I was reading Hebrews the other day and came across chapter 12, verse 2: “fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (NIV)

As I read it, my mind immediately went to the choke down the lima beans to get to the chocolate cake scenario. Jesus saw the good ahead and focused on that to get through the temporary bad down here. Yes, the horrid, ultimate, whips and thorns, God turned His back bad. But he endured it and He is now seated beside God in Heaven. His reward.

But then I realized the flaw in my thinking. Being seated with God in Heaven wasn’t a reward for dying on that cross. That was a right that Jesus had all along. Jesus chose to leave all that behind when he became a man.

So what was his reward? What joy was he looking forward to that helped him endure the shame and torment of the cross?

Me.

He did it all for us.

The joy set before him was the glorious possibility of each of us joining him in Heaven.

Fix that in your mind. Hold onto that promise and keep on enduring.