Jesus' Joy- Eternal Salvation for Us.

Heb 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 is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. 

The joy set before Jesus. What was the joy set before Jesus?

Heb 5:9  And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him

The AUTHOR of ETERNAL SALVATION.

What JOY! Jesus could endure the cross, Jesus could despise the shame because after all He suffered He sat down at the right hand of the throne of God- the AUTHOR of ETERNAL SALVATION.

Had Jesus NOT endured the cross He would NOT have become the Author of Eternal Salvation.

Jesus looked BEYOND the suffering. No one can say He didn't suffer, that He didn't feel pain. Jesus felt every single bit of the pain given to Him. Jesus didn’t live in a magical bubble that made Him feel the horrors of the world less than others. Jesus wasn't given super-human flesh that could bleed yet feel no hurt. If Jesus suffered to obtain Eternal Salvation for us, why do we believe we shouldn't suffer? Did Jesus complain about His suffering? Did our Savior say these words--

Luk 22:41  And he was withdrawn from them about a stone's cast, and kneeled down, and prayed, 

Luk 22:42  Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done. 

Is that a complaint? If not a complaint it was a recognition about what was to come, what needed to be endured. The cup Jesus had been given was filled with agony- mental, emotional, and physical torture. Clearly no one would WANT to drink from that cup, and if there were any other way surely they would seek that other less torturous way. Jesus asked His Father to remove the cup from Him if He was willing, but the Father wasn't willing. The atonement had to be made if the humans were to be offered eternal salvation. If that cup had been removed from Jesus as He willed it to be removed, He would NOT have become the Author of Eternal Salvation. More than His own will, Jesus wanted the Father's will to be done.

Joh_10:30  I and my Father are one.

Jesus and His Father were one in agreement- they BOTH agreed on the plan of salvation long before it was implemented.

1Pe 1:18  Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 

1Pe 1:19  But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: 

1Pe 1:20  Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you

Before the foundation of the world Jesus and the Father agreed that Jesus would take on flesh and in that flesh He would suffer and die to redeem mankind should they choose to be separated from them through sin. The plan of salvation was one that was made long before Jesus came to earth to suffer. This "cup" Jesus willed would be removed from Him was a "cup" He knew He had to drink from for thousands of years.  Herein again we have to remind ourselves that a day is as a thousand years with God, still, Jesus knew the plan of redemption wouldn't be a pleasant one and He agreed to the plan before the world even had a foundation. Jesus and God agreed on the plan and still Jesus prayed that if God the Father willed, that the plan be stopped.  Jesus' will seemed to have gone down another path away from God's and yet in the same breath of asking, Jesus relented- saying NOT HIS WILL, but GOD'S WILL BE DONE. As much as Jesus asked for something He knew He couldn't receive, He revealed that even HE was subject to the Father's will- even though He and His Father had already agreed as one. Jesus WANTED the Father's will to be done because He knew He agreed with His Father's will. The agony of the beginning of Jesus' end on the cross was terrifying and not something any human should have wanted.

Jesus was looking to the JOY of Eternal Salvation that He could author into existence by His sacrifice.

Heb 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 is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. 

For the JOY SET BEFORE HIM,  HE ENDURED!

For the JOY set before us THROUGH HIM, we must endure!

Eternal Salvation- this wondrous, joyous gift to us came at an incalculable price. One of our three Gods-  God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit- DIED to give this gift to us-- let us never forget.