The words of Jesus
What Did Jesus Say About Joy?
Jesus wanted His followers to have joy, and not a thin, circumstantial joy but His own joy, full and unshakeable. It is a gladness the world cannot give and cannot take away.
“These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.”
Jesus, in John 15:11, King James Version
He teaches so that His own joy would live in us.
“I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.”
Jesus, in John 16:22, King James Version
A joy anchored in Him cannot be stolen.
“ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.”
Jesus, in John 16:24, King James Version
He invites us to ask, so our joy would overflow.
“there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.”
Jesus, in Luke 15:10, King James Version
Your coming home makes heaven glad.
“these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.”
Jesus, in John 17:13, King James Version
He prays that His joy would be completed in us.
What Jesus is really saying
The joy Jesus offers is not the absence of sorrow; He spoke these words on the night before He suffered. It is a deep gladness rooted in being loved by God and belonging to Him. Because its source is a Person and not a circumstance, it can hold steady even when everything else shakes.
Who these words reveal Him to be
Hear Him speak of my joy, a gladness He carries within Himself and pours into His own. This is no ordinary happiness borrowed from good days; it is the joy of God, and its source is His presence. Jesus offers us His very own joy, which means He is offering us Himself. He is the Lord in whose company the human heart finally finds the fullness it was made for.
Come to Him
Real joy is not something you have to manufacture. It is a fruit of being with Him. Come to Jesus, and let His own joy begin to fill you.
His words were always meant to lead you to Himself. You can begin with Jesus here, ask someone to pray with you, or read His words in the Bible.