For the Joy Set Before Him

Continuing my meditation leading up to Easter, I was thinking much about the following verses:

(NIV)John 17:4, 13
"I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. [13] “I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them."

Specifically verse 13, where Jesus says that He has completed the work the Father gave him to do. He clearly hadn't gone through His Passion and death, or His resurrection, but was saying the work was completed in the Father's eyes. One of the commentaries I read said that this is how the Father relates to us all, not as we are, but we are in our future perfected state. I guess, seeing the beginning and the end is helpful perspective, which is a complete understatement.

Also, these verses clearly indicates Jesus is looking forward to all that He will endure, and speaks about the full measure of joy that He has while looking toward His brutal Passion and death. Hebrews 12 says the following:

(NIV)Hebrews 12:2
fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

So Jesus, as He looks forward, sees the Joy of the completed sacrifice, the salvation and redemption of those who are His. He sees the results, understands the sacrifice and is filled with joy by it all. In fact, He wanted His disciples to be filled with the same joy that He had, being filled to the full measure of His joy. Another one of those unfathomable statements.

He was, by His obedience into death, going to provide the way for all people to be restored to relationship with the Father. He was going to pay the price for all sins. He was going to shatter the power of the enemy. He was going to break the bonds of death. He said that all the angels in heaven rejoice over a single sinner who repents, what must the celebration been like in heaven when the veil was torn in two?

So, as we contemplate the Passion and death of Jesus, let us remember His joy, and His prayer that we might be filled to the full measure of His joy.