But why did he come? There is a lot more to it, but we are given a clue in Hebrews 12:2:
Because of the joy awaiting him, [Jesus] endured the cross, disregarding its shame.
And what was the joy awaiting him? (Sorry, as a professor I can't help but to ask questions!)
A little background is required here. At the Fall of Man in the Garden of Eden (3) (hinted at at the beginning of the video in this post, or at this link: http://youtu.be/gmnSnNC8UJk?list=FL54WMG1VODIB2lLnCmBkn5w), something profound was lost. We lost our ability to commune with our Creator - God.
But God lost something too...
He lost us.
And losing us was more than He was willing to bear. He loved us too much to not offer a rescue, even though such a rescue would be costly.
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| Adoration of the Lamb, painting by Jan van Eyck (1432). More information at: http://www.artbible.info/art/large/187.html |
He came to pay a debt he didn't owe, because we owed a debt we couldn't pay.
Back to the question: What was the joy awaiting Jesus by enduring the cross?
The joy awaiting him was relationship with US...our restoration with God for eternity, for those who receive him! (5)
He finds JOY in making us whole! (6)
No wonder the Bible is about Him, that so many songs have been sung and so much has been written about Him, and that so many lives have been transformed by Him throughout the centuries.
What a comforting truth to hold onto at Christmastime and throughout the coming year!
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