Consider John 15:11. "These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full." As Christ was teaching His disciples, in John chapters 13-16, He was preparing them to operate with a joy that the world could not give them. This joy of the Lord is not natural. This joy would not be understood until after Christ's death on the cross and His resurrection. In John 15:1-21 we are going to examine five elements of this joy that the Lord wants to give His people.

The Elements of Joy found in John 15:1-21 (Key verse: John 15:11)

• Fundamental crucial connection with Christ - John 15:1-7,16


• Fruitful living as we follow Christ - John 15:8,16


• Focus on Christ's love / Faithfulness to His primary commandment of love - John 15:9-13,17


• Friendship with Christ - John 15:13-15


• Fractured relationship with the world for Christ's sake - John 15:18-21

In this lesson we will look at the first two elements.

Fundamental crucial connection with Christ - John 15:1-7,16
Branches need to have a vital connection with the vine, or they will be fruitless and worthless. We can do nothing of eternal value without a vital connection with Christ.

• Life-connection with Christ - John 15:1-6 cp. 14:6;15-23


• Life-connection through The Word of Christ - John 15:7a cp. 6:63; 8:30-32; Colossians 3:16; James 1:18-21; I Peter 1:23.


• Fulfilled prayer life - John 15:7b,16 cp. 14:12-14; 16:23-24; Psalm 66:18; Isaiah 59:1-2; I John 3:18-24; 5:14-15.

Fruitful living as we follow Christ - John 15:8,16
Like the branches of a fruitful vine, the disciples (the followers) of Christ are to bear fruit in their lives that brings glory to God. This fruit is not a shallow display of actions and words, occasionally. True fruit is a regular flow of Christ-like things that come from our heart, our mind, our lips and our life. A fruitful life will be a joyful life. The work of Christ, by His Spirit through His Word, produces a testimony that, like the fruit of the vine, will nourish others and be useful for the reproduction of faith, love, joy, and peace in others.

• The necessity of the fruit - John 15:6,8 cp. Matthew 12:33-37; 13:1-9, 18-23; Luke 6:43-45; Romans 6:16-23; James 3:8-18.


• The nature of the fruit - John 15:7a cp. Galatians 5:22-23; Ephesians 5:9 cp. Matthew 5:1-12. See Romans 8:29; Philippians 3:10 (Christlikeness).


• The source of the Fruit - John 15:4-5; Philippians 1:11.


• The Joy of a Fruitful life - John 15:11 cp. Psalm 16:11; 32:11; 64:10; 97:11.