jesus called His disciples to a life of following Him, He made something very clear. His primary message was "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near"; He was calling them to rethink everything they thought they knew, and in His first recorded sermon, He said, "Blessed (Happy) are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
You are likely familiar with this kind of joy. When special moments happen, when what you've been waiting for comes to fruition, when the delightful surprises of life come along. You don't need someone to say, "Be filled with joy!" It just happens. We enjoy happy moments and things that make us glad because as human beings, it's what our hearts are made for.
But in day-to-day life of routine, work, activities, and relationships, joy is often lost; or it's there, but more as an afterthought. It's easy to forget why we're doing what we're doing. It's easy to forget life is supposed to be happy and good. It's easy to get bogged down by problems, relationships that aren't great, and work that seems pointless or frustrating.
When Jesus called His disciples to a life of following Him, He made something very clear. His primary message was "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near"; He was calling them to rethink everything they thought they knew, and in His first recorded sermon, He said, "Blessed (Happy) are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." In other words, The Kingdom of heaven is meant to be a realm of joy: even if you're down and out; even if things aren't going your way; even if you don't have it all. It's not about circumstances or status or material wealth; It's about knowing the heart of God, finding comfort in Him, living as His dearly loved children, and being satisfied.
Jesus follows up His words about the benefits of God's Kingdom by talking about (for lack of a better word) the laws of the Kingdom. I hesitate to use that word because laws typically involve restrictions, and Jesus' words could be seen that way. He takes basic no-no's like murder and adultery, and makes them even stricter by including anger and lust. He says it's not enough to love your neighbor but to also bless and do good to your enemies. At first glance it seems Jesus is making it impossible to enter this Kingdom. "Be perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect." Seriously? Is He joking? No one can be like God!
But Jesus was talking about a new way of life where they didn't have to do anything on their own. They weren't left to their own goodness and willpower to obey these principles. He was inviting them into a life of freedom and joy. Freedom from anger, poor thinking, and striving to gain the edge over their fellow man. They could leave all that behind and simply pursue a holy God who wanted to transform them from being selfish, miserable people trying to claw their way through life, into loving people fueled by joy.
In John 15:11, Jesus speaks these words: "I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete." What had He told them? "Remain in me; Abide; Dwell in My love. Ask for fruitful hearts--a loving, joy-filled, peaceful heart that My Father can give you."
This joy Jesus speaks of is more than an emotion or happy feeling. It's what we were made for. It's what our hearts thrive on. It makes us complete. We may think we need to strive, get ahead, and look out for ourselves; but we don't. We need a savior. We need to be rescued. We need to be loved. And in Jesus we find all three.
He is our righteousness. He makes us like Him. He fills our hearts with His love, His peace, His joy, His goodness... All we have to do is ask.
Scripture taken from Matthew 2:10 (KJV); Luke 15:32; Matt. 3:2, 5:3; 5:48
Jesus follows up His words about the benefits of God's Kingdom by talking about (for lack of a better word) the laws of the Kingdom. I hesitate to use that word because laws typically involve restrictions, and Jesus' words could be seen that way. He takes basic no-no's like murder and adultery, and makes them even stricter by including anger and lust. He says it's not enough to love your neighbor but to also bless and do good to your enemies. At first glance it seems Jesus is making it impossible to enter this Kingdom. "Be perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect." Seriously? Is He joking? No one can be like God!
But Jesus was talking about a new way of life where they didn't have to do anything on their own. They weren't left to their own goodness and willpower to obey these principles. He was inviting them into a life of freedom and joy. Freedom from anger, poor thinking, and striving to gain the edge over their fellow man. They could leave all that behind and simply pursue a holy God who wanted to transform them from being selfish, miserable people trying to claw their way through life, into loving people fueled by joy.In John 15:11, Jesus speaks these words: "I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete." What had He told them? "Remain in me; Abide; Dwell in My love. Ask for fruitful hearts--a loving, joy-filled, peaceful heart that My Father can give you."
He is our righteousness. He makes us like Him. He fills our hearts with His love, His peace, His joy, His goodness... All we have to do is ask.
"If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples." John 15:7-8
Scripture taken from Matthew 2:10 (KJV); Luke 15:32; Matt. 3:2, 5:3; 5:48
