Expect Complete Joy
Living Expectantly for Christ's Return • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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16 Jesus went on to say, “In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me.” 17 At this, some of his disciples said to one another, “What does he mean by saying, ‘In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me,’ and ‘Because I am going to the Father’?” 18 They kept asking, “What does he mean by ‘a little while’? We don’t understand what he is saying.” 19 Jesus saw that they wanted to ask him about this, so he said to them, “Are you asking one another what I meant when I said, ‘In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me’? 20 Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. 21 A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. 22 So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy. 23 In that day you will no longer ask me anything. Very truly I tell you, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. 24 Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.
Having just celebrated the wonderful birth of our Saviour Jesus Christ, let’s remember together what it was that the angel announced to those shepherds who were keeping watch over their flocks by night.
9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.
10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.
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If you’re like me, when I look around me, particularly when I think about how people live their lives and all the different things that people pursue with their attention and their resources, I think the one thing that most everyone wants to experience is JOY. And joy not just in the sense of pleasure or happiness, but in the much deeper sense of satisfaction, contentment, gratitude, and delight.
And the angel says that the good news that Jesus’ birth inaugurates into our world is something that will cause GREAT JOY.
This morning I want to reflect on what the Bible says about JOY.
And one of the first things it says to us is this, EXPECT JOY. If you are someone who’s life has been saved, or healed, or transformed by Jesus Christ, expect JOY.
Let’s look at some verses in the Bible that speak about or promise JOY:
11 But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you.
2 Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.”
11 You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.
1 Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy.
12 You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.
10 Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”
13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
52 And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.
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I think most people are looking for JOY.
Chat GPT
In the Bible, joy is a deep, abiding sense of gladness and contentment that stems from a relationship with God, rather than from external circumstances. It is often associated with trust in God's sovereignty, the presence of the Holy Spirit, and the hope found in His promises. Biblical joy is seen as a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22), rooted in gratitude for God's love, grace, and salvation. Unlike fleeting happiness, joy in the Bible persists even in trials and suffering, as believers find strength and purpose in God's faithfulness and eternal plan.
The great 20th century missiologist, Lesslie Newbigin wrote that the Christian life is a Journey into Joy....in fact he write a book with that very title.
“God does indeed give us endless joys, but not for hoarding. The point is that our appetite for joy is infinite, but no earthly joy can ever fully satisfy that appetite. Our desires always reach out beyond what we have…The truth is that the good things God has given us to enjoy are an appetizer, not the meal itself. They are intended to refresh us, but also to whet our appetites for the real thing, for the real and lasting joy, which is God himself.” (Lesslie Newbigin)
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Dietrich Bonhoeffer says something similar in his book the Cost of Discipleship. Of course, the life of a Christian is a life of discipleship… a life of following Jesus, being his apprentice and being formed by him. Bonhoeffer writes:
“If we answer the call to discipleship, where will it lead us? What decisions and partings will it demand? To answer this question we shall have to go to Him, for only He knows the answer. Only Jesus Christ who bids us follow Him, knows the journey's end. But we do know that it will be a road of boundless mercy. Discipleship means joy.” (Dietrich Bonhoeffer)
Source: Dietrich Bonhoeffer in The Cost of Discipleship. Christianity Today, Vol. 31, no. 5.
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In our text for this morning Jesus promises his disciples JOY. He doesn’t only promise it in our text but also earlier in this extended time of teaching with his disciples that only John records, a section that is often called Jesus’ Farewell Discourse. Jesus is about to be handed over to the authorities to be crucified. He is with his disciples in the Upper Room teaching them and preparing them for what is about to happen and for life with Him when he is no longer physically present. One of the things Jesus says in chapter 15 is that his disciple must always remain in Him....or abide in Him....He is the VINE they are the branches, so they must always connect their lives to HIM....
9 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.
…or your joy may be FULL…or so that you might have the fullness of joy.
Jesus uses the same expression in chapter 16:24. “Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete, or the fullness of joy will be yours.
What might this fullness of joy be like?
And now come again to our text....Jesus is preparing for what is about to happen.
Many have noticed an almost awkward repetition of the phrase, “in a little while” “after a little while”
As we have been learning throughout this series, very likely Jesus is speaking here with two horizons in mind at the same time. Part of the reason I say that is because in the Farewell Discourse as a section he often refers to the time after his ascension.
immediate future..... grief at his death, world rejoices that he’s been executed.... but then you will see me!
and extended future....between his ascension and his return
So Jesus is clearly speaking to his first disciples and to us.... we are in this Little while time....
And what does he tell us about the JOY we can expect.
[Lean on this commentary…]
Exalting Jesus in John
Matt Carter and Josh Wredberg
Connection between grief and joy AND a SECURE joy, no one can take it away
22 So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.
talk about childbirth illustration pain to joy, joy through pain…
Exalting Jesus in John (This Joy Is Resistant to Every Attack (John 16:22))
The joy Jesus gives his disciples can never be taken away from them (v. 22). “No one” will take it. What else carries the same guarantee? Thieves can take possessions away. Disease can take health away. Death can take family away. What about joy? Doesn’t it seem people have the power to take joy away? Unkind words, dishonesty, gossip, slander, cruelty, and bullying all seem designed to steal a person’s joy, but Jesus guarantees that the disciples’ joy cannot be stolen.
Because their joy comes from seeing him again and knowing he’s conquered death, no amount of torture or persecution can ever change that. If the disciples’ joy is in something else—if they try to find their joy in sex, money, work, or hobbies—then certainly their joy could be taken from them, but since their joy is found in Jesus, his victory over sin and death and the promise of his ongoing relationship with them, then every attack against it will be futile. The devil longs to steal our joy, and it’s not usually too hard. Placing our joy in things like relationships, work, events, security, and health is like putting your life savings in a piggy bank, leaving it in a high-crime district at night with a hammer, and adding a note asking people to leave it alone because it’s really valuable. You’re a fool if you think it will be safe. But if our joy is in Jesus, we trade the piggy bank for Fort Knox, and the devil gets a plastic spoon instead of a hammer. You’re a fool if you think he can touch it.
If the disciples’ joy comes from a reunion with Jesus, their position in him, and his promises to them, then what weapons could the devil possibly level against their joy? The most powerful weapons are useless. I suppose he could attempt to steal their joy by having them betrayed by a close friend. Or maybe he could try relentless persecution by those who claim to follow God. But the disciples know these assaults will be ineffective. They’re going to be ineffective because Jesus already took those attacks and not just defeated them but used them to usher in this joy. Jesus didn’t only conquer betrayal and persecution; he turned them into the agents that brought about the disciples’ joy. And of course, the ultimate fear, the ultimate weapon, the ultimate joy stealer is death, but Jesus disarmed death. Jesus conquered every enemy! If we find our joy in him, we have nothing to fear. Our joy is impervious to all attacks leveled against it. Jesus’s resurrection guarantees he can never die again, and those who follow him will never experience separation from him in death. We may leave our physical bodies, but Jesus will never leave us (cf. 11:25–26).
Include William Temple quote
“It is not only that joy will take the place of sorrow, but the sorrow itself becomes the joy. The Cross is not for Christians a stumbling block which the Resurrection has removed; it is not a defeat of which the effect has been cancelled by a subsequent victory. It is itself the triumph. What was the devil’s worst has become God’s best.” (William Temple) (cf. Bruner, John, 944)
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2. Complete joy comes as we pray....in Jesus name....aligning ourselves with His Mission.
Exalting Jesus in John (This Joy Is Refreshed through Answered Prayer (John 16:23–24))
After the resurrection the first disciples can no longer physically turn to Jesus and ask him to meet a need. Instead, they have the privilege of going directly to the Father and asking him to do whatever they need, and he promises to answer. This promise of answered prayer raises a few questions.
Does This Promise Mean God Has to Give Me Whatever I Want?
The short answer is no. Jesus gives one constraining guideline for this command. In both verse 23 and verse 24 he says we must ask in his name. This immediately rules out the prosperity gospel, name-it-claim-it, best-life-now heresy dominating Christian television. I wonder if we aren’t guilty of a related misuse of prayer. Do a mental exercise with me. Think about your recent prayers. Now take out an imaginary sheet of paper and divide it into two columns. Above the column on the left write the word “Comfort,” and above the column on the right put the word “Mission.” Place your requests in one of the two columns. Here’s the criterion: If God answers this request, will it contribute more toward my comfort or my mission? Jesus promises the Father will answer every request made in his name. “In Jesus’s name” is not a mantra or a tagline. It means we’re doing something Jesus commanded to be done! If you define comfort in the way it’s commonly defined in our society, Jesus doesn’t care if you’re comfortable. Think about what he tells his disciples. He tells them they’re going to be cast out and killed for his sake. The promise of answered prayer is given on the heels of that reality. They aren’t to pray for earthly comforts. They’re to pray for the kingdom of heaven to advance in this world: “Our Father in heaven, your name be honored as holy. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matt 6:9–11). Jesus taught us to pray for the advancement of his kingdom, not the establishment of our own.
How Does Prayer Make Our Joy Overflow?
Prayer often feels like a duty not a delight, but prayer is how we commune with Jesus, and communion with Jesus is where we’ll find joy. The disciples’ sorrow turns to joy when they’re reunited with Jesus, when they’re in his presence again. After his ascension into heaven, prayer is the way to be in his presence. To remain in Jesus happens when his words remain in us and we respond in prayer to him (John 15:7).
The bottom line is this: we need to pray. We must. Not out of duty but out of necessity. Not as a dead requirement but as a desperate plea. We need more of Jesus. We want more joy. Joy comes as we ask Jesus to help us fulfill the mission he gave us. Prayer gives us the power to do what we’re called to do. We’re called to live holy lives, to be generous, bold, thankful, repentant, and selfless. This only happens as we beg God to work in us. A lack of prayer brings a lack of power, which in turn brings a lack of joy.
Imagine you finally invented the affordable, practical flying car, but you needed just the right wind conditions. You found the perfect spot, gathered your new invention, and headed there. You lined your machine up to fly, but you had to wait for the wind to pick up. Now where you are waiting you can’t feel the wind, so you need help. Your friend has joined you just for this. He climbs the nearest hill with phone in hand and waits. You wait in the makeshift cockpit, checking in with him, hoping for the go-ahead. At that moment, is checking in with him a nuisance? Is it drudgery? Or do you wait breathlessly? Asking him over and over, “Is it time?”
When you stand on the precipice, attempting something great, that conversation is not a chore. It’s a pleasure. It’s filled with breathless anticipation. When we launch out on mission, pleading with God to do something great, prayer is not drudgery. It’s breathless anticipation. It’s asking God, “Is it time yet? Have you sent the wind? Will we fly now?” Life on mission makes prayer as natural as breathing, as ordinary as our hearts beating.
The kingdom of God, Jesus says, is like a man who discovers a treasure buried in a field, and when he discovers it, he sells all he has and goes with joy.
Sittser story....an emeritus prof. of theology from Whitworth University in Spokane, WA
In the fall of 1991, a car driven by a drunk driver jumped its lane and smashed headfirst into a minivan driven by Jerry Sittser. Sittser and three of his children survived, but Sittser's wife, four-year-old child, and mother died in the crash. Over the years Sittser has offered some profound reflections about loss, grief, and suffering. In his book A Grace Revealed: How God Redeems the Story of Your Life, Sittser shares the following story about how his son David responded to the tragic accident.
My son David is—and always has been—quiet and reflective. After the accident, he was the least likely to talk about it; but when he chose to, he usually had something significant to say or ask. I had to be ready to respond to him when he sent cues indicating he was ready to talk. Our best conversations happened in the car. One particular conversation has stayed fresh in my memory. David was eight at the time; we were driving to a soccer match some distance from our home. Typical for these occasions, David was quiet. The car was full of silence—not a heavy silence, but a liquid silence, as if some question was brewing inside him.
"Do you think Mom sees us right now?" he suddenly asked.
I paused to ponder. "I don't know, David. I think maybe she does see us. Why do you ask?"
"I don't see how she could, Dad. I thought Heaven was full of happiness. How could she bear to see us so sad?"
Could Lynda witness our pain in Heaven? How could that be possible? How could she bear it?
"I think she does see us," I finally said. "But she sees the whole story, including how it all turns out, which is beautiful to her. It's going to be a good story, David."
Sittser added:
I would not hazard to estimate the number of times I have been asked, "How does Christianity address the problem of suffering?" … The Christian answer to suffering [is] Christ's suffering [and] Christ's resurrection …. God knows pain within himself; God knows joy within himself. He knows the whole story as one, including how it all turns out, which is glorious indeed.
Jesus says, he gives us HIS Joy....
11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.
Not only in ch. 15 does Jesus say that he will give us his joy and that our joy will be complete, not only in our passages does Jesus invite us to ask in his name, that we might receive the fullness of joy, but also in ch. 17, in Jesus’ high priestly prayer, listen to what Jesus prays:
13 “I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them.
As one year closes, and a new year begins.....let all of us commit to praying that the JOY of the Lord would be our strength,.....let us ensure that more and more our praying aligns with the MISSION of Jesus.... in His Name.....
