Christ Promises Us His Full Joy
Paul Thompson
But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. John 17:13 ESV
Christ is the Christians chief joy - Matthew Henry
In today's text Christ's promises His disciples and in turn us His joy. But do I know His constant joy in my life, especially in times of great loss and personal suffering? What is Christ's joy and how can I daily know it in my life? Today we want to uncover a little of what scripture teaches about Christs promise of His full joy for us his disciples. May the Holy Spirit teach us and produce the fruit of His joy in our lives so our God may be glorified in and through us and drawn others to Christ.
Joy is one of the fruits of the Spirit and is proof of new birth and conversion. Only the Christian knows true joy in sadness, loss and suffering. Joy doesn't come naturally, it is counter-initiative and supernaturally generated by God the Spirit. God is joyful therefore rejoices in all his attributes. This is neither egotistical or proud because he is also Holy and without sin. He is the happy and blessed holy triune God, full of infinte joy. In Adam we are full of self pride but as image bearers of a joyful God we were created to reflect His joy. Just as God says be holy for I am holy so He commands us to be joyful because He is joyful. When we are joyful we reflect His glory to others and so make Him joyful. (Parents are joyful when their children obey them willingly.) Heaven will be a place of unspeakable joy because Christ's person and work of salvation on earth brought great joy to His heavenly God. Therefore God''s joy over Christs salvation for His people will flow to us and from us in heaven; this will be joyous worship! Our lives are to be spent in presenting our bodies as an act of spiritual worship (Rom 12:1-2) This involves a daily growing in being joyful in our crosses because we have the sure hope of seeing and worshiping Christ our sacrifical lamb in heaven. (Rev 19:11-17) Then eternal praises will sound from our glorified bodies with joy unspeakable and fill of glory. ( 1 Pet 1:8) Then Christ's joy will be perfectly fulfilled in us.
Study & discussion
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Read the passage together; John 17:1-13.
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What is the immediate and wider context of the passage Ch 14-17? What is Christ teaching His disciples and why? How does the disciples circumstances so often mirror ours. What did they and we need from Christ in times of loss?
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Some key Bible texts on God's joy and ours
Gen 1; 4, 10, 12, 17, 21, 25, 31, 1 Sam 2:1, Neh 8:10, Ps 16:8-9, 43:4, 126:5, Isaiah 61:3, Luke 2:10, 15:10, 24:52-53, 1 Tim 1;11 Rev 1:3, 22:14
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Parallel passages that throw light on our text: John 17:3
But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world - John 7:33, 13:3 15:11,17:11, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves. John 3:29, 15:11, 16:22-24, 16:33; Act 13:52; Rom 14:17; Gal 5:22; James 1:2, 1 Jn 1:4; 2 Jn 1:12
Some important questions to ask of the text
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Why does Jesus pray that He is coming to God? cf. Jo 17:18
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What are the things Jesus speaks in the world? cf. Jo 17:1-12,
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Why does Jesus speak in the world? cf. Jo 14:10
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How does Jesus coming and speaking give Him joy?
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How does Jesus coming and speaking give us joy?
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What is the joy Jesus promises all His disciples? cf. Phil 2:2, 3:1, 4:4, 1 Pet 1:8
Why Christ's joy can be full ( literally to make full, to fill up, i.e. to fill to the full, to cause to abound, to furnish or supply liberally) in our hearts and lives.
The spiritual fruit of inner joy is only possible because Christ is our pattern in life, suffering, death and resurrection. Through these He won the victory over sin and death for His Father and His elect children. This is joyful news to be known in union between Christ and His disciples; (Romans 6; 2-5) His joy (the fruit of the Spirit poured out on his people (Ezekiel 39:29; Joel 2:28-29) became ours by divine promise. The good news is though Christs sufferings his joy can now become ours. He promises that His joy will full our hearts thus extinquishing our sorrows and mixing our suffering with His joy ! The way to experience His joy is the way He experienced full joy; by looking through the cross to the joy it would produce. Our salvation! What joy for Him after the pain of His Fathers forsaking and wrath. What joy in knowing He did this for me! Our lives glorify God as we suffer for and in Christ. And this sanctifies us for an eternal joy that awaits us in His eternal presence.
How Christ's joy can be full in our hearts and lives.
Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2
As his disciples Jesus calls us to take up our cross daily. As He died to Himself so must we. As Christ looked to the joy that was set before Him on the cross so we must look to the joy in our crosses. His joy becomes our joy. This joy floods our hearts when we believe Jesus came back to His father , (Completes His mission for our salvation) and He spoke (Explains his mission in words) in the world, then Jesus' joy will be fulfilled in ourselves. May the joy of seeing Christ suffering for us in the gospel daily ignite our hearts with His joy so that despite our circumstances we may always glorify God and so bring Him great joy?
Prayer of repentance
Dear Father God forgive me for often not being joyful in the crosses you send me. Instead I am often sad and angry. Cleanes me with your blood. Thank you for your Son Jesus Christ and that He saw the blessings of salvation beyond the crossand this filled Him with great joy. May He by His Holy Spirit grant us His joy as we look beyond our daily crosses to the blessings of eternal fellowship with You and Jesus in your eternal kingdom. Amen
Suggested Homework
Review this study noting areas were you need repentance. Ask the Holy Spirit to change your heart and give you Christ's spiritual joy in the crosses of daily life as you be His disciple.
"Jonathan Edwards’ devotional practices, shows how, for him, joy could be found, inspired, or given. Joy was a state engendered by an encounter with God, particularly since, for Edwards, all reality was sustained moment-bymoment through divine will. And since God, as Edwards perceived, was a communicating Being, believers could be recipients of “a divine and supernatural light” that brought joy, or, as Edwards alternatively described it in a very empirical and sensual way, “sweetness.” Those who partook of this divine sweetness were in turn participants in divine fullness.” Kenneth P. Minkema Jonathan Edwards on Joy Prepared for Yale Center for Faith & Culture consultation on “Religions of Joy?,” August 21, 2014