Many times life isn’t going to give you what you hoped for.  There will be times when people you care about hurt you deeply, there will be times when things at work go bad unexpectedly, and there will be times where you look around and can’t see much hope for positive change on the horizon.  What do you do when your life looks this way?  How will your relationship with God fare, when visibly, it doesn’t seem like you’re getting a fair deal in life?

Imagine for a moment that you are among friends, and one of those friends completely betrays you.  How would this make you feel?  Now imagine that this betrayal led not just to hurt feelings, but to your actual arrest, based upon false testimony?  Now imagine that you are wrongly convicted, and ordered to be beaten with whip that has bones in it, that rip your flesh open.  Now imagine that you, although perfectly innocent are condemened to die.  Now imagine that God tells you that this is His will, so that the very people who falsely accused you, watched your beatings, and mocked you during your execution could have their sins paid for by your death.  That is the story of Jesus, our Lord and Savior.

Isaiah 53:5-6 – “But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed.  All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” 

Clearly this was not a fair deal for Jesus.  He was wronged, so that we would be made right.  How did Jesus deal with His being wronged by others?  It would not be fair to say that Jesus was thrilled about the process of dying, nor being beaten, or spat upon, or seeing his friends be dispersed.  Yet, the Bible tells us that Jesus was joyful in going to the cross, despite all else.

Hebrews 12:1-2 – “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”

What is the root of that joy?  Clearly it wasn’t the physical pain that was set before Him.  Clearly it wasn’t the humiliation of being stripped down and paraded through town.  Well, I don’t believe I can fully understand all of the joy that was with Christ in that moment, but I do believe we find some of it when just before being betrayed, Jesus prays to God the Father in the Garden of Gethsemane.  Matthew 26:38-24 – ” Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.”  And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”  And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, “So, could you not watch with me one hour?  Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”  Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.”

Jesus delighted in at least three things when going to the cross 1)  His fellowship with the Father through obedience  2)  The seeing and becoming the fullness of the glory of God displayed on the cross and 3)  His final disarming of the power of sin and putting to open shame Satan and his minions (Col 2:15).  Every one of those things that were a part of Jesus’ joy, as he endured the cross, should be what we strive for, as we deal with the day to day struggles life brings.  Now there are times when our sin is the cause of our struggles, and in those cases, my exhortation would be to turn to Christ, looking to the cross, to repent and believe that in Christ you have been freed from bondage to that sin.  For other times, when you struggle to see purpose in the hard times of life, press into the joy of Christ.  Press into the joy you have in relationship and obedience to Christ.

Press into the joy you have in seeing and savoring the glory of God, displayed in the cross – His love, His justice, His mercy, His sovereign power, and know that as an adopted son/daughter of God, all that God is for us in Christ is our inheritance for now and eternity.  Lastly, press into the joy of your triumph through Christ over sin and the schemes of our enemy.  It’s because of these things that you can know that God loves you, will bring you through whatever you’re going through now, and has a good purpose to use these hard times for our good, and His glory.  Don’t lose the opportunity for the glory of God to be revealed through you during hard times.  Turn to God, and let the world see that Christ is more valuable than anything that the world might offer or take away, and in Him, we have a joy that surpasses understanding, that pierces the most difficult of times.

Grace and Peace,
Adam