John 17:13, “But now I come to You; and these things I speak in the world so that they may have My joy made full in themselves.”
Jesus was only hours away from suffering and agony and death on the cross. And yet He was rejoicing! How could He be so joyful? Jesus was filled with joy in the same way that Paul, while in prison, was able to write these encouraging words to the Philippian believers, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!,” cf. Philippians 4:4.
You see this joy does not depend on favorable circumstances or the pleasures of this world. The source of this joy is the Father in heaven. Jesus rejoiced in the fact that He was One with the Father. He also rejoiced in doing His Father’s will. Someone has said that joy is the byproduct of obedience.
One of the hebrew words for “joy” is simcha. This is the word I used to translate John 17:13 into hebrew: למען תמלא להם שמחתי בקרבם: (pronounced: “lema’an timaleh lahem simkhatee bekirbam”) “So it be fulfilled to them My joy in themselves.” This is the same joy David wrote about in Psalm 16:11, “In Your presence is fullness of joy.” This is the same joy that you can know and experience through a personal relationship with God through Jesus His Beloved Son.
To learn more about hebrew words and how to pronounce them I encourage you to check out some of my books!
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