Devotional:Jesus Is Our Joy:John 15:11; 16:20-24

“These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that you joy may be made full” (Jn. 15:11, NASB).

On the night of March 2, 2020 there were tornado outbreaks in West and Middle Tennessee. There were twenty-five people killed and 309 people injured. Already there had been reports of an outbreak of a deadly virus—known as COVID 19. This virus has killed thousands of people in the United States. People’s lives have been devastated by these calamities. Survivors of these calamities have experienced much sorrow, pain, grief, and mental anguish. This is because calamities disrupt our lives. How can those people affected by death causing calamities experience joy in their lives? How can we experience joy when our entire lives have been interrupted and disrupted? Without going into details, we can say that joy is something that escapes many people. We can experience joy regardless of the tragedies that we experience. It a matter of finding the right source for joy.

In his gospel John tells us about Jesus preparing His disciples for His departure from among them. It is time for Him to return to the Father. In John 14-17, Jesus gives them final instruction that they are to follow until He returns to take them to heaven. The news is new; and it is not something that Jesus had talked to them about before. The disciples did not understand. They did not know how to respond to this new information. The news that Jesus was telling them brought grief and sorrow to their hearts.

Jesus told them that in the world they would experience grief. However, He was sending the Spirit to give them joy. They would go though some things that would not be pleasant. However, in spite of the unpleasant circumstances they could still experience joy. They would not be alone. Jesus was going to send the Spirit to be with them to comfort them and to help them during their struggles. The knowledge that Jesus was with them was good news. They could experience joy because they would abide in the Spirit and the Spirit would abide in them. The struggles that they faced would not make them happy. They could experience joy since Jesus had joy because he knew that the plans of the Father would materialize. The disciples would have joy. Their joy would come to them from Jesus.

Prayer: Lord God, we thank you for the joy of Jesus; especially when we experience grief. Amen.