Last night, in an early remembrance of Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday, we watched The Passion of the Christ, the movie put out by Mel Gibson last year. It is good to remember our Lord’s death. To see the agony He went through to pay the penalty for our sins. The thought is both humbling and sobering.

In Hebrews 12:2-3 it says, “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. For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.”

The Passion gives us a graphic look at what Jesus Christ endured on His way to the cross. The shame He endured, the humiliation, the torture, the torment and the hostility from sinners against Himself is something none of us will ever understand. So why do it? Why put Himself through such pain?

“For the joy set before Him…”

What was the joy He was reaching for? What did He know His death would accomplish that brought Him a joy strong enough to endure it all?

It wasn’t just the joy of Heaven or even of being reunited with His Father. It wasn’t the joy of knowing that His glory, the glory that He had with the Father before the world began, would be restored to Him. He could have had any of these things in the blink of an eye, without enduring any pain or shame or death. He had not sinned, so He was not destined to die. So what could His death possibly accomplish that would cause Him extreme joy?

Only one answer is possible.

Us.

The joy set before Christ, that dangling carrot that caused Him to endure the hostility of sinners, was the joy in knowing that His death and resurrection was the only way that we could be with Him where He was going.

Can you imagine it?

Jesus Christ considered it immense joy to be with His people. He loves us so much, longs for us so intensely, cares for us so deeply, that simply being in our presence brings Him great joy.

He knew that our sin would forever keep us out of Heaven – that literal, perfect place which He has been decorating and preparing for over two thousand years. There was no way His Father could even look on our sin, let alone allow us into that sinless paradise. Our sin had to be covered somehow and the only way for that to happen was for a perfect substitute to take our place.

That’s what Jesus did.

For the joy of being with us someday.

Isn’t that totally awesome?

It makes Resurrection Sunday all the more meaningful.