INTRODUCTION

It is quite possible that the Lord Jesus laughed some during His earthly ministry, yet that is not the focus of scripture. Rather, the scripture seems to focus on the fact that He was "a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief" (Isaiah 53:3He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
See All...). We know very little of His laughter, yet we know that he wept at the tomb of Lazarus (John 11:35Jesus wept.
See All...), He lamented over Jerusalem because of their rebellion (Luke 13:34O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not!
See All...), and we know that He sighed at the healing of the deaf man who had a speech impediment (Mark 7:34And looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened.
See All...). Heaven affords the Lord great rejoicing, but His earthly ministry was vastly consumed in carrying out the will of His Father.

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS

• (For smaller children) Jesus knew He would take our sins on Him on the cross. That was troubling to Him because He had no sin (John 12:27Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour.
  See All...; 2 Corinthians 5:21For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
  See All...). Yet, He endured the cross, and completed what He came to do. Let's thank Him and be willing to do as the apostle Paul who also went through sorrows (2 Timothy 4:7I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:
  See All...).
• What can we learn from the emphasis on the Lord’s sorrow in His earthly ministry? What might be the overriding theme for those who serve the Lord with their lives?
• Why was the Lord’s earthly ministry filled with sorrows? Do the same conditions exist today? Would you be willing to be called a person of sorrows, if that meant you walked with the Lord?

PRAYER NEEDS

• Ask God to remind you that His sorrows brought us great joy.
• Thank the Lord for bearing your sin and burdens.

HYMN

Hallelujah! What a Saviour

LTB DEVOTIONS ON FACEBOOK

Receive the daily devotions on your facebook wall by clicking "Like" on http://www.facebook.com/kingjamesbibledailydevotions.