NOTES for Евр 12:1-4
Paul writes that Jesus endured the cross "instead of the joy set before Him." We are so accustomed to the fact that Jesus came to earth, became incarnate, and became one of us in order to die for us. It seems so obvious—everything for the sake of our salvation. And we simply forget that, by His very divine nature, the Son of God is destined not for death at all, but for joy. What He did for us is by no means something to be taken for granted! It would have been far more natural for Him to come in glory, with a host of Angels, and sit upon a throne over all the earth. The small problem is that our salvation would not have been accomplished. So today the Apostle Paul reminds us of WHAT Jesus did for us and how far it was from being a matter of course. Moreover, this thought can sustain us in our own temptations: when we want to follow the path of least resistance, it is worth remembering that an easier path was entirely open to Jesus as well...