Although Jesus has spoken of His departure as approaching, He is still speaking within the world and within the hearing of His disciples. He explains that one purpose of His words is that they may possess His joy in its fullness.
Jesus in Context
That They May Have My Joy Fulfilled in Them
Jesus explains that He speaks these things while still in the world so that His own joy may be brought to fullness in His disciples.
Introduction
Historical and Cultural Context
Joy is a recurring theme in the Farewell Discourse. Jesus has told the disciples that their sorrow will be transformed into joy and that no one will ultimately take that joy from them. The language is striking because these statements occur immediately before His arrest and crucifixion.
Why It Matters
Jesus' joy is not presented as dependence upon comfortable circumstances. His disciples are about to experience grief, fear, and hostility, yet Jesus speaks of a joy rooted in His relationship with the Father and in the accomplishment of His mission. He desires that this same joy become theirs.