Have you ever had a delicious meal? I mean, finger-licking, bowl slurping, lip smacking, feet swinging toothpick seeking delicious. If you have, I bet you can remember exactly what you ate. What makes a delicious meal even better? A show-stopper dessert wins every time. You know, the kind of dessert that makes you say mmm mmm mmm, from the first bite.
The other night I got a hankering for some peach cobbler. My bedtime story was a picture book of cobblers and recipes also known as Pinterest. The next day, I tried my first attempt at a homemade peach cobbler. To my surprise it was indeed a show-stopper dessert! Now I’m getting steps in daily, so guilt won’t deter me when I make another one.
Yummy experiences like these make us go back to restaurants and order the same meal. Perhaps we search for recipes from that memorable family dinner to try and replicate the meal. But not only do we want to replicate the meal. We want to ignite that same feeling. It is the feeling we get while experiencing something so sweet, tasty, and magical. Oh boy! Now I want a Da Vinci’s maple bacon donut! Mmm mmm mmm.
No matter how much time passes, memories have the ability to stir up those fond feelings of satisfaction beyond belief. There is a phrase found in the holy scriptures for this longing of satisfaction beyond belief, “So that your joy may be complete.” This joy is what the apostle John writes about in the Gospel of John, 1 John, and 2 John. Jesus also used this phrase and even hoped that his followers would have “The full measure of joy within them” (John 17:13).
Christ’s love for us gives us joy beyond measure. Christ died for mankind and salvation is available for all those who believe. “For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13). Christ wants us to experience the same joy that he has within him. It is a joy that no one can take away; it is a joy that is sweet, tasty, and magical. The apostle John left us the recipe. It’s Sharing the Good News with others, which is the show-stopper dessert that makes our joy complete, and it is scrumptious!
References
NRSV Bible, Kindle Edition: John 15:11, 16:24, 17:13, 1 John 1:4, 2 John 12, Romans 10:13