December 15
Blessed is the one
whose transgressions are forgiven,
whose sins are covered.
Blessed is the one
whose sin the Lord does not count against them
and in whose spirit is no deceit.
–Psalm 32:1-2
I have often imagined what it would have been like to watch the events of Jesus’ crucifixion unfold; to see Him drag that rough, heavy cross to the place of murderers and thieves; to watch Christ spill human blood and experience mortal pain and suffering; to watch day turn to night and to feel the ground tremble as He breathed His last. Would I have been capable of perceiving the weight and meaning of those events? Would I have been able to see the joy in that moment?
As we celebrate the beauty of this holiday season, it is easy to overlook the reason Jesus came to Earth. The lovely stories of a babe in a manger, with angels singing overhead and a world at peace, don’t often mention the fact that He came to live a human life, to give that life up
for our salvation. He took upon Himself the sins of the world.
The Word provides many examples of joy in the midst of hardship. As the Israelites followed Moses out of Egypt, they faced the prospect of becoming lost in the desert, far from the Promised Land, yet they set aside time to worship Him.
The Apostle Paul was beaten and jailed for teaching Christ, but he proclaimed in 2 Corinthians 12:10, “That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships,
persecutions and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
King David was pursued, his throne stolen, his life repeatedly in peril, yet he penned some of our most beloved words of praise and joy in the Bible.
It can be so easy to become bogged down in the hardships around us. Grief, worry, sickness, injustice — the earthly costs of our sins can seem impossible to bear. Yet those of us who have embraced faith, who put our trust in the Lord, who turn to God in times of the seemingly unbearable weight of this world... we can find joy in knowing that our sins do not count against us. We have a heavenly goal to look forward to because we are forgiven, where our pain and sadness will be washed away. We can rejoice in knowing that the winter seasons of our lives, which seem bleak and hopeless, cold and forsaken, will come to an end, and we will be delivered into the springtime of heaven’s waiting arms.
whose transgressions are forgiven,
whose sins are covered.
Blessed is the one
whose sin the Lord does not count against them
and in whose spirit is no deceit.
–Psalm 32:1-2
I have often imagined what it would have been like to watch the events of Jesus’ crucifixion unfold; to see Him drag that rough, heavy cross to the place of murderers and thieves; to watch Christ spill human blood and experience mortal pain and suffering; to watch day turn to night and to feel the ground tremble as He breathed His last. Would I have been capable of perceiving the weight and meaning of those events? Would I have been able to see the joy in that moment?
As we celebrate the beauty of this holiday season, it is easy to overlook the reason Jesus came to Earth. The lovely stories of a babe in a manger, with angels singing overhead and a world at peace, don’t often mention the fact that He came to live a human life, to give that life up
for our salvation. He took upon Himself the sins of the world.
The Word provides many examples of joy in the midst of hardship. As the Israelites followed Moses out of Egypt, they faced the prospect of becoming lost in the desert, far from the Promised Land, yet they set aside time to worship Him.
The Apostle Paul was beaten and jailed for teaching Christ, but he proclaimed in 2 Corinthians 12:10, “That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships,
persecutions and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
King David was pursued, his throne stolen, his life repeatedly in peril, yet he penned some of our most beloved words of praise and joy in the Bible.
It can be so easy to become bogged down in the hardships around us. Grief, worry, sickness, injustice — the earthly costs of our sins can seem impossible to bear. Yet those of us who have embraced faith, who put our trust in the Lord, who turn to God in times of the seemingly unbearable weight of this world... we can find joy in knowing that our sins do not count against us. We have a heavenly goal to look forward to because we are forgiven, where our pain and sadness will be washed away. We can rejoice in knowing that the winter seasons of our lives, which seem bleak and hopeless, cold and forsaken, will come to an end, and we will be delivered into the springtime of heaven’s waiting arms.
We have a heavenly goal to look forward to because we are forgiven
In this Advent season, we recognize that there can be no Atonement without the Advent. Jesus was born to die. It was the Messiah’s unimaginable sacrifice that made it possible for us to look forward to an eternity spent with Him.
I would offer to anyone experiencing the hardships of this corrupt world to look for moments of peace and beauty; to take the time to lament these seasons of pain, and then use the strength offered by His promises to look forward to the beauty of our heavenly reward. It is because of His love and sacrifice for us that we can anticipate the renewal that awaits us. Embrace this covenant with joy and trust in Him.
I would offer to anyone experiencing the hardships of this corrupt world to look for moments of peace and beauty; to take the time to lament these seasons of pain, and then use the strength offered by His promises to look forward to the beauty of our heavenly reward. It is because of His love and sacrifice for us that we can anticipate the renewal that awaits us. Embrace this covenant with joy and trust in Him.
Joy // The Joy of Jesus' Death | Michelle Lemley
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