“Christ is exalted in his sitting at the right hand of God, in that as God-man he is advanced to the highest favor with God the Father, with all fullness of joy, glory, and power over all things in heaven and earth; and doth gather and defend his church, and subdue their enemies; furnisheth his ministers and people with gifts and graces, and maketh intercession for them.”
For all their reputation as protestant scholastic rationalists, the Westminster divines could teach us a thing or two about warmth of love between the Father and the Son, and Christ’s own joy. Jesus enjoys the highest favor with the Father. That should go without saying, so why mention it? They mention because they know how important it is for us to dwell on it.
The Father is fully delighted with His Son. While we do not share in Christ’s divine nature as His people, we do share in the pleasure that the Father takes in His Son. As we are united to Him so also the Father delights in us. Lord, let me never lose sight of your pleasure.
But Jesus also has fullness of joy in His exaltation. Jesus’ joy is supreme; the Westminster divines understood that He is the most joyful person in the universe! To me that is simply an amazing truth. The joy that we have in Jesus overflows from His own joy. It is a joy that He not only gives, but that He possesses in perfect abundance. What an indictment Jesus’ joy is upon my complaining, angry, and complacent attitude. Lord, help me to participate in the joy that belongs to you!