Have you been taken aback recently by rising prices?

I think a lot of us have been suffering from Sticker Shock lately.

Whether it’s an item at the grocery store, gas at the pumps, or a house to live in, prices have been going up.

We look at something that we’re accustomed to buying at a certain amount and do a double-take at the suddenly inflated cost.

We think, “Are you kidding me? I’m not paying that much! They’ve got to be crazy charging that price.”

And off we stomp in a huff.

But aren’t you glad Jesus didn’t do the same?

He could easily have suffered from “sticker shock” when faced with the incalculable price He’d have to pay to save us from our sins.

He knew He would have to endure unspeakable pain and agony during the Crucifixion, not only physically but also emotionally and spiritually. As he took on our sins, He knew He would experience devastating separation from God, something He had never known before.

Jesus knew that the assignment He was tasked with would cost Him his very life.

What He was facing was so horrific that three times He prayed that God would spare Him from it. We get a sense of His sorrow and anguish in this scene from the garden of Gethsemane:

“He went a little farther on, threw himself face downward on the ground, and prayed, ‘My Father, if it is possible, take this cup of suffering from me! Yet not what I want, but what you want.’ ” (Matthew 26:39)

But He didn’t walk away from His mission. He didn’t balk at the price asked of Him and refuse to pay it.

He submitted to the Father’s will, because it was the only way to achieve something priceless:

Our redemption.

Scripture tell us:

“Let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from beginning to end. He did not give up because of the cross! On the contrary, because of the joy that was waiting for him, he thought nothing of the disgrace of dying on the cross, and he is now seated at the right side of God’s throne.” (Hebrews 12:2)

What was the “joy” that this verse speaks of, that made Christ willing to endure the horrors of the Cross?

There are many facets to it.

Jesus was anticipating the joy of having been obedient to God and having done His will, the joy of having accomplished the purpose God meant for Him since time immemorial, the joy of having triumphed over death and the grave, and the joy of being crowned with glory.

But there’s another aspect to this joy that should stir our hearts:

It’s the joy Jesus would have in knowing He had saved countless people from their sins. It’s the joy He would have in welcoming the redeemed into Heaven. And the joy of sharing eternity with them.

It’s the joy of seeing you there.

Would you like to be welcomed into Heaven one day with joy?

All you have to do is accept Jesus as your Saviour.

Your ticket to Heaven cost Him the world, but He offers it to you for free.

Isn’t it good to know that the most precious thing we can obtain comes with no sticker shock for us?

© 2021 Lori J. Cartmell. All rights reserved.