Jesus woke up one morning, knowing the worst events of His earthly life lay ahead.
He knew He would be arrested. After being arrested, He knew He would be beaten and spit upon; He would be whipped until His back was a bloody pulp; He would have a crown of thorns smashed down on His head; finally, He would die in one of the most inhumane ways possible.
Let’s go one step further. He knew He couldn’t escape from it. He couldn’t sail away on a ship or run into the desert. He couldn’t call a friend. Once He was arrested, He knew He must go all the way until spikes were driven into His hands and feet. Incredibly, He never raised one finger to save Himself.
Was He anxious at all? Listen to His words while praying in the Garden of Gethsemane: “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.” (Matthew 26:39)
Those words reveal His anxiety full display. Yet, He finishes the verse as if He’s looking towards His Father and saying, “I’ve got this.”
It’s impossible to see joy in this situation. But Jesus isn’t a mere human; we’re watching the Son of God.
Prior to His anxious words, He says this: “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son, that the Son may glorify You.” (John 17:1) If we connect ‘glory’ and ‘joy,’ His words point to the reality of a future joy.
Earlier that day, Jesus told the Disciples He was leaving them. Of course, His announcement threw them into deep distress. They had spent the last three years with Him, every day and every hour. Now, He announces He’s leaving them, and they can’t go with Him? Of course, He’s hinting at His crucifixion.
To calm them, He says, “Truly, truly, I say to you, that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; you will grieve, but your grief will be turned into joy.” (John 16:20)
Wait a second, Jesus! You’re leaving, and we Disciples are going to experience joy? What’s wrong with that picture?
He provides the answer two verses later: “Therefore, you too have grief now; but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you.” (John 16:22) Now, Jesus is saying the Disciples are going to have an indestructible joy.
How is that possible? You are our leader, you’re going away and we can’t follow. Yet, you’re saying we’ll have an indestructible joy because of this? Excuse us, Jesus, our eyebrows are raised as we put on our skeptic hats.
The clue is found in these words: “…but I will see you again.” At this point, the Disciples have as much concept of the Resurrection as they do a Chevy Camaro. But in a few hours, once they witness the Resurrection, they will understand and live the rest of their days filled with indestructible joy regardless of their circumstances.
It began with Jesus facing His horrible fate with His joy kept vibrant through the reality of His coming glory with the Father. In turn, even though each of these men were brutally murdered for their unshakable faith in their risen Savior, their joy remained intact. Those circumstances have been repeated over and over throughout Christian history by martyred Believers. Always, the joy remained.
No higher joy can exist than the joy of knowing you belong to Christ. The joy of knowing Him blossoms as you await your future glory when you join Him for all of eternity. Towards the end of His prayer, Jesus says this to the Father: “The glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as we are one.” (John 17:22) Talk about a future!
Come to Jesus, and He will sweep you off your feet with His glorified and indestructible joy!