I have a provocative question for you. Do you think Jesus was happy? What kind of man do you picture Jesus to be? I'm really enjoying a book on the Character of Christ by Jonathan Landry Cruse, and that's how he started the chapter on joy. He pointed out some anecdotal evidence that I think is worth considering. Jesus was often invited to eat, called a glutton and wine-bibber, not something that most dour people would be accused of. Children were drawn to him, which you don't see with hard, unemotional men. I think we might sometimes confuse holiness with a stoic, austere nature.
But Jesus was a joyful man. How would we define joy as used in the Scriptures? Here are a few definitions I liked. Jonathan Landry Cruse said joy is "a deep abiding pleasure and contentment." John Piper, "Christian joy is a good feeling in the soul, produced by the Holy Spirit, as he causes us to see the beauty of Christ in the word and in the world." Jerry Bridges, "Joy is enjoying God and the fruit of communion with him." Tom Ross, "Spiritual Joy is delighting in God, trusting in His loving-kindness, and depending upon His grace to uphold you in times of trouble and sorrow."
Joy isn't something that is put on. It's not fake, like "put on a happy face" for church service.
It's a true feeling of pleasure in the soul. It's being satisfied and content. It's a work of the Holy Spirit, not a natural disposition. It comes from our communion and fellowship with Christ. If our joy is to be full, it must be found in Christ Jesus. The "fullness" of our joy is something given to us by God's grace.
One of John's goals in the three letters is to promote the joy of believers (1 John 1:4; 1 John 2:3). First, John was written to promote Christian joy and gospel assurance. Most of the time, it's read as, "Be joyful. NOW! Or else!" But since joy is: "A deep abiding pleasure and contentment." and "..enjoying God and the fruit of communion with him," we should look to Christ, not ourselves, for our joy. John's goal is for us to enjoy what we have. Joy is a fruit of the Spirit. It's a grace given to us that flows out of our vital union with Christ. As Christians, we have joy because we are in Christ. We want to cultivate what we have in Christ through the Spirit. That's how our "joy is full."
There are things in life that can dampen our joy. Our sin can rob us of experiencing joy. Trials and troubles can lead our hearts and minds away from our joy. The consequences of life in a sin-cursed world can bring much sorrow. But these things cannot take our joy away because our joy is found in our union with Christ.
Amen! I have to confess I'm not joyful all the time, but I ought to be. How ineffectual it must be for us to preach Christ from anything less than a heartfelt and holy joy.