Weeping & Rejoicing Part II

1 Pastor's Point of View

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Psalm 126; Hebrews 12:1-3
A simple and clear message both of rejoicing and weeping experiences for Jesus while on earth
and His children, whether in the Old Testament or the New Testament. (See also Psalm 85)
Setting:
Some Israelites returned to Jerusalem at about 538 BC, permitted by an edict of Cyrus
(Isaiah 44:28) who now ruled over Babylon as part of the Persian Empire. While good news, few Israelites were moved to tears of joy because of the realization that it would take very tough plowing to restore Jerusalem, even with God’s help. To restore any semblance of the past glory
would require much labor, courage and faith. The few that would brave the journey would eventually experience the joy and restoration as well as the great difficulties (See Haggai, Zechariah, Ezra/Nehemiah)
But the restoration depicted in the above O.T. books was physically and structurally no
way near the splendor of Solomon and Herod’s Temples. But according to the prophetic vision of the O.T and its fulfillment in N.T. The child of God, not a building, is the Temple 1 Corinthians
6:19-20 of the Holy God or Holy Spirit. So as N.T saints we apply these words not to a sacred edifice but to people, disciples of Jesus Christ. They like Jesus, “for the joy set before Him, Holy Spirit empowered Resurrection life (Romans 8:11), endured the difficulties especially the cross”:
So then we “fix our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of [our] faith”. Our lives follow the same pattern of Jesus’s life where He both wept and rejoiced. Psalm 126:5 illustrates this process through farming metaphors: “sow in tears, at times but also we reap, by the Spirit with songs of joy.” (Psalms 126:5)”, (again remember Matthew 6:32-33 see also Psalm 85). And what is interesting here and in other Psalms, sometimes the end results, are placed up front to assure us that the restorations will come in His time and manner.
I. “Fortunes” were restored but not to the fullest extent. Verse 1.
1. The Israelites who returned was meager, but their joy extraordinary.
2. The Temple they finally built which took many years, was shabby
compared to Solomon and Herod’s edifice but full of the Spirit (See
Zechariah 4:6-10)
3. Even we, as Temples of the Holy Spirit, as glorious as this is, cannot
compare with the glorious New Jerusalem coming down from heaven as
the image of our perfect eternal existence with God after the Resurrection
of the dead (Revelation 21:9-27, see also Revelation 21 & 22, Romans
15:1-58). The above is the fullest extent of His will: Looking for that city
built by God; Hebrews 11:10!
a) Note also Hebrews 11:1; 13-16,39.
II. We Need to “Fix or Concentrating our eyes upon Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of
faith(Hebrews 12:2)
1. He lived it to perfection and is experiences the “Telos” of it all, now in
heaven
a) He, by the Holy Spirit will help us “run with perseverance the race
marked for us” [With it’s ups and downs, pains and joys]
b) Set or marked out” for us, also implies for “me”, the individual
calling by God; (Examples, see Hebrews 11, all the servants of the
Lord had similar and different callings, for their missions on earth.)
III. Jesus’s life experiences, as reminders and the Spirit or (The Spirit of Christ) together are the best and sufficient encouragement and support for our ministry
1. The stories of Jesus and empowerment of the Spirit, together encourage
us.
IV. Finally our part is being faithful in perseverance and prayer