Do you See the Joy?

I thought it would be a wonderful focus on this Good Friday if we were to try and SEE what Christ saw before Him. Let's start with defining this Greek word hupomeno, we use it as endure in Hebrews 12:2.

1. to tarry behind  
2. to remain i.e. abide, not recede or flee  
3. to preserve: under misfortunes and trials to hold fast to one's faith in Christ  
4. to endure, bear bravely and calmly: ill treatments 

Hebrews 12:2 (GW translation) We must focus on Jesus, the source and goal of our faith. He saw the joy ahead of him, so he endured death on the cross and ignored the disgrace it brought him. Then he received the highest position in heaven, the one next to the throne of God.

 

Another translation speaks or Christ "despising" the shame of the cross. Here it says Christ ignored the disgrace, however it is more than simply not paying attention to it. This Greek word Kataphroneo means to think little or nothing of something.

 

So what God is trying to show us is that we must See what Jesus saw. He thought SO much of his destiny; being back in the throne room of God, having everything placed as a footstool under His feet and pulling all things back together for all eternity that the joy was too large for death to distract Him. Satan threw all the chaos, turmoil, deception and pain that He could at Him, but Christ knew, saw and believed in the things not seen. He trusted, He had faith and He was and is Faithful.

 

So....We must Focus on JESUS. He is the source, He IS the Goal of our Faith. As Paul says in 1 Corinthians 9 24 Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! 25 All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. 26 So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. 27 I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.

This is my prayer for us all: That we see what Christ saw and that we learn as the great cloud of witnesses before us learned so that we can endure - making it to the joy that is set before us.

 

With Love, in Christ,
Candace