Sorrow and Joy

The most joyful person imaginable has also been called the "Man of Sorrows."  The Bible tells us that God hath anointed the Lord Jesus with the oil of gladness "above Thy fellows."

"Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness:  therefore God, Thy God, hath anointed Thee with the oil of gladness above Thy fellows." 

Psalm 45:7

He is the most joyful of humans and yet, He was also the "Man of Sorrows."

"He is despised and rejected of men; 

a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief:  

and we hid as it were our faces from Him; 

He was despised, and we esteemed Him not." 

Isaiah 53:3

I cannot begin to say I understand how the Lord Jesus can be both "anointed with joy above His fellows" and "a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief."  

What is even more difficult to understand is that His source of joy and His source of grief were both the same.  His joy was in the loving relationship He had with His Father, and yet, it "pleased the Lord to bruise Him; He hath put Him to grief." (Isaiah 53:10.)

 Then the thought, the question, comes to my feeble mind, Why?  Why would a loving Father take pleasure in the pain and grief of His dear son?  For us.  The simple, but most astounding answer is, He did it for us.

"Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness:  by Whose stripes ye were healed."  I Peter 2:24.

"For He hath made Him to be sin for us, 

who knew no sin; 

that we might be made 

the righteousness of God in Him." 

2 Corinthians 5:21

I have no words of explanation, only an agreement with the hymn writer, "Hallelujah! What a Savior!"

"Hallelujah! What a Savior!"

by Phillip Bliss

Man of Sorrows! what a name

For the Son of God, who came

Ruined sinners to reclaim.

Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Bearing shame and scoffing rude,

In my place condemned He stood;

Sealed my pardon with His blood.

Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Guilty, vile, and helpless we;

Spotless Lamb of God was He;

“Full atonement!” can it be?

Hallelujah! What a Savior!

Lifted up was He to die;

“It is finished!” was His cry;

Now in Heav’n exalted high.

Hallelujah! What a Savior!

When He comes, our glorious King,

All His ransomed home to bring,

Then anew His song we’ll sing:

Hallelujah! What a Savior!