Jesus looked beyond the cross to the joy set before Him.
When you have something difficult to face or experience, how do you view it?  Do you look beyond it to the outcome?  Or do you grit your teeth; dig in your heels, and state, ‘No way am I doing that!’

(NASB) Hebrews 12:2 “fixing our eyes on Jesus, …who for the joy set before Him endured the cross…”

Jesus endured pain and intense suffering because He looked beyond the cross to the reward that would be His by obedience to His Father.

(NASB) Philippians 2:8 “Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”

It was Jesus on that cross; it was not anyone else, for that was the plan of God the Father.  Jesus prophesied His coming death and resurrection to His twelve disciples.

(NASB) Matthew 20:17-19 “As Jesus was about to go up to Jerusalem, He took the twelve disciples aside by themselves, and on the way He said to them,
18 ‘Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem; and the Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn Him to death,
19 and will hand Him over to the Gentiles to mock and scourge and crucify Him, and on the third day He will be raised up.’”

Why did Jesus obediently go to the cross?  He did it for you!  God the Father’s plan was put into place long before you were even conceived!

(NASB) Hebrews 2:9 “But we do see Him who was made for a little while lower than the angels, namely, Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone.”

(NASB) John 3:16 “For God so loved the world (that’s you), that He gave His only begotten Son (that’s Jesus), that whoever (anyone) believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life (is that you?).”

Remember: Jesus kept His focus on the “joy set before Him.”  Jesus kept His focus on the future joy of being raised from the dead with an eternal, physical body.  He kept His focus on the future joy of being in the presence of His Father.

Take it to heart ~

You and I are to also endure the hard times in our lives because as followers of Christ – heaven waits for us!

Your life is a process – you are encouraged to keep your eyes on Jesus as God your Savior.

Know, without a doubt, that one day all followers of Christ will be in His presence, forever and ever and ever!

(NASB) Hebrews 12:2 “fixing our eyes on Jesus…”