John 15:11

These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.

Jesus had spoken of the Holy Spirit repeatedly during that evening; and since the fruit of the Holy Spirit is "love, joy, peace ... etc." (Galatians 5:22), it is rather significant that this triad of love, joy, and peace finds such tremendous emphasis throughout this discourse. (See also John 14:27.) This rather extended discussion of the FRUITS of the Holy Spirit must therefore be viewed as preparatory to Jesus' return to the subject of the Holy Spirit later in the discourse. These sacred references to the fruits of the Spirit throughout the farewell discourse disprove the allegations of Windisch and others who claim that the Spirit passages do not fit.

Joy ... Like the love mentioned in John 15:10, the joy here is not so much a subjective state of ecstasy as it is a state of spiritual serenity, much higher and more satisfying than a mere emotional state of euphoria. All such things as fun, pleasure, delight, happiness, gladness, etc., are on a lower level than the joy promised by the Lord.