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.)
Jesus speaks His joy to us. We read of this truth in John 17:13: “These things I speak in the world, that they might have My joy fulfilled in themselves.” One of the “things” that Jesus insisted would bring joy was (and is) a growing understanding of and appreciation for the Trinity, a subject we considered in some detail on Saturday. Chapters 13-17 of John are replete with overtly Trinitarian doctrine. Another of “these things” prominent in this passage is the certainty of heaven. John 14:1-6 is a classic exposition of this subject, worthy of multiple sermons. For our more limited purposes today, let us remember that Jesus had spent eternity past in heaven. It is His home; it is His place. He knows everything about it and, moreover, is preparing it for His people. Heaven is Jesus’ Kingdom of joy. Just when we think that Jesus can not possibly add anything to our joy about the reality of heaven, He says, “I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.” The eagerness of Jesus to have us with Him forever reveals what true joy is; His buoyant zealousness is for our benefit. Our Savior is infinite, possesses infinite joy, and desires to include us in His never-ending joy. He will not merely welcome us into His home; He will make it our home – and make our joy complete.