“Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross…” (Hebrews 12:2)
There was something before Jesus that made Him willing to walk the way of suffering, sometimes called the Via Dolorosa (Latin for “Sorrowful Way”). It was not ease, nor applause, nor comfort—but joy. A joy so deep and eternal that it outweighed the agony and shame of this way of suffering and the crucifixion at Calvary.
What was that joy? It was the joy of the redemption of souls, the defeat of sin and death, and the restoration of fellowship between a holy God and fallen man. It was the joy of bringing His Father glory through perfect obedience. It was the joy of seeing His people—washed, redeemed, and rejoicing forever in His presence. The joy of taking a bride without spot and blameless.
When Jesus saw what lay beyond the cross, He did not shrink back. The word “set before” in Greek means “laid out in plain sight.” He saw what the cross would purchase. And He endured—not because the pain was pleasing or pleasant, but because the purpose and plan was eternally precious.
Today, we as believers, are invited to be partakers of His joy. Not as mere spectators, but as participants in the continuing story of redemption. When we labor, pray, and weep for lost souls, we share in the same purpose that moved the heart of Christ. When we surrender our comfort, endure misunderstanding, and faithfully serve in quiet places, we step not only into a way of suffering but also into the streams of His own joy.
This joy is not the shallow kind the world offers. It is the deep, quiet gladness that flows from obedience and love—joy that looks ahead to eternity, joy that will one day be full.
We are not only saved by His sacrifice; we are called to live for the same purpose that led Him to the cross—to see men and women reconciled to God. Each redeemed life is a jewel in that everlasting joy He saw from afar.
When we stand at last in His presence, surrounded by those who have believed because someone prayed, someone gave, someone went, someone taught—we will understand fully what it means to be partakers of His joy.
Until then, let us endure our own small crosses with our eyes on Jesus, knowing that the same joy that sustained Him is also there to sustain us. The fellowship of His suffering will lead to the fellowship of His joy.
— Harold R. Troyer