Along with focusing on Jesus, we must focus on His focus — “who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame” (v. 2b, emphasis added). Jesus’ focus on the coming joy of his resurrection, ascension, and enthronement at God’s right hand, plus the joys of redeeming a people for Himself, strengthened Him to do two things: First, to endure the terrible agony of the cross with an “intensity, and with a unity of perception, which none of us can possibly fathom . . . because His soul was so absolutely in His power . . . so utterly surrendered, so simply subjected to the suffering”
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