Running for joy.

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I wonder what Jesus was thinking before He was reduced to a group of cells tucked into the womb of a teenage girl. I wonder if He thought about all He was about to experience; the loss of His control and cognitive awareness, His dependence on a young mother’s body for His infant needs. I wonder if He pondered the pain He would experience at Golgotha. Did He hold His breath as He took the dive from heaven?

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,  fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author 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.”
Hebrews 12:1-2 New International Version

Perhaps He wasn’t thinking primarily about those things at all. Perhaps He was “fixing His eyes” on the Father and the overwhelming joy that would ensue when He would sit down beside Him once again in the throne room of heaven having defeated death, sin, and satan forever. Perhaps He saw us, the faces of His Beloved, free to share in His divine nature, filled with joy in the Father’s presence. Certainly this was His mindset as He ran to earth to begin the race marked out for Him for the glory of the Father and the love of His people. For He calls us to run our race in the same way.

Beloved of God, He has run this race before us clearing the path! He stands before us at the finish line cheering us on! Why would we not throw off the sin that seeks to trip us up and steal our joy?

Let’s fix our eyes on Jesus and run to Him with arms flung wide in freedom! For the joy that was set before Christ is ours today through Him Who ran to us! Amen.

 ^“Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”  Hebrew 12:3 NIV

Copyright photo and text Jennifer Brukiewa