1. So that your joy may be complete (9-11)

Jesus does not call us in order to make life hard for us. He calls us because he loves us and wants us to be full of joy. Jesus himself was not gloomy or grumpy. He was despised and rejected, a man of sorrows. He suffered and died on the cross, but his heart was joyful because he knew that God loved him, and he wholeheartedly accepted the mission God gave him.

2. As I have loved you (12-17)

Jesus gave us one command: 'Love each other as I have loved you.' How did Jesus love us? He laid down his life for us. He calls us his friends. We are Jesus' friends when we accept his death for our sins. We are his friends if we do what he commands. Jesus shares with his friends the spiritual knowledge and insight which comes from God. He shares the secrets of God. He shares God's great redemptive plan and invites us to participate in it. He calls us to a life of mission. We did not choose him; he chose us and appointed us to go and bear fruit. A fruitful life is a joyful life.

Application: Lord, thank you for being my Friend. Help me to love others.
One Word: Jesus is my best Friend