“I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete” (John 15:11).

“…so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.”

Did you know that our joy is intimately related to Christ’s joy? As we have seen this week, joy isn’t an emotion we feel, it is a decision we make based on a changed reality. The reason why Christ gives us his word is that his joy may be in us.

John tells us “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1).

The Word of God and the Son of God are one and the same.

There is no way we can come to know the Son of God apart from the Word of God. As you read the full fifteenth chapter of John, you can see that the context of verse 11 refers to the relationship of God’s Word and the fruitful disciple.

Jesus tells us, “I have said these things to you so that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete” (John 15:11).

The way we live in joy, experience joy is to have Christ living in us. That Christ lives in us is not that the idea of Christ is in us, or that a feeling of Christ is in us. Christ living in us means that the Word of God is in us. Christ lives in us as his word lives in us. And when Christ lives in us through his word, Christ’s joy is in us. And when Christ’s joy is in us, our joy is made complete.

That you are reading this is a good thing. This and other ways of regularly spending time with God’s word is how we spend time with God.

May Christ’s joy be in you so that your joy may be complete!

“My brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it nothing but joy” (James 1:2)

Trials…joy.

Hmmm.

Consider trials nothing but joy?

Hmmm.

Either the writer has a different understanding of trials or a different understanding of joy than the typical American.

Joy doesn’t mean only a happy feeling. It certainly can include feeling happy but it means so much more. Joy has to do with a change in reality and understanding. The key word in our verse is “consider.” The Greek word is hegeomai. The word literally means “to lead the way,” “to think,” “to consider.” What this verb means is to lead the way by thinking this way; or, in other words, consider.

“My brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of any kind, lead the way by thinking and considering trials as nothing but joy.”

• Even though trials don’t feel good, even though you don’t feel like it, even though it hurts, even though it is difficult…lead the way by thinking and considering trials as nothing but joy.
• This isn’t about what one feels. This is about a deliberate act and a decision. It’s about choosing to see trials as joy.

James tells us in the verses that follow the reason why we are to consider trials as nothing but joy. “My brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of any kind, lead the way by thinking and considering trials as nothing but joy, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance; and let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing” (James 1:2-4).

Consider trials as nothing but joy because of the fruit suffering and overcoming trials produces: maturity, being complete, lacking in nothing.

This is not joy because there is no suffering and trials. This is a joy in spite of the suffering and trials because of what God is doing in us through them.

God is not asking us to enjoy or feel good when enduring trials. God is asking us to choose to be joyful because we know that God is at work in us to mature and perfect us so that we are lacking in nothing. That is good work. That’s worth rejoicing about!

“But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for see – I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord” (Luke 2:10-11).

Saw a bumper sticker that said, “2020…you suck!”

Americans are down. Americans are unhappy. In fact, a recent General Social Survey shows that just 14 percent of American adults say they are happy, down from 31 percent who said the same two years ago. That year, 23 percent said they had often or sometimes felt isolated in recent weeks. Now 50 percent say that.

In total, fewer Americans are likely to call themselves happy than at any point since the survey begun in 1972.

According to a new report by the American Psychological Association, more than 70 percent of Americans say this is the lowest point in US history.

Just typing this makes me depressed!

We need joy!

The biggest realization about joy is that joy is very different than happiness. Happiness often times accompanies joy, but joy is so much deeper and resilient than happiness.

• Happiness is something that we experience as a result of good things happening to us
• Happiness depends on happenstance. When good things happen, we are happy. When bad stuff happens, we are unhappy
• Our happiness is at the mercy of the world around us

Joy is not like that at all. Joy is content, reality, and truth driven.

• Joy has to do with a changed reality
• The text from Luke is in the announcement of Jesus’ birth to the shepherds. The angel tells them that he is “bringing good news of great joy for all the people” (v10)
• And then in the next verse, the angel reveals the content and the truth of the source of great joy: “to you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord” (v.11)

Jesus is the content, the reality, the truth that changes our reality. Jesus is the reason for joy. Joy is content driven. Joy is Jesus driven.

The birth of Jesus changes everything. Death, suffering, Covid-19, race riots, an economy on the brink of a depression, etc., none of these things changes the reality that God is with us. In Jesus, we come to the realization that we were created for eternity, that we were created for so much more than what this world can offer.

Because of Jesus, this world is the only hell we will ever experience. But without Jesus, this is the only heaven people will know.

Jesus changes everything.

Jesus is the source of our joy.

Repent and believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, the Savior of the world.