Evening, March 24
Go To Morning Reading
“In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit.”
Luke 10:21
The Saviour was “a man of sorrows,” but every thoughtful mind has discovered the fact that down deep
in his innermost soul he carried an inexhaustible treasury of refined
and heavenly joy. Of all the human race, there was never a man who
had a deeper, purer, or more abiding peace than our Lord Jesus Christ.
“He was anointed with the oil of gladness above his fellows.” His vast benevolence must, from the very nature of things, have afforded
him the deepest possible delight, for benevolence is joy. There were
a few remarkable seasons when this joy manifested itself. “At that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father,
Lord of heaven and earth.” Christ had his songs, though it was night with him; though his face
was marred, and his countenance had lost the lustre of earthly happiness,
yet sometimes it was lit up with a matchless splendour of unparalleled
satisfaction, as he thought upon the recompense of the reward, and
in the midst of the congregation sang his praise unto God. In this,
the Lord Jesus is a blessed picture of his church on earth. At this
hour the church expects to walk in sympathy with her Lord along a
thorny road; through much tribulation she is forcing her way to the
crown. To bear the cross is her office, and to be scorned and counted
an alien by her mother’s children is her lot; and yet the church has a deep well of joy,
of which none can drink but her own children. There are stores of
wine, and oil, and corn, hidden in the midst of our Jerusalem, upon
which the saints of God are evermore sustained and nurtured; and sometimes,
as in our Saviour’s case, we have our seasons of intense delight, for “There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of
our God.” Exiles though we be, we rejoice in our King; yea, in him we exceedingly
rejoice, while in his name we set up our banners.