Walking Through Sorrow into Joy

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This message takes a look at the sorrow Jesus experienced through the final days and weeks of his earthly ministry and relates it to the text in Heb. 12:2 which speaks about the "joy that was set before him." In the Lenten season, this message attempts to encourage believers to follow in the steps of Jesus and realize that all sorrow is nothing compared to the joy that awaits.

Written Excerpts:

Hebrews 12:2 ^(NKJV)  looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Introduction:

Before I begin the sermon I want to share a story I saw on the internet a few weeks ago.

Headline: “Lottery winner sues, says she was too young to handle money.”

The story is about a 17-year-old who says winning Britain jackpot ruined her life. To me, this seems to illustrate how twisted our world has become for some people to really think it is the government’s fault (or lottery commission) that a jackpot winner foolishly blew through millions of dollars and is now destitute.

The title of my message today is, “Walking through Sorrow into Joy,” but this lottery story seems to illustrate someone who “walked straight through hilarious joy right into sorrow.”

Today is the second Sunday of Lent. I felt the Lord leading me to present a message today related to this season when we are thinking about the path Jesus walked toward his crucifixion and subsequent resurrection and ascension.

When we study the messages, stories and actions of Jesus leading up to his voluntary sacrifice, we can gain plenty of insight into the kind of people we need to be. One of the subjects related to the journey Jesus took prior to his crucifixion is the subject of suffering and sorrow.

A few years ago on Palm Sunday I preached a message called, “The Weeping King.” It was a sermon based on the story of Jesus weeping over the city of Jerusalem as he descended the Mount of Olives on the “Triumphal Entry.” He clearly was expressing intense sorrow over what the future held for a city and a people who had been given so many opportunities and privileges.

That was not the only time we read about his sorrow. Listen again to the passage that was read earlier: Mark 14:32-34 Then they came to a place which was named Gethsemane; and He said to His disciples, "Sit here while I pray." And He took Peter, James, and John with Him, and He began to be troubled and deeply distressed. Then He said to them, "My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch."

I can’t even begin to comprehend the depth of sorrow Jesus must have been feeling that night in the Garden of Gethsemane. Judging by the kinds of statements He made to His disciples during the Last Supper and even before, His sorrow had to include the realization that His closest followers didn’t really understand the truth about His mission.

But that night couldn’t have been the end of sorrow for the Savior. The ordeal he endured the next day with the sham of a trial, the flogging, and the crucifixion all would have produced sorrow upon sorrow. Yet, I’m certain the deepest sorrow of all was the sense of abandonment when he cried out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

The primary text that I want to discuss with you this morning is found in Hebrews 12.

Hebrews 12:2    looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

I want to talk a little while about the meaning of this phrase when it says Jesus endured the cross, despised the shame all because of the joy that was set before him.

Endured the cross – I think we all have heard numerous descriptions of what it was like to die on the cross. It was an excruciating death.

Jesus endured, persevered to the end – death.

Despised the shame - This is not [merely] the shame of dying a criminal's death but the shame of dying the death of a criminal who was accounted as accursed by God by his executioners (Galatians 3:13 ^(NKJV) Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree"); so also Phil. 2:8. "Despising (the) shame" does not mean that the shame was a small thing, but that, in comparison with the joy, Christ scorned to consider it. (Lenski New Testament Commentary)

This author is stressing the point that the shame Jesus despised was the “scandal” or “curse” that was associated with crucifixions. And, as he stated, it doesn’t mean that He merely viewed it as a small matter, but He actually scorned it; wouldn’t even consider it. Why? Because He knew the joy ahead.

For the joy that was set before Him – "The joy lying before him" is the glorification that followed the sufferings plus his kingship over all believers.... During his entire humiliation, especially when he was foretelling the cross, Jesus referred to his resurrection and the enthronement with his Father. (Lenski New Testament Commentary)

In the past I’ve read that some believed the phrase should have been translated, “…instead of the joy that was set before Him,” implying the same as Philippians 2 where “He did not consider His equality with God as something to be held onto, but humbled Himself to death, even death on the cross.” But here the sentence structure reads, “The joy that lay before Him” (not behind Him).

The joy that spurred Him on to endure the cross, the shame and the intense sorrow was based on His anticipation of the return to glory with the Father and to sit in authority and honor at His right hand. Jesus willingly walked the road of sorrow through each and every day that led up to His painful death and abandonment because He knew “joy was coming in the morning.”

(Psalm 30:5 For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; Weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning.)

Application to believers:

When Jesus calls us to follow Him, it includes sorrow in one form or another. There may be suffering, there may be rejection, and there may be other sources of sorrow that we have to face. These are all things that He told us to expect. But as we walk with Him through the valleys of sorrow, let us never forget that sorrow is not the end. Remember that Jesus walked through all His sorrow with His eyes focused on the coming joy.

Tyndale Commentaries - The linking of joy with suffering in this verse echoes a constant New Testament theme. Indeed on the eve of his passion Jesus spoke of his joy and of his desire that his disciples should share it.

John 15:9-11 ^(NKJV) "As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.

John 17:13 ^(NKJV) But now I come to You, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have My joy fulfilled in themselves.

Jesus knew the absolute joy and delight that awaited Him because He had shared the glory of the Father before coming to live among men. He also promised that His joy would remain in us and fill up our joy.

Sorrow is a normal part of life. And the Bible tells us that suffering rejection, persecution and opposition is a normal part of the Christian life. As we make every effort to walk in the steps of Jesus, let us keep our focus on the joy that is coming.

Yes, we certainly have a taste of that now as we fellowship with Christ and with His people, but there is coming a day when the joy will be “out of this world!”

Let us close the service by singing the hymn: All for Jesus