At the end of the Passover Supper, Jesus prayed. Although His suffering was just hours away, Jesus was consumed by the glorious prospect of fulfilling the Father’s commission and then being reunited with Him. The work of salvation could only be completed by His death. Despite its shame, that cross would prove to be the most glorious proof of God’s love to the world. It would enable sinful people to have eternal life, and share fellowship with God for ever.
Jesus is the Son of God. Before the world began, God the Father and God the Son shared in a glorious unity with God the Holy Spirit, in heaven. That intimate unity was intentionally disrupted so that the Son could become the Passover Lamb and take away the sins of the world. Dreadful though it would be, Jesus endured the cross because He saw the glory to come. His example is the model for every believer who suffers: Hebrews 12:2 says, “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Jesus’ goal, and the goal of every believer, is not limited to this world, but to be in God’s presence for ever. That prospect is the only wise reason to endure suffering and to keep going despite many difficulties (Philippians 3:10-14). Even though we can do nothing to win our place in heaven, those who believe in Jesus will share His glory because they belong to Him (Romans 8:17). What a wonderful prospect! If Jesus’ heart was filled with those thoughts as He entered His darkest day, they should sustain us through our troubles too. Keep looking ahead to that day when you meet Jesus!
