The Joy of Jesus

It’s week 3 of Advent and it's all about Joy! Do you have the joy of the Lord?  Jesus speaks about joy to his disciples in a long discourse at the end of John right before he goes to the cross.  He tells the disciples that he wants to give them his joy.  The joy that he has in him.  He says that we can have this joy by abiding in him.  Now the question is, “What does it mean to abide in Jesus?”

Abiding in Jesus is first exactly how Jesus explains it.  He says obey his commandments.  When we do what he says to do we are abiding in Jesus.  In particular obeying what he says is loving one another.  Loving your brothers and sisters in Christ is the first part of this commandment following.  Want to have joy? Love your brothers and sisters.  

Another thing Jesus says what obeying his commands means is testifying to the truth of who he is.  The entire book of John is about bringing glory to the Father through the Son.  We should be doing what Jesus is doing.  He said he obeys the Father’s commands and we should obey His commands.  Jesus lived to testify who the Father is, so we should live to testify who the Son is. In doing so we reveal who the father is.  We are bringing glory to both the Father and the Son. 

Since we’re talking about the Father and the Son, we cannot leave out the Spirit.  This is a trinitarian thing!  The only way we can abide and obey is by the power of the Holy Spirit.  This is why both Jesus and the Father have sent him to us.  He is an aide, strength, and guide to carry out these commands in our lives.  It is through His power that we are able to do anything.

Secondly, abiding in him is living or dwelling in him.  That's what the word means in Greek.  It means remain.  It carries out the idea of residing or inhabiting.  I like to say we should marinate in Jesus.  Let’s soak up all the good juices of his nature and character.  Just like meat takes on the flavor of a good marinade, let us take on that good flavor of our Lord so that others can taste and see his goodness in our lives.  

But this is advent, so I got to bring it back to that.  Jesus says one more thing about joy (well he says a bunch of stuff about joy, but I want to point out this particular thing).  He says that we can have a joy that no one will take away.  Why is that?  How can no one steal our joy?  Jesus says because he will return to us.  In the case for the disciples it was him reminding them of his death (which they don’t recognize or remember which is probably the same for us in remembering he’s coming to redeem all of the world) and that even though he will be gone, he will return to them and this return will bring an unspeakable joy!  In the same way Jesus has appeared this first time to show us his love and the Father’s love through his life, death, and resurrection.  But an important aspect of all that is his return!  There will be a second advent.  This season of advent is about remembering Jesus’ birth.  He became a baby so that we might have life with him again.  What an amazing thing! But this season is also a reminder that he’s not finished.  What he started he will complete with his return! Just like the disciples were sad and broken in the state of the world without Jesus, we are too.  We are sad at the chaos and turmoil that sin, self, and Satan can and has brought about. But we must remind ourselves that Jesus will return. And with his return, our joy will never run out!  

I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. John 15:11

Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy. John 16:22

Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy,  1 Peter 1:8