John

Check out all the previous John readings here.

John Reading Plan | Week 10, Day 3

Prayer

Pause for a moment of quiet and stillness. To center yourself fully, take a deep breath in and exhale slowly. Repeat this process three times. Ask God to open your eyes to the amazing truths in His word today.

Bible Reading: John 15:9-17

Read these verses three times slowly.

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. This is my command: Love each other.

Reflection & Questions

John chapters 13-17 are all words spoken by Jesus on the night before His crucifixion. What is his goal in all these words? Joy. In our verses today, Jesus makes that clear: “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.”

Jesus is full of joy. He delights in being Himself. He delights in being the Son. He delights in His relationship with the Father (as does the Father delight in Him, Matthew 3:17). Jesus pursues us because of the joy of having us with Him (Hebrews 12:2). Joy is at the center of His love. His love is not codependent nor full of pity. It is a love He is joyfully glad to experience and share.

It is this joy that Jesus wants His disciples to have: “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.” Joy isn’t simply happiness. Happiness could simply be the result of the alignment of good circumstances. However, joy is delight. Delight not in a circumstance, but in a relationship. Like a married couple who might face the most challenging of situations, but can look with joy in each other’s eyes because of their love for one another. Jesus looks into our eyes with joy and wants to alight our heart with that same joy. Our God delights in being God. He wants us to share that delight and to joyfully be His children.

1. How important is joy to you in your relationship with God? Are you delighted in being His child? If not, why not? Talk to him about that.
2. What does Jesus’ teaching in these verses teach us about the source of joy?

Prayer

Talk to God in response to today’s reading.

Worship Song

You might use this song today to worship Jesus today:

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Questions?