Keeping that flame alive

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.

In this verse it shows that Jesus endured the cross and shame for the joy set before Him. What was the joy set before Him? I’m sure most of you know that answer to the question, but if you don’t the answer is: us. We were the joy set before Christ. As He hung on the cross the thing that kept in there and the thing that made Him not give up was knowing that one day He would be spending eternity with us. If that isn’t the love of Christ I don’t know what is. Picture this: Jesus is hanging on the cross and God says to Him(not that God would actually say this but I am trying to paint a picture of Jesus’ love for us) Anyway so Jesus is hanging on the cross and God says this “Since you bore the sins of the world you can have everyone but Ben.” Right then Jesus would’ve called down the angles and gotten off that cross and said “It’s not worth it if I can’t have Ben”. And He would’ve of done the same if God and mentioned any of your names. It would not be worth it to Jesus if He hung on the cross for 99.9% of us . He hung on that cross because He knew that one day we would be with Him for all eternity.

How than shall we live? How does this effect the choices we make? If you notice in Hebrews 12:2 the verse starts out by saying: Looking unto Christ. That means that we as Christians and the Bride of Christ should take this example and live by it. The role is flipped now Christ has already fulfilled His part it’s now our turn. Spending eternity with Christ is now the joy that is set before us. Knowing that one day we will be married to Christ is worth suffering for. When everyone makes fun of us, when we a forced to deny Christ or die we knowing the joy set before us will take a stand and say “I am a son/daughter of God no matter how much you make fun of me, no matter how much you beat me. If you take my life I don’t care because I am living knowing the joy set before knowing that I will be spending eternity abiding in Christ”. To live is Christ to die is gain. We need to live as Christ live. No matter how much suffering we might have to take knowing that He is the joy set before us, is worth dying for.