Is your picture of Jesus a picture of joy? It should be. While Jesus took many things very seriously, I believe His inner being was full of joy. Why wouldn't it have been? Jesus knew where He was heading, He knew the end result of His mission, and He knew He had brought to the earth God's message of eternal love for man. Not only was He full of joy, He brought with Him the reason for joy, and He was intent on giving joy to those who heard His words.
I realize that last paragraph used the word "joy" way too often to constitute a well-written paragraph...but then again, we're talking about...joy!
I believe Jesus fully understood the seriousness of this life, and the troubles that come with it. After all, He spent the majority of His ministry speaking to people who lived in an oppressive environment, Jews under Roman rule. People who, for the most part, would have been considered in the very lowest of economic classes. These were not people for whom life was easy and carefree. And yet, Jesus wanted them to know joy. He did not promise to change their earthly circumstance, but He promised to give them joy in spite of earthly circumstance.
For just as I stated at the beginning, Jesus knew the outcome of His mission --- the restoration of relationship between mankind and God. But He also knew the steps required for the accomplishment of that mission: His painful death and the excruciating terror of His temporary separation from God. Yet, in spite of His knowledge of what He would go through, He maintained an incomprehensible spirit of joy. Because, unlike any other person on earth, up to and including Einstein, Jesus truly understood the theory of relativity. Jesus knew that this life, relative to eternity, is nothing. There is no pain, no trial, no trouble that we encounter in this life that can compare to the incomprehensible, undefinable perfection of life with God.
So the next time that you are in the middle of one life's valleys, recall that Jesus, even knowing that He would go through the deepest chasm of earth's darkness, kept His joy because He knew what was beyond the darkness ...the incredible, eternal light of His Father.
And the next time that you observe one of life's truly beautiful moments, stop and really savor it. Then recall that Jesus wanted you to have His joy, the joy of knowing that even the most beautiful moment here on earth will pale in comparison to those we behold in eternity.
I realize that last paragraph used the word "joy" way too often to constitute a well-written paragraph...but then again, we're talking about...joy!
I believe Jesus fully understood the seriousness of this life, and the troubles that come with it. After all, He spent the majority of His ministry speaking to people who lived in an oppressive environment, Jews under Roman rule. People who, for the most part, would have been considered in the very lowest of economic classes. These were not people for whom life was easy and carefree. And yet, Jesus wanted them to know joy. He did not promise to change their earthly circumstance, but He promised to give them joy in spite of earthly circumstance.
For just as I stated at the beginning, Jesus knew the outcome of His mission --- the restoration of relationship between mankind and God. But He also knew the steps required for the accomplishment of that mission: His painful death and the excruciating terror of His temporary separation from God. Yet, in spite of His knowledge of what He would go through, He maintained an incomprehensible spirit of joy. Because, unlike any other person on earth, up to and including Einstein, Jesus truly understood the theory of relativity. Jesus knew that this life, relative to eternity, is nothing. There is no pain, no trial, no trouble that we encounter in this life that can compare to the incomprehensible, undefinable perfection of life with God.
So the next time that you are in the middle of one life's valleys, recall that Jesus, even knowing that He would go through the deepest chasm of earth's darkness, kept His joy because He knew what was beyond the darkness ...the incredible, eternal light of His Father.
And the next time that you observe one of life's truly beautiful moments, stop and really savor it. Then recall that Jesus wanted you to have His joy, the joy of knowing that even the most beautiful moment here on earth will pale in comparison to those we behold in eternity.
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