Joy in the Gospel of John

John's Gospel has a theme of the Christian's joy in Christ throughout. John the Baptist's message was "I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before Him" (John 3:28). He referred to Jesus as the Bridegroom who has the bride, and John the Baptist himself is the friend of the Bridegroom who has great joy just hearing the Bridegroom's voice; a complete joy (John 3:29). 

The day of Jesus, the I AM in flesh, was the joy of Abraham (John 8:56). Jesus had joy that He was not present at the death of Lazarus so witnesses would see the glory of God in the dead man's resurrection (John 11:15, 40).

There was joy in the disciples as harvest reapers shared with Christ the Sower (John 4:36). Jesus' leaving and being with the great Father who exalts the Son is a fountain of joy for those who love Jesus (John 14:28). 

In His lesson on abiding in Him and He abides in us like the relationship of vine and branches, Jesus said He teaches the disciples that His joy may be in them, and their joy complete (John 15:11).

Jesus promised that the world will find joy in the Christian's sorrow, but the church will have their grief turned into joy like a mother giving birth in anguish only to have joy at the sight of her newborn (John 16:20-21). In the meantime during our time of sorrow now, we can ask anything of the Father in Jesus' name and receive that our joy may be complete (John 16:22-24).

In Jesus' high priestly prayer, He asks His Father to keep the church united, abiding and sanctifying the church by the truth of His Word that Jesus would be glorified in the church. As Jesus comes to the Father that the church may have Jesus' joy fulfilled within them (John 17:13).

Finally, there was joy in the disciples as they saw the resurrected Jesus who blessed them with peace and showed them His wounds (John 20:19-20).

There is joy in knowing Jesus. There is joy in hearing and knowing His teaching and abiding in His Word. There is joy in soul-winning, a shared joy with Christ the Sower. There is joy in knowing and being known by Jesus while we must suffer sorrow in this world. There is joy in asking and receiving mercy from the Father. There is joy, complete joy, when we see Jesus in the finished kingdom. 

This is good news of great joy! To quote John Piper, 

The gospel is the good news that the everlasting and ever-increasing joy of the never-boring, ever-satisfying Christ is ours freely and eternally by faith in the sin-forgiving death and hope-giving resurrection of Jesus Christ.

May this truth of Christ's joy in you, dear Christian, encourage and strengthen you for the journey homeward with the Lord.

The Christian's Fearful Courage and Strength

 

“Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.” -Psalm 2:11

Be strong and courageous. This was the command of God to Joshua at the death of Moses. A great leader the people of God had followed and known for forty years is gone, and Joshua had to take the lead. Where was such strength and courage for Joshua’s leadership to be found?

 “The Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success” (Joshua 1:8).

The rich promises of God’s presence with him always are found in God’s Word which says, “Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.” How are we as followers of Christ to serve Him with fear, and rejoice with trembling? The Lord tells Joshua, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9).

Jesus told His disciples at the very end of Matthew, “I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). Christian, in your fear of the Lord, the Lord dismisses all other fears. When the fearful Lord is on your side, who can be against you? With His faithful promises yours in Christ Jesus, be strong and courageous. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, thus a wise strength and courage in which to obey the commands of the Lord in a world which assaults the worship of God.

Honesty and faithfulness at work, home, as servants in the Lord’s church, as citizens of heaven in our citizenship on earth will take the Lord’s strength and courage in you. To have tongues of truth proclaiming God’s Word to the world will be met with the fleshly temptation for cowardly safety, and at the end of our comforts in our following of Christ and His Word we will need His strength and courage.

Do not ask the world if they think it is right. Do not ask the world for safety. Truth and safety are not in the world. Our only safety and truth are in the Lord who says, “be careful to do according to all that is written in (the Law of God).” Truth is in God’s Word and our fear of the Lord sends us to Christ for safety.

Heavenly Father, You are holy and awesome in power. In fear do we approach you with trembling to rejoice in hearing You say, “do not be afraid.” Dismiss our fears and grant to us Your mercies of strength and courage by Your Holy Spirit to obey Your commands. Forgive us, deliver us from temptation, give us all the needed mercies to be faithful. In Jesus’ name we ask it, amen.

The Craftsmanship of God

 

“We are His craftsmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” -Ephesians 2:10

Do you produce good works to the praise of God? Look at the world’s applause. From charity to words the world finds profound, applause goes to people, community organizations, and movements. People form non-profit organizations for causes and good works which are championed to fix some wrong in the world and driven by applause.

The church of Jesus Christ is radically different. First, notice Christians are God’s craftsmanship rather than works of our own creation or identity. We were dead in our trespasses against God, producing evil works. God made us alive together in Christ Jesus. God’s hands gathered the church for His eternal purpose as opposed to someone organizing a group for earthly purposes.

The Christian individually and the church as a whole are God’s craftsmanship created in Christ Jesus. The power of our repentance from evil and toward God is found being in Christ Jesus. Paul told the Roman church that Christians are more than conquerors of tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril, and sword by being in Christ bonded in God’s love for us which nothing can separate us from (Romans 8:31-39). This is God’s grace of salvation in Christ Jesus, a free gift of God received by faith alone (Ephesians 2:8-9).

What did God create us in Christ Jesus for? Good works. The world is driven by the applause of the world. The church is driven by the joy of God. “The joy of the Lord is our strength” (Nehemiah 8:10). By God creating us into new creatures by His craftsmanship, we are in Christ and His complete joy is in us (John15:11). We produce the fruit of the Spirit of joy in the face of sadness and suffering!

Not FROM works, but FOR works. These are the works of God, creating new creations from old, bringing the dead into newness of life in Christ Jesus, in His death, burial, and resurrection. The church performs good works of love, serving our neighbors in our newly transformed minds, hearts, and bodies. Luther famously said, “God does not need our good works, but our neighbor does.”

What kind of works? Jesus said at the final judgment when he returns, he will reward people for feeding him when he was hungry, giving him drink when he was thirsty, clothing him when he was naked, visiting him when he was in prison, welcoming him when he was a stranger. The righteous will ask when we saw Jesus in these ways? Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me” (Matthew 25:40).

The world wants to produce these fruits to some extent, but only for applause that you are a good person, or your non-profit organization is a good group of people. The church produces good works in Christ Jesus for the eternal praise of God for we are His craftsmanship.

Do not produce fruit in hopes of applause that you are a good person. Produce the works for you created by God beforehand that you may walk in them. To the praise of God alone whom you serve in your treatment of the church and your neighbor.

Heavenly Father, all our minds, hearts, and labors are in Your mighty hands. Mold us by Your excellent craftsmanship into good works. Forgive us where we have been like the priest who passed the beaten man and craft us into the Good Samaritan. Produce good works of joy in the face of suffering and selfless service in this perishing, self-serving, boastful world to the praise of Your glorious name. In Jesus we pray for such mercies. Amen.