John 15:9-11

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.

“…that your joy may be complete.”

In today’s Scripture Jesus invites his disciples to imitate his obedience to the Father, and encourages them that there is no higher joy than that gained through service to God.

What are the joys we experience as people who live out the love of God?
John 15 lists several. We remain clean (v.3) in keeping with our salvation. We glorify our Father in heaven by producing faithful acts of service (v.5). Our prayers are answered (v.7) because the desires of our heart are transformed into the desires he gives us. We remain in Christ’s love (v.10) and continue to mature in the unconditional love of the Father. And we are elevated from being treated as slaves to being called friends of God (v.14).

What was Jesus’s joy? His joy was to keep the commands of his Father and rejoice in the abiding closeness of his Father’s love. If we want to share in this joy then we will follow Jesus’ example of obedience and keep his command to love one another. When we do so, then Christ’s joy is in us and made complete. It is not that easy to love one another. We can only do it with his help – but he has provided us all the help we need.

Sharing in the joy of Christ does not shield us from earthly sorrows and suffering – even the good vines are pruned – but in our long walk with God we will grow into a heavenly joy that endures.

Prayer

Father, help us today to follow your example of walking in love and nearness to you. Give us a heart of service so that our joy may be made complete in you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.