John 15:9-17
Jesus Gives His Disciples Joy
9 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. 17 This is my command: Love each other.
As the Disciples listened to Jesus teach and as they watched Him go about traveling from village to village and watching His actions, I think as time passed with Him they would be filled with both joy and amazement...How could they not be amazed at the things He did?...His miracles of healing and the other miracles that He did were completely amazing...
He told them before He was arrested that if His joy remained in them, then their joy would be complete...Then He gave them a command about love...Joy and love are related...He told them to love each other as He had loved them...Their is no greater love than to lay down your life for one's friends...They would always remain His friends if they did what He commanded them to do...He specifically chose these Twelve men to follow Him, even though one even would betray Him...But in the end His command was this...His command was this: Love each other...
So the type of joy Jesus was talking about was more of a contentment, instead of happiness or a pleasure...Happiness and pleasures are fleeting and temporary...The type of joy Jesus was talking about was a lifestyle of sorts, a long term contentment that they would have by following what He taught...That type of joy helps one feel complete...It makes one feel like life has a purpose...Jesus is there and would be there for them always...Jesus gave them a type of eternal joy they would never forget...