These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.

John 15:11

Can we as Christians have everlasting “Joy” in our life every day? Is there plenty of joy in your life? Being glad and having happiness for most of us is an emotional response that only occurs occasionally. Jesus is speaking about a joy that is lasting because it is His joy that is within our heart, and it is a fullness of joy.  Hebrew words often depend on the context in which they are used, so one must study to understand what the full meaning conveys in the written text.  Hebrew words are conveyed by themselves as concrete instead of abstract, so it is important to see the context of a whole sentence in which the word is placed.  The Hebrew word for joy is “simcha,” and means to have exceedingly, gladness, and joyfulness. In John chapter 15, the word “Joy” can be associated with well-being in that it is through Christ that we can have an everlasting amount of joy. In John chapter 15, Jesus is talking about a fullness of everlasting joy that comes from knowing him. It is based upon fellowship, and this is the key to living in the vine.

John chapter 15 is all about abiding in the vine. Jesus exclaims that we are the branches and He himself is the vine.

“I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.”

John 15:5

It is all about keeping Jesus foremost in our life. Nothing should separate us from Jesus or take over in importance in our everyday life. Our life is the life of Jesus living through us through the Holy Spirit. In fact, “Joy” is listed as one of the fruits of the Spirit [see Galatians 5:22]. If you read the whole chapter of John 15, Jesus explains about bearing fruit as a result of abiding in the vine. So, having a fullness or everlasting joy comes from abiding in the vine [who is Jesus] to where you will bear much fruit.  This is the act of getting to know someone personally. This is a continuous process of growth. If you are not growing, then you are dying from not receiving nourishment from the source of the vine. Something is blocking the source of nourishment from the vine.

It is like a plant I have and no matter what treatment I give it, such as misting, fertilizer, sunlight, and water, the plant leaves are dying and dropping off. The plant has disease that is causing this condition. Any kind of blockage that an individual is withholding from the Lord will cause disease to start and decay. If we confess all to Jesus nothing is withheld. Jesus assures us that if we abide in him and in his words, we can ask him anything, and it shall be done [see John 15:7]. Let us remember that love is also in the fruit of the Spirit. To have love and joy means to abide in the vine where the source of nourishment is. There is always a process of growth in the Christian walk. Like the disciples of Jesus, they grow from being a servant to becoming friends to be a brother in the Lord. This is a progression of growth and Jesus said that this growth will bear much fruit that the Father will be glorified [see John 15:8].

“Every day has enough trouble of its own., therefore; we pray every day and seek the word of God to keep the communication open for growth to occur. This is our sanctification which means to become holy. A person can only be Holy if they are grafted into the vine, and this is what the Apostle Paul referenced in Romans 11:16. “If the root is Holy, so are the branches.” The fellowship we have is through Christ and through Christ we are able to love one another. In 1 John chapter one verses 3 and 4, we have the same reference about our joy being full. John exclaims that our fellowship is with the Father, and with his son, Jesus Christ. That is why the Word of life was written, or the Word of God. The conclusion is that we are to stay in the vine which is the source of light so we can have fellowship with Jesus and each other. How miraculous this is as it takes on the evidence of our well-being and our feelings of having everlasting joy. Our wellbeing comes from Jesus who is the author and finisher of our faith.  Placing our faith in Jesus gives us fellowship.  Faith opens the door for the miracles to happen.  You could say it this way that Jesus who is our faith opens the door for miracles to happen.   This brings joy into our heart that will remain in us forever until the coming of our Lord. 

May His joy forever live within your heart and soul. This week is also very special for it is the Jewish New Year. The Jewish lunar calendar year now is 5782. It is also the 7th sabbath year of rest. What this means is that it is a time of getting to know our Lord better by hearing his voice. That our peace comes from the word of God. The 7th sabbath year of rest means that all debts are to be forgiven and distribution of food is to be distribute widely. There is to be no working of the land for food. The land is resting for the year in that animals may eat of what is left growing along with the people. This sabbatical year is known as Shemitah.

Listen to the song titled “Abide in My Love,” taken from John chapter 15.