"I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete."
— John 15:11 (NIV)
John 15:11 is Jesus' "that my joy may be in you" verse. This page gives the verse, where it sits in John 15, and a plain reading. For more on the theme, see Bible verses about joy, John 15:9, and John 15:12.
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The verse
The King James reads: "These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full."
"Joy" is chara (G5479), gladness or delight. "Remain" in the KJV is menō (G3306), the same word Jesus uses for "remain in me" and "remain in my love" in this chapter. "Complete" (KJV "full") is plēroō (G4137), to fill to the top.
Where it sits in John 15
Jesus says this to his disciples the night before the crucifixion, in the long talk recorded in John 13-17. John 15 opens, "I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener" (John 15:1), and "I am the vine; you are the branches" (John 15:5).
Just before this verse he says, "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love" (John 15:9-10). Right after it he says, "My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you" (John 15:12).
What the verse is saying
"I have told you this" points back to the vine and the call to remain in his love. Jesus explains why he said it: so that his own joy would live in them. The joy he offers is not a mood they work up. It is his, shared with them.
"Complete" means filled up, nothing missing. Jesus returns to the same promise in John 16:24 ("ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete") and prays it in John 17:13. The joy comes through staying close to him and loving one another, which is why the next verse is the command to love (John 15:12).
Questions people ask
What does John 15:11 say?
In the NIV it says, "I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete." The KJV says, "These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full."
What does "that your joy may be complete" mean?
The Greek plēroō means to fill full. Jesus wants his followers to have his joy without anything lacking, not a thin or partial gladness.
Who is Jesus speaking to in John 15:11?
He is speaking to his disciples on the night before his death, in the talk recorded in John 13-17.
What is the context of John 15:11?
It follows the vine and branches teaching (John 15:1-8) and the call to "remain in my love" (John 15:9-10). It comes right before the command to "love each other as I have loved you" (John 15:12).
What other verses are like John 15:11?
John 16:24 (ask and your joy will be complete), John 17:13 (the full measure of my joy within them), and Psalm 16:11 (fullness of joy in your presence) are close companions.
