Because his heart was focused on the joy of knowing that you would be his, he endured the agony of the cross and conquered its humiliation, and now sits exalted at the right hand of the throne of God! Hebrews 12:2 (TPT)
Imagine that after twenty years of marriage, your spouse turned to you and said, “Life’s been downright miserable, and I’ve suffered a lot being married to you. Look at all I’ve sacrificed because of my love for you.” That doesn’t sound very heart-warming, does it?
In the same way, if Jesus hadn’t been motivated by love, He could have crossed His arms and announced, “Well, my Father’s making me do this. I’m here now, so let’s move this thing along.”
But His heart wasn’t like that at all. In fact, today’s verse says Jesus loves us so much that He suffered through a shameful, excruciating crucifixion, then died and rose again for the joy that He knew lay beyond the cross.
That doesn’t mean He looked at the cross with joy. It means Christ looked past what He would have to endure to the phenomenal good that would come from His obedience.
He found delight in knowing His death and resurrection would seal an unbreakable new deal with God and give every believer a future with Him forever. Jesus’ sacrifice exploded into the past and forgave every believer right back to Adam, according to Romans 3:25-26 (NLT). And if Jesus doesn’t return in our lifetimes, you can count on His sacrifice to cover your believing great-great-grandkids, too.
Through His obedience, billions of souls finally had a way to enjoy right-standing with God and eternal salvation—including you. Today, focus on the joy Jesus found in giving you that gift, and let His love wash over you.