A friend of mine asked a question recently
that wasn't too disimilar to a question I'd asked myself a while back. Her
question was did Jesus go to the cross because he loved us or was it more because
of loving obedience to do his Father's (God) will? You'll remember that on the
night he was taken captive, he prayed in the garden of Gesthemene and, three
times with great intensity he asked his Father if there was any other way around
being horrifically tourtored and murdered. Knowing many of the details, he was not relishing what was about
to happen to him. Not getting an answer any different than what was already written in scripture, he finally concluded
with "Not my will but, your will be done".
The question I'd asked myself that I was curious about was what was the 'joy' that was set before Jesus in Hebrews 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..."
I've since learned from scripture that some of that joy was about him having a spiritually empowered physical(!) body after being raised from the dead, raising the OT believers from the dead like Abraham and Moses, etc. and administering God's promises to them that were never fullfilled in their lifetime, being king over the earth, and whatever other promises God had made about and to the Messiah, Jesus. I'd say those are some pretty incredible things to be excited about! Obviously, with great clarity, Jesus really understood and believed this stuff or Heb. 12:2 wouldn't say he endured for the Joy set before him.
The question I'd asked myself that I was curious about was what was the 'joy' that was set before Jesus in Hebrews 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..."
I've since learned from scripture that some of that joy was about him having a spiritually empowered physical(!) body after being raised from the dead, raising the OT believers from the dead like Abraham and Moses, etc. and administering God's promises to them that were never fullfilled in their lifetime, being king over the earth, and whatever other promises God had made about and to the Messiah, Jesus. I'd say those are some pretty incredible things to be excited about! Obviously, with great clarity, Jesus really understood and believed this stuff or Heb. 12:2 wouldn't say he endured for the Joy set before him.
To answer my friend's question; was it love for us or out of loving obedience to God that he went to the cross, someone else answered by
saying in so many words it was actually both. Yes, Jesus obeyed first and
foremost because of his love for his Father but, to love God is to love your
nieghbor, your brother. According to 1John 4:20 God says that if you say you
love God but don't love your brother, you are a liar. I hardly think
Jesus was a liar. He loved his Father and by that, yes, he loved others enough
that he allowed himself to be tortured and murdered so others could live again
and not stay dead for the rest of eternity. That just amazes me!
Further though, I don't believe scripture gives us permission to think that Jesus had us (the church of his body (1Corinthians 12:27) since the day of Pentecost almost 2000 years ago) in mind per say when he went to the cross since he didn't know the 'sacred secret' (the 'mystery' of Romans 16:25 and Colossians 1:27). I believe that's an important distinction to make that's often missed. But, he did know Peter and John and all the other believers that followed him during his ministry and I'm sure he was really looking forward to being with them again after being was raised from the dead, etc. So, most definitely, as he loved the Father, he really loved them also and was willing to die for them knowing what it would mean to them, himself and his Father, God.
Now, and as it's turned out, he knows about us too since that day of Pentecost. Now, I do believe he is really looking forward, with great joy, to the day he'll call us up in the sky to meet him in the air and then having us with him forever and everything else that goes with that. So again, most definitely, he now loves us too! I mean, WOW! consider how the spirit, Jesus, in Romans 8:26 groans, how he so longs for us! I could imagine any of you wives reading this who have a husband serving a tour of duty in the military overseas, how you must groan within to be with your beloved again. Whatever else Jesus might be presently excited about, he's also very excited about and looking forward to the day he'll see and be with us for real, face to face - If you've believed on him and just to make it clear, that's YOU and ME!
All this has caused me to reconsider the promises God has made to me and ask are His promises to me (us) my joy; do I see them with enough clarity to really embrace them in the midst of my own struggles to endure and still live Godly with joy. Or, do I instead cave and employ my own sinful and ultimately unsatisfying devices to distract and relieve the pain and discomfort of this present life?
Probably - yes definitely - this is a whole other topic but, ultimately, all this brings me (anyway) back around to God's and our Lord's love and how that played out back in the day for his followers and how it plays out for us who desire to follow him today. What did his love really look like then and what can it really look like today to cause us to want to draw closer to our Father God and our Brother Jesus Christ?
There is a wonderful book by auther John Eldredge called Beautiful Outlaw. It illustrates a Jesus who was not, by any stretch, the religious figure that many times influences our perception of him. Instead, he illuminates the gospel accounts to paint a very realistic and inspiring picture of a Jesus who loved (and today, still loves) people in very tangible ways. Here's John Eldredge teaching and presenting a brief overview of some of what he's written in his book. Enjoy!...
Further though, I don't believe scripture gives us permission to think that Jesus had us (the church of his body (1Corinthians 12:27) since the day of Pentecost almost 2000 years ago) in mind per say when he went to the cross since he didn't know the 'sacred secret' (the 'mystery' of Romans 16:25 and Colossians 1:27). I believe that's an important distinction to make that's often missed. But, he did know Peter and John and all the other believers that followed him during his ministry and I'm sure he was really looking forward to being with them again after being was raised from the dead, etc. So, most definitely, as he loved the Father, he really loved them also and was willing to die for them knowing what it would mean to them, himself and his Father, God.
Now, and as it's turned out, he knows about us too since that day of Pentecost. Now, I do believe he is really looking forward, with great joy, to the day he'll call us up in the sky to meet him in the air and then having us with him forever and everything else that goes with that. So again, most definitely, he now loves us too! I mean, WOW! consider how the spirit, Jesus, in Romans 8:26 groans, how he so longs for us! I could imagine any of you wives reading this who have a husband serving a tour of duty in the military overseas, how you must groan within to be with your beloved again. Whatever else Jesus might be presently excited about, he's also very excited about and looking forward to the day he'll see and be with us for real, face to face - If you've believed on him and just to make it clear, that's YOU and ME!
All this has caused me to reconsider the promises God has made to me and ask are His promises to me (us) my joy; do I see them with enough clarity to really embrace them in the midst of my own struggles to endure and still live Godly with joy. Or, do I instead cave and employ my own sinful and ultimately unsatisfying devices to distract and relieve the pain and discomfort of this present life?
Probably - yes definitely - this is a whole other topic but, ultimately, all this brings me (anyway) back around to God's and our Lord's love and how that played out back in the day for his followers and how it plays out for us who desire to follow him today. What did his love really look like then and what can it really look like today to cause us to want to draw closer to our Father God and our Brother Jesus Christ?
There is a wonderful book by auther John Eldredge called Beautiful Outlaw. It illustrates a Jesus who was not, by any stretch, the religious figure that many times influences our perception of him. Instead, he illuminates the gospel accounts to paint a very realistic and inspiring picture of a Jesus who loved (and today, still loves) people in very tangible ways. Here's John Eldredge teaching and presenting a brief overview of some of what he's written in his book. Enjoy!...
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