Joy Was A Top Priority With Jesus Series

Jesus was a man of frequent prayer. We see this clearly in the text below-

And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.

Mark 6:46 And when he had sent them away, he departed into a mountain to pray.

Luke 5:16 And he withdrew himself into the wilderness and prayed.

Luke 6:12 And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.

Luke 9:18 And it came to pass, as he was alone praying, his disciples were with him: and he asked them, saying, Who say the people that I am?

Luke 22:41 And he was withdrawn from them about a stone’s cast, and kneeled down, and prayed,

Luke 3:21 Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened,

John 11:41 Then they took away the stone [from the place] where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up [his] eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me.

But in His longest prayer ever recorded in John 17 we come upon verse 13 where we see that joy was one of His top priorities as He was about to leave this world and return to His Father.

John 17:13 “But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves.”

AMP

But now I am coming to You; and I say these things [while I am still] in the world so that they may experience My joy made full and complete and perfect within them [filling their hearts with My delight].

AMPC

And now I am coming to You; I say these things while I am still in the world, so that My joy may be made full and complete and perfect in them [that they may experience My delight fulfilled in them, that My enjoyment may be perfected in their own souls, that they may have My gladness within them, filling their hearts.

Take note of Jesus saying it is my joy that He wants to be made full and complete in His disciples. Jesus is saying that his life is one of great joy. We often quote that He was a man of sorrow and acquainted with grief, and this is true, but that does not diminish the fact that He was the most joyful man who ever lived. He experienced all the unhappiness of life, but His joy gave Him the strength to rise above it all and enjoy life to the full. Why would He pray for others to have His joy if it was not full and perfect joy. He is praying that His perfect joy be the best gift He can pass on to others. There is no greater joy than the joy of Jesus for it operated within regardless of the negative circumstances of life. That is why He made it a priority to pray for it to be made perfect in His disciples. We all need to pray with Him for joy and make it a priority. We can rejoice in the Lord always because He is ever rejoicing with us. And never was He more joyous than now for He was returning to His Father in heaven. He was going home.

Jesus is praying for His joy to be imparted to those He was leaving, and that was His disciples and all who would believe and follow Him. Jesus prayed that we would have His joy. It was joy that kept Him going through this world of rejection and suffering, but he had to get to the cross to fulfil His purpose for coming. And what was the motivation that kept Him going? We read it in Hebrews 12:2, "fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." Joy kept Jesus going all the way for our salvation. Now Jesus is leaving his followers to face this same world He had to overcome for victory, and His prayer is that they be endowed with that same joy that made Him succeed. This was a top priority for Jesus for He knew we could never make it without His Joy. The reality is that Jesus by joy made our eternal salvation possible, and that is why Jesus made it a top priority.

His purpose and goal in His teaching was to make sure His joy was passed on to His followers. He said in John 15:11, "These things I have spoken to you that my joy may be in you, and your joy may be made full." By His truth He conveyed His joy. One of the main reasons to study the Bible is that Jesus might by it impart His joy to us. In John 16:24 Jesus said, "Until now you have not asked for anything in My name. Ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete." Joy is a main reason for prayer as well as Bible reading. Jesus wants us to be full of joy. He wants us to follow Him in making it a PRIORITY.