11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.
Does anybody out there besides me like the ring of the two words - complete joy? How simply divine does that sound? Where or where can the fullness of soul satisfying joy be found? It is found by constantly looking in the face of Jesus – throwing off the hindrances and continually ridding ourselves of sin, armed with a thankful heart, we can run the joy race with our eyes fixed upon Him. Isn’t that exactly what the writer of Hebrews tells us?
1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. Heb 12:1-2 (NIV)
Joy is abundantly wonderful in and of itself, but complete joy is in a league of its own! Certainly that would be a priceless commodity in our day and age of anxiety ridden gloom and doom! I don’t know about you, but Jesus’ Words grab my attention! His purpose in His life exhibited as well as in His teachings was to give us life effervescent not simply a life of joyless existence:
10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. John 10:10 (NIV)
Our Lord desires for our lives to be overflowing not constricted - full of joyful life - and He is clear how we are to go about it – through seeing Him in all things and through fruitful obedience, showing ourselves to be His - as we will always live what we believe.
“See God in everything, and God will calm and color all that thou doest see! It may be that the circumstances of our sorrows will not be removed, their condition will remain unchanged; but if Christ, as Lord and Master of our life, is brought into our grief and gloom, ‘He will compass us about with songs of deliverance.’ To see HIM, and to be sure that His wisdom cannot err, His power cannot fail, His love can never change; to know that even His direst dealings with us are for our deepest spiritual gain, is to be able to say, in the midst of bereavement, sorrow, pain, and loss, ‘The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.’ Nothing else but seeing God in everything will make us loving and patient with those who annoy and trouble us. They will be to us then only instruments for accomplishing His tender and wise purposes toward us, and we shall even find ourselves at last inwardly thanking them for the blessing they bring us. Nothing else will completely put an end to all murmuring or rebelling thoughts.” Hannah W. Smith
Prior to our verse for today, Jesus tells us to remain in His love through obeying His Word just as He remained in His Father’s love by obeying His commands – even the most difficult ones. We are never more like our Savior than when we are obedient in the hard things in life. It’s really easy to find myriads of excuses to bail. The world doesn’t care; indeed it seems to even condone poor choices. When we make a commitment to God - a vow of faithfulness, it would behoove us to be brave enough to let it age and not abort despite the hardship faced. We are told by the writer of Hebrews that our Lord Jesus faced even His most difficult trial with joy as He looked forward to what the obedience to that trial would produce – both returning to His rightful eternal throne and bringing many sons to glory. He is our supreme Model:
2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Heb 12:2 (NIV)
Jesus’ joy is perfect joy – not lacking anything. “Complete” in our verse for today is translated from the wonderful Greek word “Pleroo” meaning full, to fill; as a net with fish, as a house with a perfumed smell; to fill completely and fully.” Hebrew-Greek Key Word Study Bible – New Testament Lexical Aids. What an inducement from our Lord to make the believer aim at eminent holiness in their lives. When Jesus fills, He overflows. Fruitful and faithful disciples are the joy of the Lord Jesus as well. Indeed, we find Him jumping up and down with joy when the seventy-two returned from ministering having “got it” at long last:
21 At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure." Luke 10:21 (NIV)
Surely, fullness of joy is found in Jesus. I am reminded of John the Baptists words when he was talking about the Savior to his disciples:
27 To this John replied, "A man can receive only what is given him from heaven. 28 You yourselves can testify that I said, 'I am not the Christ but am sent ahead of him.' 29 The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom's voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. 30 He must become greater; I must become less." John 3:27-30 (NIV)
Interesting side note – the root word for “Joy” is the same root word for “Grace” – “Chairo”- “that which causes joy, pleasure, that which creates delight in the recipient; thankfulness, gratitude, favors done without expectation of return.”
“All is grace because of Christ alone.” Ann Voskamp