We all know that enduring the Cross
is not a menial task. Still, Jesus endured it, even though he struggled at
first when he said, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me…”
(Luke 22:42). But what made him do it anyway? Hebrews 12:1 says that Jesus
endured the shame of the Cross because of the “Joy” that was set before
him. What Joy did Jesus see in the Cross? You see, when Jesus endured the Cross,
he did not do it for himself. When he looks at the Cross, he
understands the pain and the suffering that he must undergo. Still, he does it
anyway because it brings Joy to him, knowing that the ones who believe in his
death on the Cross will be saved. There was Joy because he saw you and me
entrenched in sin and in need of healing, so freeing us from the shackles of
sin and death gave him immense Joy. That Joy is his love for us.
Therefore, let us be reminded on
this Good Friday that Jesus endured the Cross with Joy because he
saw us at the end of it all. Let his death on the Cross through his grace
empower us “to lay
aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely and let us run with
perseverance the race that is set before us” (Hebrews 12:1) and “live lives that are self-controlled,
upright, and godly” (Titus 1:11-12).
Photo by Pixabay: https://www.pexels.com/photo/low-angle-photo-of-concrete-cross-under-clouds-208315/
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