Liberating and Lasting Joy

Because their joy comes from seeing him again and knowing he’s conquered death, no amount of torture or persecution can ever change that. If the disciples’ joy is in something else—if they try to find their joy in sex, money, work, or hobbies—then certainly their joy could be taken from them, but since their joy is found in Jesus, his victory over sin and death and the promise of his ongoing relationship with them, then every attack against it will be futile. The devil longs to steal our joy, and it’s not usually too hard. Placing our joy in things like relationships, work, events, security, and health is like putting your life savings in a piggy bank, leaving it in a high-crime district at night with a hammer, and adding a note asking people to leave it alone because it’s really valuable. You’re a fool if you think it will be safe. But if our joy is in Jesus, we trade the piggy bank for Fort Knox, and the devil gets a plastic spoon instead of a hammer. You’re a fool if you think he can touch it.

If the disciples’ joy comes from a reunion with Jesus, their position in him, and his promises to them, then what weapons could the devil possibly level against their joy? The most powerful weapons are useless. I suppose he could attempt to steal their joy by having them betrayed by a close friend. Or maybe he could try relentless persecution by those who claim to follow God. But the disciples know these assaults will be ineffective. They’re going to be ineffective because Jesus already took those attacks and not just defeated them but used them to usher in this joy. Jesus didn’t only conquer betrayal and persecution; he turned them into the agents that brought about the disciples’ joy. And of course, the ultimate fear, the ultimate weapon, the ultimate joy stealer is death, but Jesus disarmed death. Jesus conquered every enemy! If we find our joy in him, we have nothing to fear. Our joy is impervious to all attacks leveled against it. Jesus’s resurrection guarantees he can never die again, and those who follow him will never experience separation from him in death. We may leave our physical bodies, but Jesus will never leave us (cf. 11:25-26).

John 16:23-24

The disciples’ joy transcends their circumstances and flows from their reunion with Jesus and from confidence they will never experience separation from him again. Their joy in Jesus will serve them like the foundation serves a house: it will be solid and stable, supporting them no matter what kind of storm rages outside. But there will be times when their joy bubbles up and overflows, most often when they experience answered prayer. Joy will flow through them, pulsating through every interaction.

A disciple is like a well drilled deep into an underwater reservoir. No matter what happens on the surface—whether a drought or a natural disaster—the well is always full of water. But once in a while the rain comes, and the well is not simply full of water; it overflows. Cool, clear water gushes out of it, soaking everyone around. As disciples we can always be filled with joy because we are permanently drilled into the joyous reservoir of Jesus Christ, but there are occasions when God will pour down such joyous rain our hearts overflow with joy. These moments come as we press forward in our mission for Jesus Christ, all the while trusting in the power of the Spirit and asking God to do what we cannot.

After the resurrection the first disciples can no longer physically turn to Jesus and ask him to meet a need. Instead, they have the privilege of going directly to the Father and asking him to do whatever they need, and he promises to answer. This promise of answered prayer raises a few questions.

The short answer is no. Jesus gives one constraining guideline for this command. In both verse 23 and verse 24 he says we must ask in his name. This immediately rules out the prosperity gospel, name-it-claim-it, best-life-now heresy dominating Christian television. I wonder if we aren’t guilty of a related misuse of prayer. Do a mental exercise with me. Think about your recent prayers. Now take out an imaginary sheet of paper and divide it into two columns. Above the column on the left write the word “Comfort,” and above the column on the right put the word “Mission.” Place your requests in one of the two columns. Here’s the criterion: If God answers this request, will it contribute more toward my comfort or my mission? Jesus promises the Father will answer every request made in his name. “In Jesus’s name” is not a mantra or a tagline. It means we’re doing something Jesus commanded to be done! If you define comfort in the way it’s commonly defined in our society, Jesus doesn’t care if you’re comfortable. Think about what he tells his disciples. He tells them they’re going to be cast out and killed for his sake. The promise of answered prayer is given on the heels of that reality. They aren’t to pray for earthly comforts. They’re to pray for the kingdom of heaven to advance in this world: “Our Father in heaven, your name be honored as holy. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matt 6:9-11). Jesus taught us to pray for the advancement of his kingdom, not the establishment of our own.

Prayer often feels like a duty not a delight, but prayer is how we commune with Jesus, and communion with Jesus is where we’ll find joy. The disciples’ sorrow turns to joy when they’re reunited with Jesus, when they’re in his presence again. After his ascension into heaven, prayer is the way to be in his presence. To remain in Jesus happens when his words remain in us and we respond in prayer to him (John 15:7).

The bottom line is this: we need to pray. We must. Not out of duty but out of necessity. Not as a dead requirement but as a desperate plea. We need more of Jesus. We want more joy. Joy comes as we ask Jesus to help us fulfill the mission he gave us. Prayer gives us the power to do what we’re called to do. We’re called to live holy lives, to be generous, bold, thankful, repentant, and selfless. This only happens as we beg God to work in us. A lack of prayer brings a lack of power, which in turn brings a lack of joy.

Imagine you finally invented the affordable, practical flying car, but you needed just the right wind conditions. You found the perfect spot, gathered your new invention, and headed there. You lined your machine up to fly, but you had to wait for the wind to pick up. Now where you are waiting you can’t feel the wind, so you need help. Your friend has joined you just for this. He climbs the nearest hill with phone in hand and waits. You wait in the makeshift cockpit, checking in with him, hoping for the go-ahead. At that moment, is checking in with him a nuisance? Is it drudgery? Or do you wait breathlessly? Asking him over and over, “Is it time?”

When you stand on the precipice, attempting something great, that conversation is not a chore. It’s a pleasure. It’s filled with breathless anticipation. When we launch out on mission, pleading with God to do something great, prayer is not drudgery. It’s breathless anticipation. It’s asking God, “Is it time yet? Have you sent the wind? Will we fly now?” Life on mission makes prayer as natural as breathing, as ordinary as our hearts beating.

John 16:33

In the remaining verses Jesus reminds the disciples they now have access to the Father. In fact, he uses the title Father six times in these last few verses. Sin destroyed their relationship with God, but Jesus came and took away the sin of the world. Because of their faith in Jesus and their love for him, they now experience the love of God. The sin-bearing sacrifice of Jesus opened the way to God. They are reconciled to God.

Sin is the root of our unhappiness. We look around and understand something is broken: our relationship with God. The lack of joy in the world can be traced to a lack of peace with God. The only way to have joy is for peace with God to be restored (v. 33). Peace is not a fleeting experience or momentary emotion. It’s not a hippie high on drugs flashing a hand sign while living a broken existence. Supernatural peace flowing from a newly restored relationship with God is guaranteed for everyone who follows Jesus, everyone who believes that Jesus is indeed the promised Savior, God’s own Son, the only hope for them.

Our responsibility, then, is to believe him. You need to battle the unbelief and doubt that creep into your mind, calling Jesus a liar and undermining your joy. Identify anything that hinders your joy in Jesus. Sometimes it’s blatant sin, but often it’s misplaced priorities. What hinders our joy is our habit of ingesting so much of the cotton candy of this world that we never get around to feasting on the rich, satisfying joy that is ours in Jesus. We who have believed are “in Jesus.” That’s how we experience joy in times of trouble and persecution. Though we’re still in the world, though we’re still engaged in our mission for him, we are in Jesus. We’re branches connected to the true vine. We receive our strength and nourishment through the vine. We may still have tribulation in the world, but in Jesus we have peace—a peace that fuels a joy that rises above the circumstances of life.