“AND YOUR JOY WILL BE COMPLETE”
John 16:16-33
INTRODUCTION: In the previous verses, Jesus is explaining to his disciples that he’s going to be leaving them but it is actually a good thing because then the Holy spirit would come. In today’s passage we see Jesus encouraging his disciples by telling them that their grief will turn to joy. Not only would they have joy, but they would have complete joy. In this passage I see seven reasons why our joy is complete.
1) Our joy is the opposite of the world’s (20). The disciples, who knew and loved Jesus, would grieve when he was killed. But the religious leaders and haters of Jesus would rejoice at his death. But the disciples would have joy again at his resurrection. The world doesn’t feel any grief over what happened to Jesus. For the Christian, however, we are touched and emotional over his suffering. To the world Jesus’ resurrection is met with apathy, disbelief or hatred. To the Christian, Jesus’ resurrection is the reason for our joy for without Jesus’ resurrection we have no hope. The world’s source of joy is opposite of the Christian’s. The “joy” the world offers is no comparison to the complete joy that is found in Christ. For someone of the world their joy is found in worldly things like money, material things, power or status. But the Christian’s joy is found in Christ. It’s found in the things of the Spirit. It’s found in things like going to church, praying, reading the bible. It’s found in godly fellowship and intimacy with Jesus. It’s found in belonging to Jesus and it’s found in obedience to Jesus, it’s found in living for Jesus. What the world tries to pass off as bringing joy comes up way short. It may bring a temporary happy feeling but it’s not sustained. So when we buy what the world sells we are selling ourselves short. C.S. Lewis said, “We are half-hearted creatures, fooling around with drink and sex and ambition, when infinite joy is offered to us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in the slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea.” We continue to settle for the trinkets of earth instead of pursuing the treasures of heaven. We settle for the momentary pleasure of what the world offers and forsake the continual joy Christ offers. Our joy will be complete when we realize the polar opposites between what the world has to offer and what Jesus has to offer.
2) Joy helps us to forget our sorrows (21). “Your grief will turn to joy”. Jesus dealt with grief. Jesus understood the disciples would be grieved. The disciples had seen grief turned into joy when they witnessed Jesus raise Lazarus from the dead. Their grief over Jesus’ death would turn to joy when they saw his resurrected body. Their grief over Jesus leaving them would be turned to joy when the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost. Jesus knows we will face grief of many kinds. He uses the example of a woman’s labor pains turning to joy when the baby is born. The hours of pain is overshadowed by the joy of holding her newborn baby. Think of when a child is lost. There is pain in not knowing what happened to him. But when the child is found there is great relief and joy that supersedes the pain and grief of the fear and separation they were experiencing. We will have pain and grief in this world but that will be overshadowed when we are forever with the Lord. 2nd Cor. 4:17, “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” Our troubles seem anything but light and momentary. However, that’s what they are, compared to the eternal glory that is coming. Our grief will be so overshadowed it will make our troubles seem like nothing at all. We will forget all about the pain when the glory comes. “In a little while”. The disciples would have to deal with their grief for a little while before it would be relieved and turned to joy. A little while seems like eternity when we’re suffering. Eight hours seems to fly by when you’re having fun but if you’re a woman who’s been experiencing intense labor pains for eight hours it seems anything but a little while. We don’t want to have to wait for joy. We don’t like to have to endure through pain and suffering. That’s why we run to worldly means to deal with it. We delve into drugs, alcohol, food, etc. to escape and mask our pain. We turn to things other than God to deal with our grief. The irony is the things we run to are only temporary that in turn don’t alleviate the grief; in fact they often add to it. God challenges us to deal with it by trusting him and waiting on him. We want the relief and joy to be instantaneous but Jesus doesn’t promise that. He does promise us that at some point, if we stay in his will and continue to trust him our grief will turn to joy. The joy of the Lord dispels my grief.
3) No one can take it away (22). Once the disciples were convinced of Jesus’ resurrection and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, the joy of these realities would forever be in their heart. No one was going to be able to steal that joy from them. As with us. Life happens and people bother us but no one can steal our joy unless we allow them to. As a Christian we can’t say, ‘you made me angry’. Someone might do something that upsets us but we always have the power to choose how we react. When hardships come our way, we can use them as an excuse to be depressed. Although it may be difficult to have a positive response to a traumatizing situation, we can. Nothing or no one has the power to steal my joy. No matter who crosses my path, no matter what situation comes my way, I can respond with joy. 1st Thess. 5:16, “Be joyful always.” Happiness is dependant on circumstances; joy is not. “Happiness is an emotion and joy is an attitude. Emotions come and go but attitudes come and grow.” Our joy will be complete when our fellowship with Christ and our attitude in Christ is vibrant in the harder times like it is in the easier times. Happiness is from without, joy is from within. The Hebrew word for joy is simchah which means "gladness of heart". The Greek word is, chara meaning "inner delight." No matter what happens from without joy can remain a continual presence within.
4) We have heavenly blessings (23-24). The disciples wouldn’t need to ask Jesus anything because the Holy Spirit will reveal to them and remind them of everything that Jesus taught. During Jesus’ ministry, the disciples asked Jesus questions numerous times. Now he was going to leave them when he ascended to the Father. Now who would they ask? No one. They wouldn’t need to. The Holy Spirit would give them insight whenever they wondered about something or pondered a decision. That’s a joy for us too. We have the blessing of the Holy Spirit to give us answers and insight. As for their prayers, the disciples would no longer ask Jesus anything directly. Now they would ask God in Jesus’ name for whatever they wanted. It’s important to notice ‘in my name’. We need to ask in the name of Jesus. We have no ability to approach the throne of God without the name of Jesus. Our prayers are heard and answered in accordance with the name of the one who is our savior and mediator. Eph. 3:12, “In him [Jesus] and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.” Apart from Christ we have sin. We can’t approach a holy God in our unholy state and expect him to grant our requests. Through Christ we are made clean and it’s through him that we have access to God. Matthew Henry’s commentary, “What encouragement this gave them in prayer. They need not fear speeding when they came to one that loved them, and wished them well. First, this cautions us against hard thoughts of God. When we are taught in prayer to plead Christ's merit and intercession, it is not as if all the kindness were in Christ only, and in God nothing but wrath and fury; no, the matter is not so, the Father's love and good-will appointed Christ to be the Mediator; so that we owe Christ's merit to God's mercy in giving him for us. Secondly, let it cherish and confirm in us good thoughts of God. Believers, that love Christ, ought to know that God loves them, and therefore to come boldly to him as children to a loving Father.” Our joy is in knowing that God desires to bless us. If we see God as a ruthless, hard-nosed angry God who just barks commands and rules with an iron fist then we will not be joyous people. However, if we see a loving God who gives commands as a means for our protection and betterment and a God who is generous and wants to bless us then we will have joy. If we see God as joyous then we can be joyous but if we typically picture God as stern with a constant scowl then we will not be joy filled Christians. Eph. 1:3, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.” The spiritual blessings that come from him are far more valuable than what the world has to offer. And when he blesses us with material blessings he also blesses us with the right attitude to appreciate them. We honor the giver of the gift over the gift itself. “Your joy will be complete”. In the previous chapter of John Jesus was telling his disciples that he was the vine and they were the branches and that apart from him they could do nothing. Therefore they needed to remain in him so they could bear much fruit. Then in verse nine he tells them he loves them and instructs them to remain in his love; which they will if they remain obedient. Look what he says in verse 11. John 15:11, “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.” When will we experience complete joy? When we understand the acronym: J.O.Y.=Jesus Owns You. When Jesus owns us and we are operating under his divine will our joy will be complete. And it will be complete when we are completely dependent on the Lord as the source of it. The more focused we are on Jesus the more joy will be a constant in our lives. Perhaps if it’s not a constant in our lives it’s because we have lost the joy that our salvation brings. David asked God in Psalm 51:12 to restore unto him the joy of salvation. James Guthrie went to the gallows because of his faith in Christ. Waking about 4:00 am on the day he was to be executed, Guthrie spent time in personal worship and was asked by his friend, James Cowie how he felt. “Very well,” replied Guthrie. “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” How could someone who knew that day would be his last rejoice? In telling his story, Jock Purves writes, “James Guthrie ever kept through his busy life his own personal fellowship with Christ in the fresh, joyous bloom of his new birth, as if he had been but a young convert.” James Guthrie could rejoice in the midst of facing his death because he kept his relationship with Christ fresh. He didn’t lose the point of grace in his life. The joy of his salvation was a constant in his life and it prepared him to deal with what he was facing. The heavenly blessing of salvation makes our joy complete. Knowing Jesus’ sacrificial love for me and me in turn having sacrificial love for him brings a complete and unequaled joy to my soul.
5) We have spiritual insight (25-31). The disciples understood what Jesus meant in verse 16. They finally understood who he was, that he didn’t need anyone to tell him anything and that he really was sent from God. That’s the insight God wants everyone to have-to recognize who Jesus is and to understand his teachings. When Jesus was with his disciples after his resurrection he was teaching them. Luke 24:45, “Then he opened their minds so they could understand the scriptures.” Now they understood the O.T. prophecies concerning Jesus. He went on to explain about how salvation was to be preached in his name and to prepare for the coming of the Holy Spirit. Then, after he ascended it says in Luke 24:52-53, “Then they worshipped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. And they stayed continually at the temple, praising God.” Here they were-their mentor, leader and savior was just taken from them yet they had great joy. They had been filled with sorrow over his death but were filled with joy at his resurrection. And now, even though he was leaving them they would go away filled with joy because they had been given spiritual insight; they understood that they were not going to be left alone-the Holy Spirit was coming. Is the bible a source of joy for you? How often I pick it up might be an indicator. Whenever I read scripture, especially if it’s a verse or passage I’ve read numerous times before and something that I hadn’t seen before gets revealed I get excited. It immediately gives me a heart of gratitude that God chose to give me this insight. He did it with this sermon. I was going over the text and I was at a loss over what to focus on since it had many various topics I could’ve focused on. I prayed about it and then the running theme of joy and what made our joy complete was revealed to me; and I was excited, again. Spiritual insight brings us complete joy.
6) We are never alone (32). When Jesus was arrested the disciples all scattered, leaving Jesus to face his suffering alone. Think of what it would feel like to have to face severe affliction without the sympathy and comfort and support of others. To have to deal with isolation and abandonment during your most difficult hours. Perhaps you know how that feels. Part of your joy can be in knowing Jesus knows your pain. Jesus’ joy was in knowing that he really wasn’t alone. “Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me”. What a comfort, what a joy for Jesus to have this truth in the hour of his need when everyone deserted him. And we can know that we have the truth that we are never alone even in our darkest hour. Albert Barnes’ commentary reads, “The Christian can die saying, I am not alone, because the Father is with me. The sinner dies without a friend that can alleviate his sufferings --without one source of real joy.” Those without Christ can’t know this joy. Those without Christ will deal with the sense of true loneliness. They will bear their grief and pain under the burden of abandonment and despair. Not so for the Christian. No matter what they face, even if all others leave we are not alone. What joy to know we can deal with any situation and face any hardship because we have Jesus by our side in the presence of the Holy Spirit. By our side giving us comfort and guidance. By our side enabling us to have courage and peace. Paul experienced such a joy. 2nd Tim. 4:16-18. Knowing Jesus was at his side he was even able to forgive those who had deserted him. He was able to face his circumstances with confidence, knowing he would be delivered, if not physically then spiritually. Our joy is complete because we are never alone.
7) Jesus has overcome (33). In Jesus we have peace. But with the world, those who are against Jesus, we will have trouble. Jesus promised to bring peace between us and God but that doesn’t mean there will be peace between us and man. Jesus wants there to be peace, but he knows that won’t happen with some. Yet in the midst of all the troubles we face, we can have peace. True peace comes only through Christ. And this peace comes in knowing that Jesus has already overcome the world. He is already the victor. Evil may exist and troubles will come but we can take heart and be of good cheer because, as 1st John 4:4 says, “You, dear children are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” One day Martin Luther was feeling rather down. The Pope was after him. His colleagues were bickering amongst themselves. He felt the heavy pressure that came with being a professor, pastor, and father. And he was in excruciating pain from kidney stones. As he moped around the house muttering underneath his breath, his wife Katherine announced in a solemn voice, “God is dead.” Luther looked at his wife with puzzlement and replied, “God is not dead”. Katherine went on to say, “It sure seems like God is dead by the way you are acting.” Luther thanked his wife and etched a Latin word on his desk: vivit which means, “He lives.” Whenever things weren’t going well and Luther was tempted to complain about them, he looked at that one simple word and was invigorated. Because Jesus was alive Luther had every reason to be upbeat. Our joy is made complete in knowing that no matter how much trouble I have to deal with in this world I can overcome through the one who has already overcome. The victory, and the joy, is in Jesus.
