Sanctification Joy Unspeakable

Nothing will fill your soul with exceeding joy as Biblical sanctification and the purity it provides. The Son of God was so concerned for us — His saints — to have joy that He made it a primary focus of His pastoral prayer. He prayed a great prayer, as was recorded in John chapter seventeen. He said, "And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth" (John 17:19). It matters not to me how you view sanctification theologically if you will only hunger for it practically. In His Beatitudes Jesus said, "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled" (Matthew 5:6).

It’s amazing to hear the sinless Son of God speak of sanctifying Himself. Yet, it is clearly the picture that we see of Him as He nears the ultimate hour of death. First, in the Garden of Gethsemane we hear the surrender of His body or physical temple to the suffering of His cross. It was not easy for Him who had never tasted sickness or pain to face the cruel treatment that He was expecting. Being sinless, disease could not touch Him; but, He sanctified Himself to bodily accept the shame and emaciating facts of His approaching death. I would not believe it — if the Bible did not plainly say it — but it is written in the Book of Hebrews that He "was heard in that He feared" (Hebrews 5:7b).

Let’s spend a few moments with Him in this grandeur of sorrow. He had spoken of it some days earlier with these words, "Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour. Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again" (John 12:27-28). The glory of His cross was in the price He paid. He knew the darkness that was about to descend upon Him. His words in this garden will help us understand the price of purity and Godliness, along with the joy that will come out of this sacrifice.

Luke gave us his account of this sorrow. Jesus prayed, "Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done. And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him. And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground" (Luke 22:42-44). Understanding the pain that Jesus Christ was experiencing is breathtaking enough, but also feeling the Father’s heartbeat to hear His Son in such agony makes me long to fall at His feet. Please remember as you weep that this is just a small beginning of His price for your salvation and the joy that comes with it.

As Jesus Christ and His disciples concluded this time in the garden, torches were seen in the distance as a company from the High Priest of the Jews came to arrest Him. I see this as going beyond the surrender of His body, but now the surrender of His soul. Our soul is the seat of our inner self and Jesus was fully prepared to yield up Himself to this grievous design. Peter would fight; he even drew his sword and swung at a servant of the High Priest. The Son of God miraculously replaced the severed ear and admonished Peter to put up the sword. Jesus’ words were an expression of total personal surrender. "Then said Jesus unto Peter, Put up thy sword into the sheath: the cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it?" (John 18:11).

We now move to the Hill called Mount Calvary, where they crucified the willing Lamb of God. He had sanctified or surrendered His temple, He had given Himself up to their hands, and, now, His Spirit was in absolute peace to be the "Lamb slain from the foundation of the world" (Revelation 13:8). He never uttered one word of protest. As the prophet prophesied, "He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth" (Isaiah 53:7b).

His testimony and prayer when He sanctified Himself that we might be sanctified has been perfected. This is the purpose for which we were called, chosen, and redeemed. He has chosen us to be a unique people, a holy church showing forth His marvelous graces. Joy is the personality of sanctification. Much of the church world lives in bondage to fear, sorrow, and gloom. There is surely enough wrong around all of us to rob us of His joy. But, when His inward graces are given full right by faith to reign unalloyed, a supernatural result will be known.

Your sorrows will never compare to His sorrows in that dreadful time, but yet He had joy. The Spirit declares, "Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds" (Hebrews 12:2-3). Take your eyes off of the world and the confusion by which it is filled. Turn towards the One sitting at your Father’s right hand.

The promise cannot fail. Hear the words of the Lord, "Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory" (I Peter 1:8).