I attended a study with a group of men this morning who were reviewing John Piper’s book The Passion of Jesus Christ.

John makes the statement, “His joy and ours were acquired at the cross,” in his chapter about joy.

It is an interesting thought that God obtained His joy at the cross.

What does that mean? John doesn’t elaborate so I will guess at his meaning.

When God made the heavens and the earth He declared them to be good. In short, God was glad, even joyful.

After the rebellion against Him by humanity, God’s disposition changes culminating in an eradication of almost everything and everyone when He flooded the earth saving only Noah and his family along with two of every kind of animal. While God regrets this action the remainder of the story is one of God loving, encouraging then ultimately disciplining His people for their failure to consistently and obediently follow Him.

Not really a happy ending to the Old Covenant story but there is a promise of better things to come.

The New Covenant story begins with the entrance of God coming to earth disguised as a humble man.

Jesus has come to die as punishment for all the disobedience of all people for all time.

Without His sacrificial exchange of His perfection for our rebellion God’s holiness demands the eternal condemnation of His most beloved aspect of creation. All people are born doomed for separation from God forever, to be tormented in eternal punishment after suffering a meaningless existence in this life.

Jesus, the source of God’s joy, is such because He represents and is the means for restoring humanity to their Creator now and forevermore.

God’s joy is reacquired because now His perfect requirement of humanity is satisfied in the work of Jesus so the Father can spend eternity with all those who will cry out to Him for their salvation, humbling themselves before Him as the only means of reconciliation.

This work of Christ gives humanity joy for now we can live forever in peace, joy and life abundant with God and all those friends and family members from all time who also have made Jesus their Savior and Lord through their repentance and faith.