Friends, Dinner, and Theology

Last night was a great night in the life of The Journey. Every month we have a meal to just enjoy the company of new friends. Including the kiddos, we had our largest crowd ever with 19 in attendance last night. This is significant to me not because of the number per se, but that we are really getting to make new friends. Dinner was good, but the way folks lingered afterward to sit, drink coffee, and just share life was a sweet time. For all of you who attended last night, thanks. I really enjoyed the conversations!

In the aftermath of cleaning up, Nathan and I had a chance to sit down and talk theology for a little while as he prepared to speak at a sister church in our community. He's excited to get to share much of what God has been teaching him. As we talked, we got to discussing Hebrews 12:2 and what exactly the "joy" was that led Jesus to enduring the cross. The salvation of humanity? The defeat of Satan? The resurrection? Maybe even the Ascencion? Indirectly, yes, as they are all part of the will of God. Jesus told His disciples in John 4 that His food was to do the will of the one who sent Him, and to finish His work. I think, ultimately, the joy that was set before Jesus was that He could look up from the Cross and say, "It is finished." He had completed what God sent Him here to do. The Christ's goal all along was to do the will of His Father, no matter what the cost. Man, what a moment that must have been, in spite of the pain, to look to the Heavens and KNOW that God's greatest plan had come to pass. That's been on my mind since last night, and will be the theme of my Easter season. Hopefully, it will be the theme of my life.