The Lord Jesus once said that we are destined to bear fruit. Our goal in life should, therefore, be to bear lasting fruit that is so valuable to God.
Ultimately, fruit means reflecting the characteristics of the Lord Jesus. When He is seen in us, God is glorified.
In this series, we want to reflect on the individual fruits that the Holy Spirit wants to work in our lives. And since our Lord is always the perfect role model (cf. Mt 11:29; Jn 13:15; 1 Pet 2:21), we will look directly at incidents from His life where these characteristics become visible.
“But the fruit of the Spirit is … joy …”
Christians should not walk around with a face as long as a fiddle. Being bad-tempered, irritable, grim, and grouchy does not suit the redeemed. Their joy is not a result of favorable circumstances but has its origin in the Lord and His promises. As believers, we are at our strongest when we rejoice sincerely in the Lord (Neh 8:10).
Believers can also rejoice when they are robbed (Heb 10:34), in prison (Phil 2:17), suffering for Christ (Acts 5:41). They serve the Lord with joy and gladness, not out of compulsion (Ps 100:2); they rejoice when other believers are doing well (Phil 2:2); they can exclaim with Paul despite sad circumstances: “As sorrowful, but always rejoicing” (2 Cor 6:10).
Christians can radiate such joy that unbelievers simply have to stop and think. This joy can become a constant in our lives.
Examples of joy in the life of the Lord that we can learn from:
- The Lord rejoiced to do the will of God (Ps 40:9).
- The Lord rejoiced to be in fellowship with His Father again (Heb 12:2).
- The Lord rejoiced when a lost sheep was found (Mt 18:13).
- The Lord had deep joy because He lived in dependence on His Father (Ps 16:8, 9).
- The Lord was permanently filled with joy despite His difficult life and always having the work of Golgotha in mind (Jn 15:11; 17:13).
