Joy Is In Jesus

“I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!”

John 15:11


Have you ever thought about what brings Jesus joy regarding your own life? Jesus ties our joy in Him to our obedience to His Word. Before you get discouraged thinking about your own obedience to Jesus keep reading. Jesus had just told His disciples that the Father is the Vinedresser and that Jesus is the Vine and that Jesus followers are the “branches” that are connected to the vine. When Jesus uses the word obedience here in John 15 He is not talking about us keeping a set of rules as Jesus already knows you and I are not very good at keeping rules. As a matter of fact Jesus knows we are all so bad at keeping rules that is why He came from heaven to earth to begin with. We needed someone to save us because we had broken God’s rules. Obeying Jesus is about trusting Jesus.

So, when Jesus tells us in John 15 that if we love Him we will obey Him He is speaking of our being connected to Him like a branch is a vine. Jesus is saying in essence, “if you love Me you will stay connected to Me because you will believe Me and trust Me that I love you and care for you.” Jesus horticulture example here is to show us where our nourishment comes from. Life is in the vine and Jesus point is there is no life apart from being connected to Him. That sounds a lot different than “if you love Me you will keep all My rules”. Don’t forget Jesus is all about a relationships not religion. God’s love and care for us is personal. God is for you not against you. The instructions God gives us in His Word are never to harm us but to help us, to cause His joy to both fill us and to overflow our lives. God is so good and so satisfying there is more than enough of Him to meet our personal needs as well as to share with others too. Jesus is reminding us in John 15 that everything God does is fruitful and life giving because in His presence is the fullness of joy.

Every time you turn to Jesus for anything you are adding to His joy. Be it for forgiveness or for help or healing, His satisfaction is in you and I believing in Him, acting upon His words and trusting in Him for the results, to do what He in advance has promised He would do. God takes great pleasure in forgiving our sins and cleansing us from all unrighteousness. It’s never frustrating or irritating when we turn to God. It’s actually the very opposite. It’s fulfilling the very purpose God sent His Only Son into this world. Don’t take my word for it, take God’s Word in Hebrews 12:2 (NLT), “We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.” What was the joy awaiting Jesus you might be thinking? The joy of knowing we have been forgiven, redeemed and restored back to God by His sacrifice on Calvary’s Cross. Thats what brings Jesus joy!

Are you aware that every time you and I turn to Jesus the Bible says there is a joy filled celebration in heaven? There is nothing Jesus enjoys more than in knowing we are forgiven. Forgiveness is the big business of heaven because as C.S. Lewis writes, “joy is the business of heaven” and Jesus joy is always connected to us. Do you want or need more joy in your life? If so, ask Jesus since He Himself is the one who said in John 16:24, “You haven’t done this before. Ask, using my name, and you will receive, and you will have abundant joy.”

 

“Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice!”

Philippians 4:4


I LOVE YOU!