Sermons / December 21, 2025

Passage: John 17:13, 24-26 Sermon series: Advent: Joy to the World (Far as the Curse is Found) Title: “Joy and the Love of God” Review: Jesus came to glorify God through his atoning death for sinners Jesus came to make His Father (name, character, nature) known Jesus came to give us His peace (with God and with one another) Jesus came to fill us with his joy because we are loved by God Jesus’ desire for his disciples: God’s love in us (17:24-26) Jesus’ prayer is rooted in His Father’s love for himself (24b) Jesus’ prayer is rooted in His Father’s righteousness (25a) Jesus’ prayer is for those who have believed that the Father sent him (25b) Jesus makes His Father’s nature known so that His love will be in us (26a) All of this is accomplished by our union with Christ as he abides in us (26b) Fullness of joy (17:13; see 15:11; 16:20, 21, 22, 24) Joy is the reason Jesus gives his disciples his words before going to the cross What is the nature of the joy experienced by those at Christ’s arrival? John the Baptist (Luke 1:44); Mary (Luke 1:46-49); Gabriel (Luke 2:10); Shepherds (Luke 2:20); Simeon and Anna (Luke 2:28-32; 38); Magi (Matthew 2:10) What is the biblical context of this joy Jesus desires for us?  Rom 5:1-5; 12:12; 2 Cor 6:10; Phil 4:4-7; 1 Thess 5:16; James 1:2-4; 1 Pet 1:6-8 What does Jesus’ joy teach us?  Suffering: Isaiah 53:3; Hebrews 2:10, 14-18 Joy: Hebrews 12:2 Main Idea: The basis of the Christian’s joy is union with Jesus by receiving his word and knowing the love of God. Questions for discussion and application: How settled are you that God loves you (not abstractly, but actually)? What do you need to be convinced of God’s love for you? Who is responsible to make God’s love known to us? What is our responsibility? Think about each the real life circumstances of each person who received the news of Christ’s birth. What do they teach us about the nature of true joy? What is your joy based on? (Consider what causes your heart to rise and fall). Why are we so prone to look to our circumstances to give and sustain our joy? How can you fight this tendency practically?  How do suffering and joy go together? Why is suffering necessary to prove the genuineness of the Christian’s joy? How does this help you reframe how you think about suffering and joy? Consider all that Jesus is asking His Father for in John 17. List out the things Jesus asks for (9-10 things). How does the fact that Jesus is currently praying these things for us encourage you? Rejoice that the Father LOVES to answer the prayers of His Son!