he cares about our joy
“these things I have spoken to you…”
I grew up thinking that God was primarily concerned about my obedience, and that my primary objective as a Christian was to get clear all the commands, guidelines, and ethical teachings to be found in the Bible, and make sure that my life lined up with them. And if I didn’t live that way, God was waiting with a 2x4 behind his back, to set me straight.
It wasn’t until I was in my 30s that I was introduced to the truth that one of the primary things God wanted me to know was that he loved me. Because God is love.
And when God became man, in the person Jesus Christ, he confirmed this, because he loves us too. And he made that clear by telling us just how much in one of the stories about him, written by his friend John. And Jesus tells us in this story (which I read just this morning), that not only does he love us, but he loves us just as much as his Father loves him. Think about the extent of that love for a moment!
And not only does Jesus care about making sure we are clear on this love (his massive, in-the-same-way-the-Father-loves-me kind of love he has for us), he tells us why he wants us to know. Namely, so that we will be happy. Jesus cares about our joy! He tells us of his love, so that his joy — and think about the over-the-top kind of joy the Son of God must have! — may be in us, and that our joy may be complete, lacking in nothing.
And he tops it all off by then directing us to pay it forward:
the Father loves Jesus,
and in the same way the Father loves Jesus, he loves us,
and in the same way Jesus loves us, we must now go and love others.
In other words, spread the love, and spread the joy.
“As the Father has loved me, I have also loved you. Remain in my love. 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.
“I have told you these things so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.
“This is my command: Love one another as I have loved you.”
John 15:9-12, CSB
