Thsee words of our Lord testify to the vital importance of joy in the life of a Christian.

Here Jesus promises His joy.

The best joy of all is Christ’s own joy, “my joy.” From these words we gather that the Lord was a joyful Saviour. Though a “man of sorrows and acquainted with grief,” yet He also had great joy, rejoicing in His Father and delighting in His disciples with singing. Christ was perfectly happy. The joy of Jesus was something the Apostles witnessed. They were not perplexed by His referring to His joy. They didn’t say, “What joy? We see no joy in Him!” He was their glad Redeemer. No doubt they wished they might have similar joy. Here He promises more than that to them. He says “my joy,” not “joy like mine.”

Here Jesus promises full joy.

No doubt there are various degrees of the Christ joy in our hearts. In the Bible we read that there is joy, great joy, exceeding joy, fullness of joy, chief joy, all joy, filled with joy, everlasting joy, greater joy and unspeakable joy. The Saviour will not rest until His people are brought to the full heights of joy.

Here Jesus promises remaining joy.

It is “in” the Christian, deep in the heart and there to remain and abide. A joy that not even this world with all its hatred and Satan with all his malice can take from Christ’s people.