Fixing Our Eyes on Jesus, Our Joy, Part 2

Welcome to Delight in Grace.

The teaching ministry of Rich Powell, pastor of Grace Bible Church in Winston-Salem. Jesus endured the torture and humiliation of the cross. The great commander, with a host of angel armies at his call, bore it all with patient endurance.

Why? Hebrews 12, 2 tells us that he endured it for the joy that was set before him. He aligned his will with the Father's will to bring many people to himself and to bring his Father glory. John MacArthur said that only what was at the end of the race could have motivated Jesus to leave what he did and endure what he did. Today, Pastor Rich continues this series on Hebrews, unpacking Hebrews 12, 2 in this message titled, Fixing Our Eyes on Jesus, Joy. This is part two of the sermon first preached on December 23, 2012. And God made us for himself so that we then can enter into that fellowship and experience complete satisfaction and joy.

That's what brings him joy. John MacArthur says in this, referring to this particular preposition and how he understands it, he says only what was at the end of the race could have motivated Jesus to leave what he did and endure what he did. You see, when Jesus came and he was born, he took on a body, he had a body for two reasons.

One, so that it could die and two, so that it could walk out of the grave. Only what was at the end of the race could have motivated Jesus to leave what he did and endure what he did. You see, this grants us a glimpse into the eternal perspective. God's plan, God's mission that Jesus coming to the earth is part of God's mission.

What is it that he wanted to accomplish? And this glimpse into the eternal perspective we have in Isaiah's prophecy, inscribed some 700 years before Christ was on the earth. Isaiah chapter 53 in verse 11, it says, speaking of Jesus, the suffering Messiah, he shall see the labor of his soul. That word labor is the word travail, hard, anguishing labor. He shall see the labor of his soul. He's not just talking about his physical being.

He's talking about his very soul and the travail, the anguish of his soul. He will see that and be what? Satisfied.

Satisfied. By his knowledge, my righteous servant shall justify many, for he shall bear their iniquities. That's the mystery of godliness, isn't it? That God would do this for us. That he would stoop down to this level, to come down to us, to rescue us. And he did so in human form, for the joy that was set before him. Whether the writer of Hebrew means that he was willing to set aside all the joy of his relationship with his father, because we know that when he was on the cross, his father had to turn his back on him. You see, Jesus came into the world knowing that, that was the mission.

That had to happen if you and I were to have any hope. And that is God's desire that we would be one with him. Who for the joy, or maybe Jesus was looking at it in anticipation, the outcome of it. When he would see the anguish, the travail, the labor of his soul and he would be satisfied.

Why? Because he knew the outcome of the anguish of his soul. And therefore he was satisfied. And so for that joy, what did he do? He endured the cross. That word endure means to stay, it means to hold out. He didn't give up, he didn't quit.

He followed it through to the end. And what was it that he stayed under? It was judgment, it was the wrath of God. It was the fact that he was forsaken, that his father had to turn his back on him. In Trinitarian theology, this is the crux of the gospel right here.

And folks, this is something that you and I will never understand. In human relationships it happens often, where one turns his back and walks away. We will never be able to understand the depths of the anguish of the son of God when the father had to turn his back on him. In our human relationships it hurts, doesn't it?

Yes, there is hurt when someone chooses to turn his back and walk away. The abandonment of that. But this was a relationship that was perfect from eternity. And he was willing to endure this.

Why? So that you and I wouldn't have to have God turn his back on us. You see, he came into the world and he was born in obscurity and laid in the manger and worshiped by the shepherds. So that this could be true. For the joy that was set before him endured the cross.

I've read it before, I'd like to read it again. Contemplate a conversation among the Trinity, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. And eternity passed before the world was. And they're laying out the plan of time and space and a created cosmos in which God would create persons in his image.

Why? So that he could draw them to himself so that their joy could be full. You see, that's the love of God. That's the crux of the Christmas story. And as the Trinity is planning this, they decide amongst themselves.

They say it will give us the opportunity to reveal what otherwise would remain hidden. That we are so good and our love is so profound that we will sacrifice the joy of our community in order to welcome them into community. The Father turns to the Son and he says, Son, at just the right time I will send you to become one of them and to accept the guilt for their sin. Then, and here the Father's voice breaks, I'll break our connection and leave you and let you experience the death of separation from me that all sin deserves. When they see the extremes to which we will go to bring them into our community, the yearning will build into their hearts to be loved like that, will draw them back to loving us fully and trusting us with their very souls. Father, what you ask is painful beyond description to even contemplate.

I cannot imagine what the actual experience will be like of not seeing your face. And yet I am delighted with your plan. It will give me the chance to let people see how wonderful you are. The joy of seeing you glorified makes it worth it all. There is no other way and the Father says no. And the Son then says, then I will go gladly. Your Creator did this for you, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, despising the shame. The shame here, we can find an example of Luke chapter 14 verse 9 says, if you go to visit somebody's house, don't sit in the highest position because someone more important than you might come in and the host of the house might have to send you back to the lowest place. That lowest place is the idea of shame. Jesus came and He took up the lowest place.

Isaiah chapter 53 verse 12, look what it says, because He poured out His soul into death, He was numbered with the transgressions. He took the lowest place. He despised the shame. What does that mean that He despised the shame? It means that He was not concerned with it. He wasn't fearful of it. In other words, He did not allow Himself to be controlled by the prospect of that shame. Because it wasn't anybody else's opinion that counts, it was the Father's opinion that counts. And so He endured the cross, despising the shame.

Why? Because He knew the outcome. He knew the outcome and the outcome was joy. That many sons would be brought back to the Father and that's the joy that the Father desires. I want you to contemplate the Trinity. Let these chairs represent the Trinity. The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

And this Trinity is community that existed in perfection from eternity past. Other focused, spontaneous love and satisfaction existing in this. And they have this communication with each other. We are a loving relationship. It is the nature of love to draw others to yourself.

What can we do to draw others to ourself? Let's create man in our image. And they have that conversation with each other. And the Father looks to the Son and they know that they make man with the capacity to love freely.

Because love by definition is free. And they know that man in his freedom will make the choice to walk away from God. And so God from eternity, from His perfect community looks out and He sees the vast numbers of people created in His image whom He loves. And He says, Son, go.

Go. And so the Son comes. And He becomes one of us. And He takes upon Himself the wrath that we deserve. Seven words that can change your life is available wherever books are sold. As always, tune in to delight and grace weekdays at 10 a.m. .