Sometimes, particularly after a bad experience, I wonder how God’s heart must break from all the evil that we do to each other. The harm, hate and abuse we pour into each other. It’s bad enough what this does to us, I can only imagine God’s pain from seeing it.
There was a particular horror that Jesus experienced. God brutally murdered. Judged and executed in full public display.
Jesus’ father forsook him, his friends either denied or betrayed him, his community rejected him. He experienced all of the pain and misery, harm, hate and abuse that we’ve suffered. This means he understands and can relate to us.
The resurrection of Jesus means he’s overcome all of the evil. The sting of death has been removed. The table is now set for joy.
And there are moments of ecstatic joy, where we’re living, breathing, dancing, loving. Being human. Moving with the rhythm of life that God has put into us. I can’t help but think of God’s joy when he sees us flourish. I feel a very partial sense of this joy when I see someone smile so authentically that I can’t help but smile too. I sense it in a car with the windows rolled down and my favorite song blasting, I feel it when my favorite football team kicks a game winning field goal from 61 yards. I see it in videos like Happy by Pharrell Williams, or Fortunate Son by Creedence Clearwater Revival. Fully expressing ourselves, each of us in our own unique way, with every ounce of humanness the Lord has given us. God also sees us in our joy.
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There’s more joy that awaits us, but there’s also a joy that God is waiting for. He longs to be with us in eternity. According to Revelation 21:1-4, he’ll get that party started with a wedding.
“… looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2)