Seeing Jesus' Joy (Part 3)

"But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (II Peter 3:18). Believers are instructed to grow in their knowledge of Jesus; as they do so, they will also grow in His graces (visible reflections of divine influence). One of those Spirit-produced qualities is joy.

At first consideration it seems difficult to distinguish Jesus' example of joy. This is true in part because joy is primarily internal, whereas other qualities are primarily displayed externally; the gospels are narratives that record Jesus' actions and words, but not so much His character in and of itself. Also, the Bible does not describe Jesus (to my knowledge) in situations where He is showing exuberance, gushing with excitement, or otherwise displaying light-hearted celebration.

The problem lies in those definitions of joy. To be sure, joy sometimes looks like exuberance, excitement, and celebration. At other times, however, joy consists of a peaceful and pleasant demeanor that remains unruffled by the circumstances of life; it continues faithfully forward without a spirit of complaining, bitterness, or disgust. Jesus unquestionably fits this description.

It is without debate that Jesus possessed joy. As He spoke to His disciples, He said, "These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full" (John 15:11). When He prayed to the Father, He petitioned, "But now I come to You; and these things I speak in the world so that they may have My joy made full in themselves" (John 17:13).

Jesus' joy was based in His understanding of His life and mission. Psalm 40:8, which is most likely prophetic of Jesus, proclaims, "I delight to do Your will, O my God; Your Law is within my heart." This statement wonderfully expresses Jesus' entire mode of existence. The gospels are filled with His statements that He was on earth to do the Father's will. He was fully committed to the Father's plan and completely at peace with carrying out the Father's bidding and speaking the Father's words. Jesus delighted in His mission, and this was the basis of His joy.

Jesus' joy is expressed in the account of John the Baptist's death. "Now when Jesus heard about John, He withdrew from there in a boat to a secluded place by Himself; and when the people heard of this, they followed Him on foot from the cities. When He went ashore, He saw a large crowd, and felt compassion for them and healed their sick" (Matthew 14:13-14). Jesus was in personal pain due to the death of His cousin, but even in that circumstance, He was able to lay aside His own sorrow and minister willingly to others. There was a quality in Him that rose above circumstances and fulfilled its mission.

Jesus was able to have joy because of His long-term perspective. "Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God" (Hebrews 12:2). Suffering was not easy or pleasant for Jesus any more than it is for anyone else, but He looked beyond the pain. He looked for the joyous end of the story and the wonderful conclusion that would result.

Because Jesus knew what was coming, He was able to maintain joy through the necessary intervening events. In the same way, Christians are challenged, "Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing" (James 1:2-4). Looking toward the end result makes all the difference in responding to the necessary but unpleasant process of the present.

Jesus Himself provided perspective on one source that brings Him joy. "I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance" (Luke 15:7). Jesus rejoices when someone accepts the Father's gift of salvation. This rejoicing is completely in keeping with the preceding discussion; Jesus had joy because He delighted in the Father's will and because He looked toward the end result. Both of those considerations really boil down to the salvation of souls.

God's plan for believers is not identical to His plan for Jesus, but the principles are the same. If a believer delights in doing God's will for him, even though it is challenging, he will have joy. If a believer looks toward the end result of what God is doing (even if he does not fully comprehend it) instead of focusing on the present circumstances, he will have joy. If a believer values the salvation of the lost and attempts to involve himself in the process, he will have joy. The joy that Jesus had can be passed to His followers, and Jesus desired and prayed for that very thing.

"Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!" (Philippians 4:4)