The Joy for His Disciples (John 17:13)

As we listen to this prayer, we can see various priorities that Jesus had at that time. In the first section of the prayer he reveals the priorities he had about himself (vv. 1-5). In the last section, we can read about his interest in the future work of his apostles and his desires about those who would believe their message about him (vv. 20-26). The middle section, in which he prays for his apostles, reveals the concern of Jesus for their safety, which was that they would be kept from the power of the evil one (or from the overall strength of evil in the world). We also see his concern for their unity as they take his gospel to the world. The context reveals a third feature that concerns him, which is that his disciples would have his joy. Of course, while these three areas of concern initially concerned the apostles, we can be sure that Jesus has the same concerns about all his people.

As we think about this emphases Jesus puts on joy, what ideas comes to our minds? Here is what others have said about it. John Calvin, the French Reformer, commented about those words of Jesus: ‘He calls it HIS joy, because it was necessary that the disciples should obtain it from him; or, if you choose to express it more briefly, he calls it his, because he is the Author, Cause, and Pledge of it; for in us there is nothing but alarm and uneasiness, but in Christ alone there is peace and joy.’ The Puritan divine Thomas Manton observed that in this verse Jesus gives a reason for making this audible prayer: ‘He prayeth with them, that they might know how he prayeth for them.’ The nineteenth-century English preacher Marcus Rainsford said that it reveals that Jesus wants his people to ‘go through the pilgrimage of life not only secure, but singing’. Moving nearer to the present day, James Boice, a leading American preacher of the twentieth century, in identifying five marks of the church in this passage, states that joy is the first mark – ‘The others are: holiness (vv.  14–17), truth (v. 17), mission (v. 18), unity (vv. 21–23), and love (v. 26).’ These men saw different aspects but their comments help us understand the grace that Jesus was promising here.

When is the joy of Jesus?

Jesus’ words in this verse seem to link their experience of his joy with his ascension, with his going to the Father after his death and resurrection. This fits with the emphasis of Hebrews 12:2 where Christians are told that, in order to run their race well, they should be ‘looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.’

Another verse that connects the joy of the Messiah with his presence in heaven is Psalm 16:11: ‘You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.’ Peter, in his sermon on the Day of Pentecost, applies these words to Jesus (Acts 2:28).

A second psalm that connects the ascension of the Messiah and joy is Psalm 21:1: ‘O Lord, in your strength the king rejoices, and in your salvation how greatly he exults!’ That psalm celebrates the eternal reign of King Jesus.

Again, in Psalm 45, a psalm that celebrates the exaltation of the Messiah, the connection between ascension and joy is made in verse 7 (a verse quoted about Jesus in Hebrews 1): ‘you have loved righteousness and hated wickedness. Therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions.’

Jesus also connected his ascension with the joy of his disciples in John 14:28: ‘If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I.’

The above selection of verses shows us that the Saviour enjoys a rich emotional experience in heaven. When we think of him in the world of glory, we are to realise that he is full of joy.

While it is the case that he was the Man of Sorrows when he was here on earth, we are not to imagine that he had no joy during that time. That title informs us that he was a very emotional, that he felt the human situation deeply. So when a suitable situation arose, he did rejoice, such as when the disciples returned from a successful mission trip: ‘In that same hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will”’ (Luke 10:21). It is not conceivable that Jesus would have instructed his disciples concerning joy without being joyful himself, nor could he have spoken about his joy if he had not been joyful.

In Psalm 16, a Messianic psalm, there is a reference to the Saviour’s joy when he was on earth. Verses 7 and 8 give the reasons for his joy: he received counsel from the Lord, upon which he meditated; he was dedicated to the Lord’s service and enjoyed his fellowship and protection. Because he had these blessings, his heart was glad, his whole being rejoiced, and he had a strong sense of security. Yet, as we noticed above, he also says in verse 11 that there was a fullness of joy ahead for him in the Father’s presence in heaven.

Just as the Saviour knew there was greater joy ahead for him in heaven, so he knew that his disciples could not experience this joy until he went away to heaven. In this there is a great mystery. In everyday life, joy in another person is increased by his or her presence and not by absence. With Jesus and his disciples, it would be the opposite. Even although they had experience the Saviour’s joy as they walked with him and listened to him, they would know that joy in an increased amount and in a more intimate manner when he returned to heaven. The obvious explanation of this is the ministry of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of his disciples as he blesses them through their living union with Jesus.

It is important for us to remember when thinking about the ascension of Jesus that he possesses both a divine nature and a human nature. As far as his divine nature is concerned, it cannot increase in joy because it is eternally full of joy even as it is of love and peace. It is his human nature that increased in joy at his ascension and will increase with joy throughout eternity.

What is the joy of Jesus?

One answer to this question would be that his joy is connected to ‘these things’ that he has mentioned in his prayer. They would include his relationship with the Father, his authority over the human race, his involvement in the eternal counsels when he received his people as a gift from the Father, and his granting of eternal life to them. Obviously these features are part of his joy.

Then there is the joy that he would experience when he returned to heaven. We can imagine the joy that was in his heart as he ascended in triumph from earth and entered into glory to receive the place of honour on the Father’s throne. What delight must have been in his heart as he ascended above the angels and sat down there as the king with universal power! He would then reign in grace down through the centuries, working for the good of his church.

Or we can sense his joy as he received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit, not only for himself, but for his people. Imagine the heart of Jesus as on the Day of Pentecost he sent forth the Holy Spirit to begin the harvest of souls that will not cease until he returns. Each soul that the Spirit brings into the kingdom gives great joy to the heart of Christ as he or she becomes a member of God’s family and a fellow-heir with Jesus.

Or we can think of his joy as he entered heaven as the forerunner to claim the inheritance for himself and for his family. His entrance into the world of glory was also as our representative, staking the claims for us concerning our heavenly abode. This is the point made by the writer of Hebrews 2 when he says that, although we don’t yet see all things under man, we do see Jesus crowned with glory and honour.

In addition, there were future joys that he would experience. For example, there is the great joy with which Jesus welcomes every one of his people into heaven when they die. It will be a wonderful personal welcome to hear from him! Or there will be the great joy that he will have on the resurrection day when he will rejoin the souls and bodies of his people in a glorified humanity. And there will be the joy that he will express as he leads his people eternally in the ever-flowing fountains of the waters of life.

Our enjoyment of the joy of Jesus

Our chief joy should be in Christ. Often, such as the times when we engage in self-examination, we are prone to look for joy in our own spiritual achievements. We search our hearts for signs of progress, which is a very important and essential Christian duty, and their presence can give us some joy. But we are not to focus on them as the primary source of joy because no matter how much progress we are making, we still fall short. Imagine a husband’s joy. When he met his wife, he was somewhat unrefined and rough, but her patience and gentleness and example helped him to change. Does he get his main joy from looking at the effects of her role or from her presence? He gets it from her presence. He does not say to others, ‘I get my joy from the way my wife has helped improve my life.’ Instead he says, ‘My wife makes me happy.’ In a greater sense, it is the same with Jesus. We gratefully acknowledge the good things he has done in our lives, but they don’t become a substitute for himself.

If Christ is the substance of our joy, then we should be often meditating about the things of Christ in the Bible. There is a wide range of material: from before he came into the world, when he came into the world, when he returned to heaven, and what he will do in the future. Joy is the effect of thinking about Jesus in a constant, comprehensive manner.

In addition, we should note that this joy of Christ is substantial in amount; in fact it cannot be calculated because it is infinite. Every other source of joy is finite, even the most precious ties that we can know on earth. But all the resources of Jesus are infinite. Therefore, we should prize the joy of Christ above all the other biblically legitimate sources of joy.

Further, there should be thankfulness to Christ for giving us the blessing of joy. All our spiritual fruit comes because we are united to Jesus, as the illustration of the vine and branches conveys. The link between us and Jesus is the Holy Spirit, and he takes of the things of Christ and gives them to us. This is a great mystery, but that does not mean it is not real. Our forgiveness, our blessings, and our prospect of glory are all connected to Jesus.

Next, the giving of this joy is designed to make us Christlike. We cannot be said to be Christlike if we do reveal his joy. But we are not to assume that the presence of joy requires the absence of sorrow. Paul described himself and others as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing (2 Cor. 6:10).

There are many things in life that can make us sad, but in themselves they should not take away the joy of Christ in our souls. Persecution is one possible cause for removing joy, yet Peter refers in 1 Peter 1:8 to those who were experiencing strong opposition: ‘Whom having not seen, you love; in whom, though now you see him not, yet believing, you rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory.’ They thought of Christ as they were being persecuted and therefore they were full of glory. We could add many other kinds of circumstances. They would all show that this joy is not dependant on circumstances.

Jesus uses each of his offices to bring this joy to his people. As their prophet he instructs them, gives them understanding of his salvation, reminding them of his promises; as their priest, he intercedes for them to obtain joy and is sympathetic to their need of joy; as their king he works to destroy all the barriers to their joy.

Jesus gave all the means of grace in order that his people would have joy. Personal means of grace, such as meditation on the Bible and engaging in prayer, give joy. Public means of grace, such as church services, the Lord’s Supper, fellowship, are sources of joy that Jesus has given. These means are accompanied by the Spirit whom Jesus has sent to give us joy, among all his other blessings.

Jesus fills his people with joy so that they will find it easier to obey his commands. Joy is like oil that makes things run smoother. So we should avoid everything that prevents this joy coming to us. The Psalmist, after he sinner, prayed in Psalm 51 that the Lord would restore to him the joy of his salvation. Sin of any kind removes a sense of spiritual joy, and the joy is not restored until we repent.

It is amazing the various places where we can find the joy of Jesus for ourselves.