Knowing that after His imminent arrest, His disciples would soon scatter in fear, the Son of God prayed for their spiritual preservation, unity, and joy. In his sermon “The Keeping Power of God,” Alistair points out how God’s care for His children supersedes our greatest self-concerns. Not everyone experiences God’s blessings, though! The inexpressible joy of salvation can only be known by the truly penitent who rest entirely on Christ’s atoning work. In this brief excerpt, Alistair considers the uniqueness of the joy that Jesus yearns for His disciples to experience.
Happiness is just a spontaneous response to temporary events. It was really happy yesterday afternoon, wasn’t it? It was for me—and you’re surprised by this, but I’ll let you into a little secret into my life. There I was, with my wife beside me, going, “Yes!” when that [Guardians baseball player] did that and he had a grand slam home run. Now, that has not lingered with me into Sunday. That was a temporary happiness. That is not my joy. If my joy is that, then what would have happened if it had gone the other way?
No, [“joy fulfilled”] is something very different. When Peter prays eventually and writes to the people experiencing great hardship and suffering, he says, “Though you have not seen [Jesus], you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and [you] rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory.” Wow! That is something different from happiness, for sure.
Let me tell you five things that are true of joy. I’m just going to read them to you so I don’t take longer than I should:
Joy is experienced when my conscience accuses me, and I know that Jesus the Son of God has forgiven me.
Joy is experienced when I’m aware of my failures, but I know that my sin has been cleansed and I have been given the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Joy is experienced when life disappoints me and I disappoint myself, but I know that God is bringing me day by day towards a heavenly home where nothing will ever spoil, fade, or perish.
Joy is experienced when I feel weak, but I remember that He is mighty and holds me in His powerful hand.
Joy is experienced when my outer body is wasting away, but I know that inwardly, I’m being renewed day by day until I stand before Him in an entirely different, new, glorified body.
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Solid joys, lasting treasure are only known in Jesus.
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