3.  Who for the joy set before Him. This is "how" Jesus went to the cross. Let's say that our list of all the potential problems we would have to face if we started really opening up and helping people, is the cross that Jesus hung on. Jesus had a procedure for facing major challenges such as allowing Himself to be hanged on a cross. We face major challenges when we allow ourselves to get involved in people's problems. If we follow Jesus' procedure, we will take our eyes off of what it is going to cost us. Instead, we will start considering the joy that God has set before us. Here is how the Bible says it through Paul. Rom 8:18 (NIV) I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. What this Scripture is telling us, is to do a comparison. If we work with God in this ministry, what will we receive from God for it? What is the joy that God has set before us? If we keep our eyes on the joy that God has set before us, we will be properly motivated to be obedient. In addition to all the things we have already received, we will experience the power and presence of God flowing in and through us.

As we saw in John 14:12, Jesus wants to do Him ministry through us. He wants our generation to have the same opportunities to experience Him as the generation did when He was doing His earthly ministry. Jesus didn't go to the right hand of the Father so He could quit His ministry. He went to the Father so He could do greater works in and through us. Some have thought that Jesus, in John 14:12, meant "greater works" in the sense that more people were going to be doing more work. But, that is not what Jesus said. Jesus said: "HE will do even greater things than these." One person "he" will do even greater things than these. How? By Jesus doing the second phase of His ministry through us. Since He is the risen Christ, He has purchased salvation for every person. He won't just be healing physical bodies. He will be transforming people's spiritual lives. Jesus' earthly ministry made some greater works possible. Jesus' heavenly ministry is going to take these possibilities and turn them into realities. This is the "greater things" ministry Jesus is going to be doing through each person.

Once we experience Jesus doing His ministry in and through us, we are getting the joy that has been set before us. That is all the reward we should ever need. What an honor and a thrill to have Jesus doing His great ministry through us. There is no sacrifice great enough to be worth comparing to having Jesus do His ministry through us. However, that isn't all we get. God will be blessing us throughout eternity for opening up our life to Jesus' ministry.

Gal 2:20 (NIV) I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself for me. It WILL be Jesus ministering in and through us. We won't have to try to do a ministry. He won't do it without us. He will do it through us. He will see to it that we have a complete and active part in every aspect of it. That lets us get involved in the world's greatest ministry. There is no ministry greater than Jesus working in and through us. There is no greater experience than having Jesus' ministry moving through us into the lives and hearts of the needy. That is what happened to the disciples. Jesus' ministry took them into General, Sanctification, and Preventative Spiritual Growth and then He went to the Father. From there the Holy Spirit brought Jesus' ministry right inside them. When they refused to take credit for all that was happening through them, they weren't being modest. They were being honest. They REALLY didn't do it. Jesus did it.

Acts 3:12-16 (NIV) When Peter saw this, he said to them: "Men of Israel, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own POWER or GODLINESS we had made this man walk? The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified His servant Jesus. You handed Him over to be killed, and you disowned Him before Pilate, though he had decided to let Him go. You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. You killed the author of life, but God raised Him from the dead. We are witnesses of this. By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus' name AND THE FAITH THAT COMES THROUGH HIM that has given this complete healing to him, as you can all see.

That is why we should consider it worth it to make sacrifices and start serving people. If we can trade our time, intellect (training), money, and effort for an opportunity for Jesus to do His ministry through us; we have made an awesome trade.