Christ is at God’s right hand, now the Man of patience, once the Man of sorrows, and hereafter to be the Man of joy — three very different displays of Christ. In Christ down here — the Babe in the manger — despised and rejected and acquainted with grief, we see the Man of sorrows, and yet nowhere do we get such divine glory as at the cross. As a sinner, what was I taken out of and whither am I brought by that cross? Where is the Christ now, whose death did it all? He is at the right hand of God, where as the Man of patience He has been waiting nearly 2000 years for the glory and the people, His own, as the recompense of such service. And what is He doing? Why, turning to us and saying, I am occupied with you in the glory; I have an entrance into all your sorrows; turn your eyes up here; open your hearts to Me; let me see everything. As a shepherd, I am occupied with each sheep, binding up each wound, making right each rent and tear in the fleece.
But hereafter most blessed is the thought of seeing the One who was emphatically the Man of sorrows down here as the Man of joy, “anointed with the oil of gladness” (joy) above His fellows! But it is well to think often of Him as the Man of sorrows, in connection with what we are passing through. Heap up all your sorrows, till you can heap no more; then turn to Him, whose heart broke in woe, and talk of your sorrows and of all that has worn you down. If you can do this, then in His presence you may hear Him say to you, “Behold, and see if there be any sorrow like unto My sorrow, which is done unto Me, wherewith the Lord hath afflicted Me in the day of His fierce anger” (Lam. 1:1212Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by? behold, and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow, which is done unto me, wherewith the Lord hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger. (Lamentations 1:12)). Yet He shall be the Man of joy.
Is the thought of Christ’s joy sweet to our hearts? Do you love to think that there will be no face so beautiful, no heart so bright and perfect in its joy as His? Nothing like His beauty! All the glory then and there will only be like the setting of that gem.
And that new name of His shall be written on you! Surely that ought to give a little patience as you pass along the wilderness, tried by the roughness of the way, as though He said, Cheer up! Only a little while more, and I will write on you My name of joy. Christ’s heart is not fed with the externals of glory, but with the joy of serving God; it will be the joy of all the children being brought home, whom God has given Him — the new name written on them. That will be Christ’s joy.
Adapted from G. V. Wigram