He enjoyed the territory, always most content when he rode alone in new country, given time to enjoy the solitude with his Lord and all of His creation.”
–B.N. Rundell (Last Chance Gulch)
“Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not see him now, yet by believing in him, you are filled with a joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory.”
–1 Peter 1:8 (ESV)
———————————-
“It is joy unspeakable and full of glory,
Oh, the half has never yet been told.”
–B.E. Warren
What a tremendous Easter song! But wait, this is a solemn, sorrowful time. We read the words of Isaiah, “He was despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.” (53:3, NKJV) He was a man of sorrows, He knew and experienced grief, more than any man who ever lived, for He saw sin in its reality and fullness, and in fact, felt it firsthand. Yes, it was agony, shame, and the cross was real, the pain was real, but there was more. Jesus was a man full of joy!
I cannot remember in my long years a message of the joy of the Holy Week. Yes, there are songs of triumph, of victory, of overcoming, but joy? Those last few weeks before the crucifixion Jesus did much teaching about what was to come and what to expect. One of the aspects He told His disciples was that of joy. John tells us, “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.” (15:11, NKJV). The cross is looming before Him, the intense agony of physical torture and of spiritual torture waits only days away, and Jesus is speaking of joy.
We tend to dwell and stay only on the intenseness of the cross and that whole week of ordeal. But there is more, so I want to just take a few moments and in this week of Jesus moving towards Calvary and think of His joy. George Morrison tells us that “Jesus’ joy was an intense reality.” While many dwell on the sorrow, and walk around with a lower lip hanging on the ground, Jesus was speaking of joy. Look at His life and often we see His joy. It was the times of joy that the Pharisees could not understand and caused them consternation. They could understand sorrow, grief coming from the Messiah, but joy?
Jesus living in the fullness of life. The fruit of the Spirit burst forth from His very being. “Morally, He was in perfect poise with heaven. Spiritually, He had the fullness of the Spirit.” (Morrison) He had life, and He came so others could have life, and that they might have it abundantly. (John 10:10) Morrison says, “He came to give what He Himself possessed. And that abundant life, rooted in His sinlessness and continually enriched by new obedience, was one of the splendid secrets of His joy.”
The source of Jesus’ joy was in the relationship with the Father. Jesus’ joy was rooted in the love and fellowship with the Father. The source of Jesus’ joy was complete surrender to His purpose in life. His vocation, His calling and surrendering to it brought joy. He was completely surrendered to the will of the Father. As Morrison reminds us, “Neglect your work and you are never glad. Do it half-heartedly, and gloom is everywhere. But give yourself to it, with heart and soul and strength, and all the birds are singing in the trees.”
The source of Jesus’ joy was the fulfillment of His purpose. He looked forward to the reward of His suffering, agony, and death. We read in Hebrew 12:2, “Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (NKJV) J.B. Phillips translates it this way, “For he himself endured a cross and thought nothing of its shame because of the joy he knew would follow his suffering…” I have to take some inventory here on my own life. The cross I am told to pick up, do I do it with joy knowing that there is a reward waiting? Do I moan and groan, whine and complain, or do I see the results and thus pick it up and carry it joyfully, rejoicing on my way?
Easter, a glorious time! Take time to reflect, to contemplate, to meditate. Take time with family, enJOY them. Take some time to be alone with the Lord. However, in all of this know that the joy of the Lord is your strength, and that we should have joy unspeakable as we travel this often troublesome road to glory.
“Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not see him now, yet by believing in him, you are filled with a joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory.”
–1 Peter 1:8 (ESV)
———————————-
“It is joy unspeakable and full of glory,
Oh, the half has never yet been told.”
–B.E. Warren
What a tremendous Easter song! But wait, this is a solemn, sorrowful time. We read the words of Isaiah, “He was despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.” (53:3, NKJV) He was a man of sorrows, He knew and experienced grief, more than any man who ever lived, for He saw sin in its reality and fullness, and in fact, felt it firsthand. Yes, it was agony, shame, and the cross was real, the pain was real, but there was more. Jesus was a man full of joy!
I cannot remember in my long years a message of the joy of the Holy Week. Yes, there are songs of triumph, of victory, of overcoming, but joy? Those last few weeks before the crucifixion Jesus did much teaching about what was to come and what to expect. One of the aspects He told His disciples was that of joy. John tells us, “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.” (15:11, NKJV). The cross is looming before Him, the intense agony of physical torture and of spiritual torture waits only days away, and Jesus is speaking of joy.
We tend to dwell and stay only on the intenseness of the cross and that whole week of ordeal. But there is more, so I want to just take a few moments and in this week of Jesus moving towards Calvary and think of His joy. George Morrison tells us that “Jesus’ joy was an intense reality.” While many dwell on the sorrow, and walk around with a lower lip hanging on the ground, Jesus was speaking of joy. Look at His life and often we see His joy. It was the times of joy that the Pharisees could not understand and caused them consternation. They could understand sorrow, grief coming from the Messiah, but joy?
Jesus living in the fullness of life. The fruit of the Spirit burst forth from His very being. “Morally, He was in perfect poise with heaven. Spiritually, He had the fullness of the Spirit.” (Morrison) He had life, and He came so others could have life, and that they might have it abundantly. (John 10:10) Morrison says, “He came to give what He Himself possessed. And that abundant life, rooted in His sinlessness and continually enriched by new obedience, was one of the splendid secrets of His joy.”
The source of Jesus’ joy was in the relationship with the Father. Jesus’ joy was rooted in the love and fellowship with the Father. The source of Jesus’ joy was complete surrender to His purpose in life. His vocation, His calling and surrendering to it brought joy. He was completely surrendered to the will of the Father. As Morrison reminds us, “Neglect your work and you are never glad. Do it half-heartedly, and gloom is everywhere. But give yourself to it, with heart and soul and strength, and all the birds are singing in the trees.”
The source of Jesus’ joy was the fulfillment of His purpose. He looked forward to the reward of His suffering, agony, and death. We read in Hebrew 12:2, “Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (NKJV) J.B. Phillips translates it this way, “For he himself endured a cross and thought nothing of its shame because of the joy he knew would follow his suffering…” I have to take some inventory here on my own life. The cross I am told to pick up, do I do it with joy knowing that there is a reward waiting? Do I moan and groan, whine and complain, or do I see the results and thus pick it up and carry it joyfully, rejoicing on my way?
Easter, a glorious time! Take time to reflect, to contemplate, to meditate. Take time with family, enJOY them. Take some time to be alone with the Lord. However, in all of this know that the joy of the Lord is your strength, and that we should have joy unspeakable as we travel this often troublesome road to glory.