Join in the Joy
Through the years, I have frequently preached about joy. It is more than an emotion (although it includes emotion); rather, it is a settled attitude, a stable and sturdy approach to life that focuses us on the things that matter now and forever. Joy is much greater and much more powerful than happiness, which is event or circumstance driven. There is nothing wrong with happiness. It is certainly better than unhappiness. Also, we have different personalities. For example, my wife is happy-go-lucky. Of course, she has every reason to be, being married to me. However, not everyone can be married to me. We need something more substantial than happiness; that something is joy. (I will be using this opening paragraph for each of the brief messages in this series. The following material will change daily.)
John 17:13 records the words of Jesus shortly before He was betrayed and illegally arrested and tried: “These things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.” We have seen that “these things” that would bring His disciples joy include Trinitarian doctrine and the certainty of heaven. Today, we will see that the comfort and power of prayer are included in “these things.” Chapter 17 has often and rightly been called the high-priestly prayer of Jesus, for He interceded for all believers (verse 20). Certainly, this prayer is a great model for us, worthy of detailed study and emulation. However, as with everything about Jesus, this petition is more than an example. At its very essence, prayer is communication; in John 17, God the Son is communicating with God the Father. The connection between prayer and joy is obvious, for it is right in the middle of Jesus’ prayer that He asks that His joy would be fulfilled in us. Let us then remember that as we pray we are entering into the will of God, and let us rejoice that it is His joyous will.