by Timothy W. Burnett
Starting with John 16:20, Jesus told his disciples, �Verily, verily, I say to 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.� Based on the rest of the chapter, this is about Jesus� death and resurrection. While he was dead, the world would rejoice but his disciples would be in great sorrow.
The word �rejoice� came from a word that was similar to joy. Both words chairo and chara, referred to heartfelt gladness. True spiritual joy comes from the resurrected Jesus who is alive and in heaven with Him. This is the source of joy that God wants for everybody.
Jesus told his disciples, �And you now therefore have sorrow. But I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice. And your joy can no man take away from you� (John 16:22). Joy that is in Jesus Christ cannot be removed from within by anybody.
While Jesus was dead in the grave, there was complete spiritual darkness over the world and his disciples grieved. Once they knew him in his resurrected body, they rejoiced again. But there was more to come. After Jesus Christ ascended to heaven and the day of Pentecost came, people could be filled with holy spirit and get born-again. In this state, nobody can take away that perfect spiritual joy in them.
Such joy can even prevail in whole cities! The reason for this is because the people believed the gospel that Philip taught. It says in Acts 8:12, �But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.� As Paul shared in Romans 15:13, �Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing that you may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.�
True joy can not be taken away from God�s people, but they are still able to not bear the fruit of the spirit. The mere fact that Christians are not bearing the fruit of the spirit does not mean that joy does not abide in them through Jesus Christ. Walking by the spirit of God involves active believing, and seeking to do so will soon bear fruit in due time.
True spiritual hope results in joy. What kind of hope do Christians have? Romans 12:12 says to rejoice in hope. This hope is defined in Colossians 1:23-27, �To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.�
More light is shined on this in Titus 2:13, �Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ.� 1Thessalonians 4:13-18 describes the dynamic return of Jesus Christ for God�s born-again children. Notice verse 13, ��that you sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.�
God�s born-again children continue in hope as they keep their mental eyes on the hope of the return of Jesus Christ. They are able to endure great suffering and persecution in the world by true joy in their hope of glory through Jesus Christ.
�But rejoice, inasmuch as you are partakers of Christ�s sufferings. That, when his glory shall be revealed, you may be glad also with exceeding joy� (1Peter 4:13).
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