“For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. ” Hebrews 12:2b
Imagine if you will watching a loved one face charges that were false and then be convicted of them without a trial. Then as you are trying to figure out how to help, the guards beat your loved one almost to the point that you can’t recognize them. They then parade your loved one down the street for all the people gathered around to yell at them, hurl insults at them and possibly throw things at them. Your loved one is then executed in a slow painful way. Now imagine that your loved one volunteered to be the one that paid for the charges that were brought.
Most people are not able to wrap their minds around the idea that anyone would do that, that they would willingly give their life so that others would be saved. It is hard to imagine a guilty person being willing to give up their life let alone an innocent person being willing to give that gift to the very people who are hurling insults at them and executing them.
In the second half of Hebrews 12:2, it states that ‘for the joy set before Him’. There is little ‘joy’ to be found in the scene described above, but Jesus found it. He knew that by allowing the guards to take Him and place Him on the cross that He would wipe out everyone’s sins, that ALL would be forgiven. The joy He focused on was in the completed event, the debt being paid and the hold that sin had on everyone being lifted.
Jesus was willing to face the shame that came with being crucified because this manner of death was reserved for the most horrific criminals. He knew the pain that would come as a result of His muscles weakening and His lungs collapsing. Jesus knew that this price had to be paid by someone who had not committed any of the crimes, had not sinned. He also knew that when it was over that He would be home again with His father sitting at His right hand, His rightful place in Heaven.
I know it can seem very hard to believe that someone would do that for you and me, but Jesus did that very thing for each and everyone of us. He did His part, so for us to do our part, we simply need to believe and accept.
Can you accept that He endured the cross for you?