Joy!

Do you think there is a way that no one can take away our joy?

Let’s look at something Jesus said to His disciples:

Jesus went on to say, “In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me.”  At this, some of his disciples said to one another, “What does He mean by saying, ‘In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me,’ and, ‘Because I am going to the Father?’  They kept asking, “What does he mean by ‘a little while?’ We don’t understand what he is saying.”

I don’t know about you, but I find it a relief that at times the disciples didn’t understand Jesus!  Some of His words are difficult for me to understand.  However, they had the luxury of having Jesus there to answer! 

We too have the Holy Spirit, if we have trusted in Jesus as our Savior and we follow Him. Jesus said the Holy Spirit would lead us into all truth.  I like to remind God of this when I don’t understand a passage!  But I digress…let’s get on with Jesus’ words to the disciples:

Jesus saw they wanted to ask Him about this, so he said to them, “Are you asking one another what I meant when I said, ‘In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me’? Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices.  You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy.  A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world.  

I should stop here and just state that we now know Jesus was speaking of His death and resurrection.  When Jesus died, most of the leading people were happy that Jesus was no longer a threat to them and their ways.  Or so they thought.  Jesus would soon come back to life, astonishing everyone! Here come the words that really got me: 

So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.

No one will take away your joy. This struck me and I have spent some time thinking about this.  Consider the disciples: they had seen Jairus’ twelve year old daughter newly dead come to life.  They had seen a dead son heading out to be buried but Jesus touched him and brought him back to life, giving him back to his widowed mother.  They had seen Jesus call Lazarus out of the grave. Those acts just showed them without a doubt that Jesus was the Chosen One, the Messiah.  

But then everything turned for them.  Jesus had died a death of a criminal!  He, who had the power over wind and waves, sickness, lack of food–He had been manipulated by men and put to death?!  This was so wrong, so against all they had expected and even though Jesus had spoken of it…they were in confusion and grief.

Then, three days later, Jesus shows up in their locked room ALIVE!  I think the shock of that event, the amazement of it never left them.  Their lives could never be the same after that!  Nothing, not even the cruelty and raw evilness of men inflicted on an innocent victim could prevail against the power of Jesus!  What a joy!

At this point everything changed.  The disciples were now ready to devote their lives to sharing Jesus who freed us from our sins by His blood (Revelation 1:5).  With the Spirit’s filling, they shared that heaven was being offered to us, and even a life on earth with the Holy Spirit transforming us.

Did everything go well for the disciples?  NO!  Just as things didn’t go well with Jesus, things didn’t go well for the disciples–most were cruelly murdered for believing and sharing the story of Jesus with others. But no one could take away their JOY!  Jesus was ALIVE!  He had won over sin and over death!  He was preparing a place for them in heaven!  Their God was–and is– full of love and rescue!

Those words strengthen my faith and challenge me.  Am I truly ALL-IN for Jesus like those disciples were?  Will I pour myself out even to death, if need be? Would you be willing to do such a thing?  

Can you imagine being in that room when Jesus showed up?  Nothing would ever be the same again!

O Lord, You are alive!  Your resurrection is the source of MY joy!  May my life be forever changed by what You did.  You are truly capable of anything!  You have broken my chains to sin and death forever.  What an incredible God You are– there is none like You!  I worship You, and give you the most I could possibly give–my heart, my soul, my strength, my mind.  I too, like the disciples, have NOTHING that can take away my joy!