Are you filled to the measure of Christ’s joy? He wants you to be. All you have to do is trust what He’s already told you.

15 The heart of the discerning [those looking for answers] acquires knowledge [from the LORD], for the ears of the wise seek it out [we “hear” God speak when we read His Word].

In John 17, Jesus is praying and we are sitting in on that prayer (thanks to John and the Holy Spirit). Let’s pick it up in verse 13,

¹³ “I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. ¹⁴ I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. ¹⁵ My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. ¹⁶ They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. ¹⁷ Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. ¹⁸ As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. ¹⁹ For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.

1. Jesus is about to leave this earth via Calvary (the cross). He is speaking as much to His disciples at this point as He is to the Father. We know this because He said as much in 11:42 when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. The question is, when were the disciples to receive this joy of which He spoke? The very next thing to happen was Gethsemane, the cross, and three days of pure agony for them, so I don’t think that it was immediate. Could it have been when they saw Him resurrected? It could be. But, if the point of the cross was so Jesus could live in our hearts via the Holy Spirit (see 16:7 and 17:26), then they must wait until Pentecost and the coming of the Holy Spirit in order to receive the full measure of His joy. What does this mean to us? We have already received the Holy Spirit, therefore, we can receive the full measure of His joy!
2. The very next phrase is, to me, the key to “the full measure of His joy.” That phrase is, “I have given them Your word…” God went to great lengths for us to have His words available to us. He inspired the disciple John to write down this prayer; He inspired others to copy it, hide it, and spread it around; He inspired others to translate it into various languages including English; He inspired the means for us to have a copy of His words in our homes and hands–in fact, electronically, we can have His words with us all the time, and do!
3. The reason I am so sure that the phrase is key is because of verse 17, “Sanctify them by [to live in accordance with] the truth; Your word is truth.” Jesus pretty much told us that the way to sanctification (becoming like Jesus) is through His Word. It doesn’t get much plainer than that.
4. Jesus sanctified Himself? Only God can do that–wait, HE IS GOD! If Jesus sanctified Himself by giving us His Father’s words, then we are sanctified by reading and living according to them.

A word of encouragement: We read to connect, to get to know Him. We ask for understanding, but it’s not the main purpose. His Spirit reveals to us what we need for today as He reveals Himself to us. We read, ask for discernment, and then we ponder: We think about what we have read in light of what we already know and have experienced; we turn it over in our minds with Him guiding our thoughts in accordance with His word. If we get it wrong, we can trust that He will correct us eventually. It’s all part of the training. Many times, we must unlearn what we have been taught (whether by humans, demons, or experience), and learn what is right. It’s a process, the process of sanctification. Just know that during this process, we are being made to be JUST LIKE JESUS.

Want to be one with God and your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ? Then be sanctified through His Word!

²⁰ “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, ²¹ that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.

Abba, I pray for my readers that they would immerse themselves in Your Word. Your Scriptures are the vehicle through which we hear Your voice. In fact, our prayers are our response to You speaking to us! We find in the Scriptures Your character, Your Plan, and Your interaction with us. May we take our relationship with You seriously, especially if we want to follow You and be like You. I know I do. Please continue to open my mind and heart to Your words of life. Amen.