November28, 2015 THAT YOUR JOY MAY BE MADE FULL
John 15:11: “These things have I spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full made.”
If there is one thing the world is short of, it is joy. One may ask how can there be joy with all of the turmoil and strife that is present throughout the world. In addition to the turmoil and strife, there is sickness, disease, addictions, broken relationships, crime, moral decay, and the list goes on. There is no doubt that we live in difficult times; however, the people that Jesus was speaking to in this verse also faced difficulties of daily living and also suffered great persecution because of their faith. Jesus was, and is, well aware of the fact that life on earth has its difficulties, and He warned His followers of this in John 16:33. In spite of the trials they faced, Jesus told his followers, and he tells us, that our joy can be full no matter what we face in life. I would suspect that some in the crowd chuckled when they heard those words-thinking: “He does not know what I am facing.” When we hear the word joy, we think of being happy, experiencing pleasure, delight, jubilation, etc. Is the Christian life to be one of continual happiness, pleasure, and jubilation? If not, then how do we to experience joy in the midst of troubles? I certainly don’t presume to have all the answers to these valid questions, but I do know that Jesus meant what He said. I also know that how one defines joy is important. To begin with, we must understand that God is a God of joy and that God takes pleasure. In our first view of God in the book of Genesis, we see that when God created the world, He said: “it is good.” As you read the account of God creating the world, and man, you sense that He fully enjoyed what He was doing. No matter what we see taking place around us at the present, we know that at the heart of God there is joy. However, because man sinned, man was separated from God and joy was lost-so it seemed. Even before man sinned, God had a plan of restoration, but it would mean the sacrifice of His Son. In Hebrews 12:2 we learn of a key perspective that Jesus had concerning trials and joy: “fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Jesus had total trust in His Father and He knew that the plan of God for man’s restoration meant that He would have to endure the cross. However, Jesus could see beyond the cross-He could see Satan being bound; He could see God’s plan of redemption being completed; He could see His followers being restored to the Father; He could see Himself being seated at the Fathers right hand; and He could envision the marriage supper of the Lamb taking place. Yes, the cross was cruel; but because Jesus could see the joy that was set before Him, He could and would endure the cross. For us, if our joy is based on our present circumstances, then our joy will come and go with the circumstances. If our joy is based on what God has already done on our behalf, and on what His plans are concerning our full redemption, then joy will be our constant companion. Just as Jesus had to endure, why should we think that we would not have to endure-just by living on planet earth means that there will be things we must endure. There are some today who believe that anything “bad” is from the devil, and they imply that trials and difficulties come because we lack faith. This sounds good and it sounds “spiritual”, but this view is contrary to scripture. In James 1:2-3 we read: “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.” Yes, we are to live by faith, and without faith it is impossible to please God; but our faith must be grounded in scripture. It is indeed a miracle, a work of God, to be able to experience a sense of joy even in difficult situations-something that the world does not comprehend. God does not expect us to enjoy trials and difficulties, but He has made His joy available to us and the joy He gives is based on what He has done in the past and all that He has for us in the future. So, we can look back and find reason for joy, and we can look forward to the joy that is set before us, and by doing so, we will find the strength to endure with joy.
Romans 15:13: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”
Proverbs 17:22: “A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries the bones.”
Blessings,
Buddy
John 15:11: “These things have I spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full made.”
If there is one thing the world is short of, it is joy. One may ask how can there be joy with all of the turmoil and strife that is present throughout the world. In addition to the turmoil and strife, there is sickness, disease, addictions, broken relationships, crime, moral decay, and the list goes on. There is no doubt that we live in difficult times; however, the people that Jesus was speaking to in this verse also faced difficulties of daily living and also suffered great persecution because of their faith. Jesus was, and is, well aware of the fact that life on earth has its difficulties, and He warned His followers of this in John 16:33. In spite of the trials they faced, Jesus told his followers, and he tells us, that our joy can be full no matter what we face in life. I would suspect that some in the crowd chuckled when they heard those words-thinking: “He does not know what I am facing.” When we hear the word joy, we think of being happy, experiencing pleasure, delight, jubilation, etc. Is the Christian life to be one of continual happiness, pleasure, and jubilation? If not, then how do we to experience joy in the midst of troubles? I certainly don’t presume to have all the answers to these valid questions, but I do know that Jesus meant what He said. I also know that how one defines joy is important. To begin with, we must understand that God is a God of joy and that God takes pleasure. In our first view of God in the book of Genesis, we see that when God created the world, He said: “it is good.” As you read the account of God creating the world, and man, you sense that He fully enjoyed what He was doing. No matter what we see taking place around us at the present, we know that at the heart of God there is joy. However, because man sinned, man was separated from God and joy was lost-so it seemed. Even before man sinned, God had a plan of restoration, but it would mean the sacrifice of His Son. In Hebrews 12:2 we learn of a key perspective that Jesus had concerning trials and joy: “fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Jesus had total trust in His Father and He knew that the plan of God for man’s restoration meant that He would have to endure the cross. However, Jesus could see beyond the cross-He could see Satan being bound; He could see God’s plan of redemption being completed; He could see His followers being restored to the Father; He could see Himself being seated at the Fathers right hand; and He could envision the marriage supper of the Lamb taking place. Yes, the cross was cruel; but because Jesus could see the joy that was set before Him, He could and would endure the cross. For us, if our joy is based on our present circumstances, then our joy will come and go with the circumstances. If our joy is based on what God has already done on our behalf, and on what His plans are concerning our full redemption, then joy will be our constant companion. Just as Jesus had to endure, why should we think that we would not have to endure-just by living on planet earth means that there will be things we must endure. There are some today who believe that anything “bad” is from the devil, and they imply that trials and difficulties come because we lack faith. This sounds good and it sounds “spiritual”, but this view is contrary to scripture. In James 1:2-3 we read: “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.” Yes, we are to live by faith, and without faith it is impossible to please God; but our faith must be grounded in scripture. It is indeed a miracle, a work of God, to be able to experience a sense of joy even in difficult situations-something that the world does not comprehend. God does not expect us to enjoy trials and difficulties, but He has made His joy available to us and the joy He gives is based on what He has done in the past and all that He has for us in the future. So, we can look back and find reason for joy, and we can look forward to the joy that is set before us, and by doing so, we will find the strength to endure with joy.
Romans 15:13: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”
Proverbs 17:22: “A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries the bones.”
Blessings,
Buddy
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