John 15:11

"These things" — what things were the source of Jesus' joy? First, to be the true Vine that never failed to bring forth fruit to the Father. Secondly, to walk in perfect obedience to His will and so to have a perfect plea for intercession for His people. Thirdly, to abide in His Father's love by keeping His commandments. He would share that joy with us; He would have us as full of joy as He was Himself.

The Lord here speaks of what He had proved as a man on earth — love and joy. He knew His Father's love as the obedient One who kept His commands. He knew joy for Himself as the dependent One in this world. For it is not Christ's joy in them that He speaks of, but the joy that He, as the obedient and dependent man, had known. Christ gives us His peace in chapter 14; His joy He would have us know in chapter 15. Here we get a little glimpse of the Lord's inner life while in humiliation.

It is generally accepted that we should read "be" instead of "remain" in this verse, and even brief thought will show that the change gives the better sense. "Remain" implies the disciples already had the Lord's joy. "Be" means the Lord's aim in these words was that they might share in it, and this is what He says.

In outward circumstances He was the Man of sorrows, acquainted with grief. But He always walked in the inward joy of the Father's love, and of the glorious prospect before Him... The Psalmist could say, "You have put more joy in my heart than they have when their grain and wine abound" (Ps. 4:7). The world's joy depends on good circumstances. The believer's joy is that inward gladness of heart that finds its springs in the unchanging love of the Lord... In these verses the Lord speaks of "My love," "My commandments," and "My joy," and these marks follow in beautiful order. The Lord's unchanging love is over all. Walking in obedience to His commands, we shall abide in His love. Abiding in His love, we shall taste His joy.

This is indeed wonderful. So soon there was to be the fulfilment of the words of Jeremiah's Lamentations (Lam. 1:12), "Is there any sorrow like my sorrow?" — yet the Lord speaks to His disciples of His joy. His sorrows came from His devotion to His Father, and from His great love for His own. But He found His joy in the Father, and in finishing the work the Father had given Him to do.

Christ gives "not as the world gives." The world may give generously sometimes, but it has finished with what it gives. Christ gives by bringing His own into what He is enjoying Himself. Take glory: "The glory that you have given me I have given to them." Take joy: "that my joy may be in you." Take peace: "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you." Take love: "you loved them even as you loved me."

He had no joy from the world. He had perfect joy in the Father. His joy was in bringing forth fruit to the Father's glory. He is showing us how, in fruit-bearing, we can have joy and blessedness down here. "That your joy may be full." That is what He wants us to have — fulness of joy; and it is not from the world, but the kind of joy He had... This is how it is for the heart that walks with Him and abides in Him. If we have joy, it is His joy. If it is reproach, it is His reproach.