The Exceeding Beauty of the Glory of Christ was magnified when He died on the cross in our place. His love shone forth His Glory as He willingly took upon Himself the sin and guilt of mankind. He, who was God, left His throne to suffer and bare the full wrath that justice demanded for my sin. The law, as given to Moses, was proof that there was none righteous. Every one of us stumble at the first commandment to love the Lord our God with all our hearts and minds and souls. Every one of us is so caught up in our own self comforts, desires, and self exalting behaviors so that we are incapable of loving God even 1/10th of what we should. We seek after treasures that can never fill our hearts with joy everlasting. Ohh, perhaps for a fleeting moment we think we have joy; then we shutter and cry as that treasure disintegrates into dust before us and we feel our heart break. All that we believed was our hope is gone and we search to find true joy. It is there where all else is stripped away that we are able to see, to seek after, to hunger for, and to savor the beauty of Christ’s face. We are suddenly able to see the beauty of His willingness to suffer such pain for us. While content with our little life of selfish desires we may have noted some of God’s Glory because of His righteousness as we consider the law; but, I daresay sorrow is what unveils the truth that all other joy except a relationship with God is merely fleeting, counterfeit joy. A part of God’s glory was shown forth in the giving of the law. His righteousness and His justice were displayed so that His Glory shone forth; yet, there was a veil, a curtain that must separate man from seeing God’s face. That veil was necessary because of our sin. Without the veil, man could not look upon perfect righteousness without immediate judgment and death. There was a sacrificial system in which the priest would go in and place the atoning blood of a lamb without blemish for the sins of the people. Though this was a picture pointing toward Christ, it was never complete in itself until Christ came to bare the sins of mankind once and for all on the cross. What great sorrow, pain, and agony He had to endure when His own very soul and spirit were ripped from Him as the Father and Holy Spirit turned and poured out the wrath that justice demanded. He could not feel their love and comfort as His flesh suffered the shame, the guilt, and the agony of the cross where our sins laid upon His shoulders.
Matthew 27: 45 Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour.
46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?
47 Some of them that stood there, when they heard that, said, This man calleth for Elias.
48 And straightway one of them ran, and took a sponge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink.
49 The rest said, Let be, let us see whether Elias will come to save him.
50 Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.
51 And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;
52 And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,
53 And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.
54 Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.
At the moment of Christ’s death the veil was torn from top to bottom. Only now could mankind look upon a Holy God and seek the face of Christ. The greatest travesty that ever occurred on this earth occurred so that the veil which hid God’s Glory was rent in two so that now with my sins covered by the blood of Christ and being cloaked in His righteousness; I might gaze upon the face of Christ where step by step, glory by glory I am transformed into His image so that I might share in His love, His joy, and His glory. Not because of anything that I have done to deserve such grace; but because of Christ’s willingness to suffer His greatest sorrow for me. So, there is a place where sorrow and joy do meet. That place is at the foot of the cross of our Great Savior. Then, why do I ever moan here on this earth; except, to mourn my inadequacy to see Him clearer? If it has been pain and sorrow that has drawn me to Him, then I would gladly walk every step again so that I might seek His face. Gazing upon His Face, falling in love with He who loved me in all my ugliness, and realizing that true, eternal Joy is found only in Him; I am able to continue on this journey toward home through whatever trials it may bring with faith, hope and love.
Avalon sang a song "Where Joy and Sorrow" meet. Thank you, Sarah for sending me this link.
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