THE JOY THAT WAS SET BEFORE HIM.
By W. H. B. Miller
“For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” Luke 19:10. Knowing perfectly well what he would have to encounter, the suffering, the terrible conflict, the ignominy, torture, and death, he cheerfully made the great sacrifice “for the joy that was set before him.” His exalted position with the Father, his great name, the adoration of the host of heaven and of the inhabitants of countless worlds, he resigned, and willingly made himself of no reputation “for the joy that was set before him.” Love was the living fountain from which issued this stream of pure self-sacrifice. Love for God’s name and for the glory of his kingdom, love for the great universe of God, and pitying love for fallen humanity. His joy would be but the realization of his loving desires. It is no marvel that our minds can not conceive the supreme earnestness of this divine love when even the angels of God were filled with amazement as they realized the nature of the terrible sacrifice. Jesus taught his disciples to pray, “Hallowed be thy name.” The enemy of God had sought with great subtlety to tarnish the great name of God, and to exalt his own name above that of the loving Creator. Some of the angels believed him and were cast forth from heaven with him. Others who were still loyal to the government of heaven had heard the name of God blasphemed, and had possibly sympathized to a degree with the great deceiver. Driven from God’s presence, he next attacked the new creation, man. We know the disastrous result, —sin and death. Throughout earth’s history his supreme effort has been to misrepresent God. But Christ, by his perfect life and loving deeds, his forgiveness, mercy, humility, goodness, and truth, and finally by his great sacrifice, manifested to earth and heaven, to the fallen and unfallen, God’s perfect character, the glory of his great name. The honor thus brought to the Father was part of “the joy that was set before him.” “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done.” Christ’s great love drew men, through him, to God. His death on Calvary won the loyalty of earth and the universe to the government of heaven. “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.” That he might establish beyond the shadow of a doubt the glory and righteousness of the government of God was part of “the joy that was set before him.” “The penalty of sin is death,” and “all have sinned.” But “God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” God takes no pleasure in death. “He doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men.” His thoughts toward us are thoughts of mercy and peace. Christ came to manifest this, to save men from their sins, to bear the penalty of their sins in his own body, and by a spotless life to clothe them with righteousness and reconcile them to God. His longing desire is to present us faultless before the presence of his Father’s glory, to give us a life that measures with the life of God, to give us a name that is even better than that of sons and daughters, and to fill our hearts, even now, with love, and peace, and joy unspeakable. For this joy that was set before him, he “endured the cross and despised the shame.” “O, that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!” W. H. B. MILLER.