It is tempting to view Jesus only as Son of God and thus forget that He was here on earth completely human. When we only view Him as Son of God, we cannot understand anything of His terrible suffering in the garden of Gethsemane, where His fear – not the fear of dying, but the fear of being forsaken by God – became so excruciating that His sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.
No, just like the temptation in the desert (Luke 4) Jesus’ struggle in this garden was not a vain show of which the outcome was certain.
Isaiah understood long before that the Servant of the Lord would suffer severely, but because Jesus stood firm to the end, He saw the fruit of His doing in joy and satisfaction.
For - because He was the Truth Himself - He, the Righteous One, justified many. And the wickedness that separated us from God, He took away on the cross of Golgotha!
But the redemption He brought about does not only liberate us from the guilt of sin, it also elevates us to be His friends and co-workers in the service of God.
And as He became just as we are, yet without sinning (Hebrews 4:15), so His joy will only then be fulfilled if we – through Him – have become like Him in everything (1 John 4:17). For when He poured out His life in the death on the cross, He took all our shame upon Himself with His eyes on the joy set before Him: the joy that He would share His glory with many (Hebrews 12:2).