THE FULLNESS OF JESUS

Ps.16:11 You will show me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

This verse has the fragrance of the heavenly ministry of Jesus entrenched within it. Jesus would not only show us the path of life, Jesus is the path of life. Everyone who believes in Him begins to experience this incredible heavenly life. As Paul said Jesus entered as a forerunner for us when He ascended to heaven after the resurrection as a man, He entered heaven as a man so that we too can follow in His steps. He has opened heaven up for us so that Paul could say we are seated together in heavenly places with Him. This is the place of pleasures evermore. Here is how Charles Spurgeon describes this.

“To Jesus first this way was shown, for he is the first begotten from the dead, the first-born of every creature. He himself opened up the way through his own flesh, and then trod it as the forerunner of his own redeemed. The thought of being made the path of life to his people, gladdened the soul of Jesus. “In thy presence is fulness of joy.” Christ being raised from the dead ascended into glory, to dwell in constant nearness to God, where joy is at its full for ever: the foresight of this urged him onward in his glorious but grievous toil. To bring his chosen to eternal happiness was the high ambition which inspired him, and made him wade through a sea of blood. O God, when a worldling’s mirth has all expired, for ever with Jesus may we dwell “at thy right hand,” where “there are pleasures for evermore;” and meanwhile, may we have an earnest by tasting thy love below.”

The best news about all of this, this is not something only available for us when we die, the way into this place of joy evermore is available now, it is available to us in this life. The curse of the fall is that man was banished from the presence of the Lord, Christ became a man so that we can return to that place of joy. This passage was referred to in Peter’s first sermon on the day of Pentecost when God’s glory was poured out. Peter and the 120 all experience that heavenly joy poured out that day that had been purchased at Calvary, Christ had now entered into the presence and this heavenly joy is poured on each of us.