The Joy Set Before Him: An Easter Reflection – by Jeremy Story
As the Easter morning sun rises and we proclaim again, “He is risen indeed!”—our hearts are drawn to the empty tomb. But the resurrection of Jesus is not just the triumphant conclusion of Holy Week. It is the fulfillment of a long-promised hope—and the clearest revelation of what true faith looks like in action.
Hebrews 12:2 tells us to run our race “looking only at Jesus, the originator and perfecter of the faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” This verse is rich with resurrection power. It calls us to fix our gaze on the One who both founded and finished our faith—Jesus, who chose the cross because of a joy He could see beyond the suffering.
But to grasp the weight of Hebrews 12, we must first understand the foundation laid in Hebrews 11. That chapter is a sweeping portrait of men and women who “died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and welcomed them from a distance” (Hebrews 11:13). These were people who clung to God’s Word in the gap—the painful, often confusing in-between space of time where God’s promise has been spoken, but not yet fulfilled.
This is what faith is: “the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). It is also, believing, “believe that He exists, and that He proves to reward those who seek Him.” (Hebrews 11:6). It’s not wishful thinking or blind optimism—it’s an anchored trust in God’s character when our eyes see only contradiction. Faith is what we do while we wait. And Jesus Himself modeled this perfectly.
Think of Him in Gethsemane, overwhelmed to the point of death, praying for the Father’s will to be done. Think of Him enduring the cross—brutal, shameful, unjust—yet never losing sight of the joy set before Him. What was that joy? It was you. It was me. It was the redemption of a fallen world, the defeat of sin and death, and the restoration of humanity to the Father’s presence. He also could see the joy of reigning in Heaven forever without mourning, crying, sin, or pain. What we live now is only a fraction of life. God has much in store for those who submit to him in faith.
Jesus endured by faith. He entrusted Himself fully to the Father, not because He could see the resurrection in the natural, but because He knew the Father’s promise would stand. And Easter morning is the glorious confirmation that faith in God is never misplaced. The stone was rolled away. The grave was empty. Death lost its sting.
Scripture and history are filled with men and women who reflected this kind of faith in public life, often at great cost:
- Daniel stood firm in Babylon, refusing to bow to the culture or hide his devotion to God—even when the lions’ den awaited. His faith was not private or hidden; it was unshakable, and God honored it in the face of political hostility. God used the opposition to become a platform for Daniel’s advancement.
- Joseph, sold into slavery and falsely accused, kept trusting God’s unseen plan through every injustice. Though imprisoned and forgotten, he rose in time to lead with integrity and save nations from famine—all because he believed in God’s dream more than his circumstances.
- Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a pastor in Nazi Germany, remained steadfast in proclaiming truth even as it cost him his freedom and eventually his life. He believed the resurrection meant personal salvation and the bold call to resist evil with the hope of eternal justice.
- John Adams, one of America’s founders, wrote, “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” He worked tirelessly, often alone and misunderstood, believing in a future republic where liberty under God would flourish—faithfully serving in the unseen space between promise and fulfillment.
These examples remind us that resurrection faith isn’t just for the sanctuary. It belongs in the courtroom, the prison cell, the lion’s den, the underground church, the halls of power, and the political arena. Easter calls us to live boldly in the public square—not because the outcome is always clear, but because we follow a risen King who has already won.
Hebrews 12:3 urges us to “consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” Easter is not just about Jesus’ victory but also our endurance. Because of His resurrection, we can face our own crosses and moments of waiting with confidence. He is not only our Savior—He is our example. He is not only risen—He is reigning.
So this Easter, let us look only to Jesus. Let us throw off every weight and run with endurance. Let us trust Him in the waiting, believe Him in the silence, and rejoice with Him in the resurrection because the joy set before us is just as real—and just as certain—as it was for Him.
He is risen. He is faithful. And He is worth it.
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