That Your Joy May Be Full

Q: What does the Bible say about joy and happiness?

The Bible distinguishes joy, which is lasting and rooted in truth, from happiness, which is temporary and circumstance-based. In the Bible, particularly in John 16:24, joy is presented as a deeper, more enduring state than happiness. Happiness is often dependent on external circumstances and can be fleeting, while joy is rooted in the eternal truth of God and remains steadfast regardless of one's situation. This is illustrated by the prophet Habakkuk, who rejoices in the Lord despite dire circumstances (Habakkuk 3:17-18). Joy, therefore, is an unchanging state of the heart that transcends what happens around us.

Q: How do we know that joy can come from sorrow?

The Bible teaches that sorrow can transform into joy through understanding God's redemptive work. The transformation of sorrow into joy is emphasized in John 16:20-22, where Jesus assures His disciples that their sorrow over His impending crucifixion will lead to joy once they grasp its significance. This joy arises from understanding that His death and resurrection fulfill God's redemptive plan. The illustration of a woman in childbirth (John 16:21) captures this reality: the pain of labor is forgotten in the joy of new life. Thus, real joy often follows profound sorrow as believers come to know the depth of God's love and the reality of Christ's sacrifice.

Q: Why is asking in Jesus' name important for Christians?

Asking in Jesus' name signifies relying on His merit and authority, ensuring that our requests align with God's will. Asking in the name of Jesus is a profound expression of faith, as seen in John 16:23-24. This concept emphasizes that believers come to the Father not on their own merits, but through the righteousness of Christ. When we ask in His name, we acknowledge our dependence on Him and submit to His authority. This practice reassures us that God, the Father, delights in granting our genuine needs and desires, rooted in our relationship with Christ. Our requests gain power and legitimacy when they are aligned with the character and will of Jesus, in turn fostering a deeper fellowship with God.

Q: How does understanding Christ's sacrifice bring joy?

Understanding Christ's sacrifice reveals the depth of God's love and offers salvation, which fills believers with joy. The joy derived from understanding Christ's sacrifice is central to the believer’s experience, as highlighted in John 16:20-22. His death on the cross embodies the ultimate act of love and substitution, fulfilling the eternal purpose of God to redeem His people. By comprehending the significance of His suffering, believers come to know that through His perfect sacrifice, they are completely forgiven and justified before God (Romans 5:9). This understanding transforms their sorrow over sin and despair into joy, as they realize the magnitude of their salvation and the restoration of their relationship with God. Joy flows from recognizing that in Christ's sacrifice, believers find their identity, security, and everlasting hope.

Would you turn back to John chapter 16, remember Aaron is preaching in Sellersburg, Indiana this morning, and Kevin is preaching in Ashland, so remember them as they bring the gospel. Verse 24, hitherto have you asked nothing in my name. Ask and you shall receive that your joy might be full. I'm interested in this. I want to know something about this fullness of joy. Ask and you shall receive that your joy may be full.

Now there's a big difference, actually an infinite difference, between joy and happiness. Let me speak on that for a few moments. This is very important. Happiness is based on what happens to you. It's circumstantial. It's external. It's temporary. It's an emotional reaction to what happens to you and it's gone when circumstances are no longer deemed favorable. It's plighty. It's temporary. Joy is rooted in something unchanging. It is unaffected by circumstances, good or bad. this thing of joy. It's based on truth. It is an enduring, settled state of the heart that has absolutely nothing to do with circumstances.

Now somebody says, how can that be? Well, would you turn with me to the book of Habakkuk? It's the fifth from the last book in the Old Testament. Malachi, start going backwards and you'll find the book Habakkuk. And I want to read the 17th verse of chapter three. Are you there? Habakkuk chapter three, verse 17. Listen to the words of the prophet.

Although the fig tree shall not blossom, Neither shall fruit be in the vines, the labor of the olive shall fail, and the field shall yield no meat, the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls. Everything's bad. There's nothing to be happy about.

Yet, I will rejoice in the Lord. I will joy in the God of my salvation. Now there we have joy. And this joy has nothing to do with good circumstances. This is a joy that cannot be taken away. This joy in the Lord. Joy is better than happiness. He says, ask and you shall receive that your joy may be full. Complete is the word. It can't be added to. It can't be taken from.

Ask and you shall receive that your joy might Now, what led the Lord to make this statement to his disciples? Let's go back to verse 16. The Lord says to his little flock, little while, and you shall not see me. Why? Because I'm going to be nailed to a cross and I'm going to die. and I'm gonna be put in a tomb.

And you will not see me at that time. They'd spent three years every day with him. All of a sudden, he's going to be taken away. And they're not going to see him. And again, a little while and you shall see me. Because I go to the father. It's a short time, you're not gonna see me. And then I'm going to be raised from the dead And you're going to see my resurrected glorified body. And you're going to see me ascend back to the father.

Now that's what he meant, but they didn't hear it all. Verse 17. Then said some of his disciples among themselves, what is this that he saith unto us a little while, and you shall not see me again a little while, and you shall see me, because I go to the Father? They said, therefore, and this is among themselves, what is this that he saith a little while? We can't tell what he's saying.

I wonder how many times they had that conversation. What did he mean by that? Did you hear what he said? What did he mean? I'm sure that this conversation had been made many times in the last three years, but they should have understood what he meant because he told them on at least three different occasions, I'm going to leave you, I'm going to be crucified, I'm going to die.

Three days later, I'll be raised from the dead. The chief priests and Pharisees knew about this because after his death, he said, we know this deceiver, when he was alive, said, after three days, I'll be raised from the dead. You go put a watch on his tomb to make sure his disciples don't come and steal him away and the latter error will be worse than the first. They knew about it. Why didn't the disciples? They should have. They should have been waiting at the tomb, knowing he's going to come and be raised from the dead three days later, but they didn't. All they heard, he's going to be gone. We're not going to see him anymore. And then we're going to see him again. What in the world is he talking about?

Well, the Lord could read their minds. Verse 19, they hadn't said anything to him yet, but isn't it glorious how the Lord can read the mind? He reads your mind right now. He reads my mind right now. He knows. Verse 19, now Jesus knew that they were desirous to ask him and he said unto them, do you inquire among yourselves of that I said a little while and you shall not see me and again a little while you shall see me? You're asking what does he mean by that? Well, let me tell you what I mean. Verse 20, verily, verily, I say unto you that you shall weep and lament.

And he's talking about him being nailed to a cross and dying. And the disciples have been with him every day. They love him. You take the person you love the most here on earth. If they were nailed to a cross, wouldn't you weep? and lament and be devastated by that. This is Him whom they love. They didn't really understand what was going on at this time. All they knew was they loved Him. And they're going to weep and lament as they see their Lord and Master nailed to a tree and experiencing such pain and dying. You're going to weep. You're going to lament. But the world shall rejoice. They want rid of me. They have no love for me. Did you know the world has no love for Jesus Christ? None at all.

Look back in John chapter 15, verse 18. If the world hate you, you know that it hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love his own, but because you're not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, the servant is not greater than his Lord.

If they've persecuted me, they'll also persecute you. If they've kept my saying, they'll keep yours also. But all these things will they do unto you for my name's sake, because they know not him that sent me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they'd had no sin. But now they have no cloak for their sin. He that hateth me, hateth my father also. If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they'd had no sin. But now they have both seen and hated both me and my father. But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, they hated me without a cause. The world hates Jesus Christ. Now somebody says, I don't hate Jesus Christ.

Well, if you're not aware of hating him, it's because you've never really seen who he really is. You have some fabrication of what men say about him. But if you're unsaved, and you find out who he really is, you're gonna find out that you hate this person until God saves you. Then you will love him.

But he says, you're weeping and lamenting. You'll be that way when you see me nailed to a cross and crucified and died, but let's go on reading. Verse 19, now Jesus knew they were desirous to ask him and said, do you inquire among yourselves? Of that I said a little while, you shall not see me, and again a little while you shall see me. Verily I say unto you that you shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice, and you shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy. That which you're sorrowful over, my death, me being nailed to a cross, you're devastated, that which you mourn and lament over will be the very thing that fills your heart with joy. You will have joy in me dying on a cross because you'll have some understanding of it. You don't understand it now. But when you have understanding of why I was nailed to a cross, your heart will be filled with joy.

Now, like I said, this joy is not happiness. This is this abiding joy, the fruit of the Spirit, which is joy. You will see what took place on the cross is not only your salvation, Summarized by my words, it is finished. Don't you love those words? There's nothing for me to do. It's already been done. It is finished. And he bowed his head and gave up the ghost.

Not only will you delight in my death as being your salvation. When you have some understanding of it, you're also gonna understand that my death is my greatest achievement. Now, think about that. His death is his greatest achievement. You see, his death is God's eternal purpose. He's called the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. Before creation, He was the Lamb slain. And God created the universe for Him to come and die on the cross. And His death is His greatest achievement. You know, I love the way it was foretold right after the fall. Remember when God said to the serpent, You're gonna bruise his heel. That's speaking of his death. But he's gonna crush your head. And he did so by his death. His death was typified in Abel's more excellent sacrifice. Remember the sacrifice Abel brought to the Lord?

Blood, the blood of the Lamb. Cain brought his best. His works. Abel brought the blood of the sacrifice of that lamb. Not that that blood could take away sin, but speaking of the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, the coming land of God. By faith, Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than gain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts. And he being dead yet speaketh.

The blood made Abel righteous. absolutely righteous before God. And if you're covered in His blood, you're righteous before God. Noah's Ark spoke of being in Christ. If you're in Christ, you're safe. You're saved. If you're outside of Christ, you're under His wrath. Noah's Ark is about the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Don't you love when Isaac is walking up to that mountain Dad, Abraham, Mount Moriah, God had said, go up and offer your son as a burnt sacrifice to me. And there they go, and Isaac doesn't know about it yet. He says, here's the fire, here's the wood, but Dad, where's the lamb for the burnt offering?

My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering. Now, everybody in here listen to this. There's nothing you can provide that God would accept. God's the one who does the providing. He provides the lamb for the burnt offering. Nothing you provide, it's his provision. And he provides himself as the lamb for the burnt offering. How clearly he's manifesting the Passover lamb. God said, when I see the blood, please listen to this. These are God's words. And the gospel is seen so clearly in this. God said, when I see the blood, not when you see the blood, when I see the blood.

He didn't say when I see your faith. He didn't say when I see your experience. He didn't say when I see your knowledge. He didn't say when I see your efforts to not sin. He said, when I see the blood, I will pass over You. Now that very day, I used to say somebody committed a notorious sin, but no, everybody committed notorious sin that day. If not outwardly, inwardly. Did that prevent God from saying, when I see the blood, I'll pass over you? No, it didn't. And I guarantee you there were people in there that had such confidence. God said it. I'm good. And there were other people who were scared to death in the house. But one didn't have more security than the other because the only thing God was looking for was the blood. When I see the blood, I will pass over you.

The glory of the great day of atonement when the high priest put his hands on the scapegoat's head and figuratively the sins of Israel were transferred to that goat led by a man into the wilderness to never be seen again. Oh, the Lamb of God. Moses lifted up that serpent in the wilderness. What were you to do? Look. Look.

That which you're mourning over is gonna be your greatest source of joy. My death. some understanding of my death, my greatest achievement. John the Baptist said, behold, the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. Oh, his death took away sin.

Now listen to me. There's nothing you need to do in order to be forgiven. Do you hear that? You are forgiven if you're in Christ before you even know it. You find out about it when you believe. But salvation begins with the complete forgiveness and putting away of sin.

What did he accomplish by his death? Why, he accomplished justification. If you're justified, that means you stand before God as one who has never sinned. Romans 5, 9, being justified by his blood, standing before God without guilt. Would that fill you with joy if you knew the God of glory saw you as one who has never sinned? Colossians 1, 20, having made peace by the blood of his cross.

This is what he did. He made peace. Have you made your peace with God? No, but he made my peace with God. That's who I have confidence in. And now because of the blood of his cross, every believer is seen by God as holy, unblameable, and unreprovable in his sight.

You'll see the reality of what he meant when he said in John 17, for I have glorified thee on the earth. I have finished the work thou gavest me to do. Oh, when you see the glory of my death. Now that doesn't mean we glory in his physical pain or what he had to experience, but we sure glory in what he accomplished by his death.

When you see me in a little while risen from the dead, how you will rejoice. You're not going to see me. I'm going to die. I'm going to be in that tomb for three days, but you'll see me again. And how you will rejoice. Your present sorrow shall be turned into joy.

Verse 21, he gives us a illustration of what he's talking about. Verse 21, a woman, when she is in travail, Hath sorrow. And the Lord refers to something everybody knows something about, not by experience, but they know the fact of it, the sorrow, the pain a woman has when she's travailing in birth for a child. What? Pain. Somebody once said it's a good thing men weren't the ones who had the babies, because there probably wouldn't be any. They couldn't take it. But the women prevailing in pain. But all that pain and anguish is forgotten when that man-child is born into the world, for the joy that a man-child is born into the world.

Would you turn with me to Isaiah chapter 53? Verse 10, yet it pleased the Lord to bruise, to crush him. Now how could it please the Lord to do something like that? This was his son. How could it please the Lord to do this? The Lord made him to be sin. The Bible says that. For he hath made him to be sin. Now, he never stopped being his son. He never stopped loving him.

But God is no respecter of persons. And God's justice must be satisfied against sin. And it pleads the Lord to crush It was a part of the good pleasure of His will that glorifies Him, but it pleased the Lord to crush Him. The Lord was not on the cross as an innocent victim. God the Father put Him there because of His sin. My sin became His sin. He never sinned, but He owned my sin as His sin. And the father was pleased to crush him. That's why he died. He pleased the Lord to bruise him. He had put him to grief. When thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin. Now in the original, that's one word. When thou shalt make his soul sin.

Same thing in 2 Corinthians 5.21. For he hath made him sin, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. When thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. He shall see the, what? Travail. of his soul.

You see in his death, in him being crushed by his father as a sin atoning victim, there was some travailing going on and the church was birthed through what he did. He shall see of the travail of his soul and shall be satisfied by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many, for he shall bear their iniquities.

And that word bear is the word gravid, pregnant. Now, I don't claim to understand this, but what is closer than a woman with a child? Oh, how close. And that's how real His sin, our sin became his. He became impregnated with them. And it scares me when I'm talking. But he shall see the travail of his soul and he'll be satisfied. That's really what the Lord's talking about.

Back to our text in John chapter 12. A woman, when she is in travail, has sorrow, because her hour has come. But as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembers no more the anguish for joy than a man is born into the world." And I think of the joy, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the Father, the joy of glorifying His Father, the joy of saving me. Verse 22 of our text in John 12. And you now therefore have sorrow, but you will see me again. I didn't read that right, did I? He said, I will see you again. Although they would see him again, that's not what he says. I will see you again.

It's not my sight of Christ that gives me joy, but his sight of me. It's not my knowledge of him that gives me joy, but his knowledge of me. By His knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many, for He shall bear their iniquities. This is how He sees me. Thou art all fair, my love. There's no spot in me. That's what the Lord accomplished for us in His sole travail on the cross. It's not my hold of Him that gives me joy, it's His hold of me.

I will see you again. Verse 22, you now therefore have sorrow, but I'll see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you. Now this joy that we have is eternal. Our righteousness is eternal, our salvation is eternal, our joy is eternal. Now, happiness, you can lose that quick enough. But this joy, if you're a believer, you can never lose. It can't be taken away. Verse 23.

And in that day, you shall ask me nothing. Now, they've been used to asking the Lord a lot of things. He said, in that day, you'll ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, whatsoever you shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Because of my death on Calvary Street, you're going to go to the Father in my name. Now, among other things, I want to say this carefully, but I hope we understand the spirit of what's being said.

Not only does the Father love you, He likes you. He likes you. You see, you're in His Son. He likes you. Quite often, I'm afraid, we think the Father tolerates us for Christ's sake. Well, there's a very real sense in which that's true, but He likes us in His Son.

And whatsoever we ask the Father in His name, He gives to us. This is when you'll learn to ask in my name, and you will learn of the Father's great love to you. We ask in His name. We call in His name. We come to the Father in His name by Him. I am the way, the truth, the life. No man comes to the Father but by me. Now, when I'm asking in his name, I'm not pleading my own merits. I'm pleading his. Turn with me to Daniel chapter nine. I want you to see this in the scripture. Daniel chapter nine. Daniel is right after the book of Ezekiel. Ezekiel, then Daniel. Daniel chapter 9. Verse 17. This is Daniel praying.

Now therefore, O our God, hear the prayer of thy servant and his supplications, and cause thy face to shine upon thy sanctuary that's desolate for the Lord's sake. Oh my God, incline thine ear and hear, open thine eyes and behold our desolations and the city which is called by thy name, for we do not present our supplications before thee for our righteousnesses, but for thy great mercies. Oh Lord, hear, oh Lord, forgive, oh Lord, hearken and do, defer not for thine own sake. Oh my God, and for the city, and thy people who are called by thy name.

Hear me for thy son's sake. Now go back to our text. John 16. In that day, you shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, whatsoever you shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. Now here's a promise. whatsoever, you ask the Father in my name, you're going to have it.

Now, is this speaking of us asking for things? Well, we're encouraged. If you're sick, ask the Lord to heal you. You're encouraged to. If you have need of anything, it known to the Lord. He already knows, but make it known. We're encouraged to ask our God for everything. But this is primarily talking about the things of salvation. Ask and you shall receive.

You have not because you ask not. If you're not saved, You have never asked the Lord to save you. That's why. If you're not saved, you've never asked him to save you. Somebody says, yeah, I have. No, you haven't. Because if you did, you'd be saved. You might have tried to strike some kind of deal with him, some kind of bargain. If I do this, will you do that? But you've never asked for mercy. Because everyone that asks for mercy receives it. There's never been a person in the history of the world that's ever asked God to have mercy on him that he turned away. Ask and you shall receive.

Let me give you some ways this word ask is translated. Desire. It's actually translated desire. Let me tell you what my greatest desire is, that I'm found in Christ. Is that your greatest desire? to simply be found in Christ. So that's all God sees when he sees you. He sees his blessed son.

It's translated to beg. Now, this does not mean, oh, if I just beg earnestly, nothing will hear me. No. You beg when you're asking earnestly for something to be given to you because you know you have nothing to pay. That's when you beg. You understand you have nothing to pay.

If you're gonna have it, He'll have to give it to you freely by His grace. It's even translated require. I utterly require that salvation be all of grace. I require this. I require for Christ to die for me or I won't be saved. I require for Him to give me faith or I won't have it. A requirement. It's translated crave. I crave for you to save me by Christ. Call for. That's what I'm doing when I call upon his name. Now hear the promise.

Whatsoever you shall ask. If you really crave this, if you really require this, if you beg for this, and that's not talking about the quality of your begging. Do you beg enough? It's talking about, you know, you don't have anything to pay. And that's why you're begging.

He'll give it to you. Verse 24, hitherto, you ask nothing in my name. Ask and you shall receive that your joy might be full. complete. It can't be added to. It can't be subtracted from. That your joy might be complete. And here's the joy of the believer. Colossians chapter 2 verses 9 and 10 says, In him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and you are complete in him. fullness of joy. I don't care what your circumstances are that affect your happiness. It's not going to affect your joy.

You might find out this week that you've got cancer. That's going to take away your happiness, but it won't take away your joy. You might have to declare bankruptcy this week. That's gonna take away your happiness, but it won't take away your joy. You may have a very difficult marriage, a rocky marriage that's making you feel unhappy, but that can't take away your joy. You have fullness of joy in Him. And it's true joy, a joy that can't be taken away.

Let's close by turning to 1 John 1. Verse one, that which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon and our hands have handled of the word of life. For the life was manifested And we have seen and bear witness and show unto you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested unto us. That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you that you also may have fellowship with us. And truly, our fellowship is with the Father. and with His Son, Jesus Christ, and these things write we unto you, that your joy might be full.

Let's pray. Lord, will you turn away our hearts and minds from things that make us happy or unhappy. And will you give us the grace to look to thy son only, to ask in his name that all of us might receive this fullness of joy. Lord, we ask that we might enter in to the joy and the peace of believing. Believing that he is our joy and that he is our peace. Bless this message to the glory of thy name. In Christ's name we pray, amen.

That Your Joy May Be Full

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about joy and happiness?

How do we know that joy can come from sorrow?

Why is asking in Jesus' name important for Christians?

How does understanding Christ's sacrifice bring joy?

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That Your Joy May Be Full

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about joy and happiness?

How do we know that joy can come from sorrow?

Why is asking in Jesus' name important for Christians?

How does understanding Christ's sacrifice bring joy?

Sermon Transcript

About Todd Nibert

Comments

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