13 But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves.
13 But now I come to You,
Jesus here anticipated His imminent return to the Father. His “hour” had come.
and these things I speak in the world [on earth],
This was the Lord’s prayer as He currently prayed it on earth.
that [purpose] they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves.
The Lord prayed that the apostles would find complete or a full measure of joy in their ministry (Jn 15:11). The apostles would share in Jesus’ joy when they came to understand the implications of His work on the cross. They did not have to wait until heaven to obtain this joy; they could have it right away. Although they might have been deeply dejected about the Lord’s return to glory, they could have His joy in themselves (Ps 16:5-9; Neh 8:10).
PRINCIPLE:
A miserable Christian contradicts the provisions Jesus made for us.
APPLICATION:
Joy should be a characteristic of those who follow Christ (Jn 15:11). The essence of our message carries joy (Lu 2:10). It is something that should be persistent in every believer (Jas 4:4).
