Jesus is the happiest man who ever lived.

It’s in odd contrast to the truth that He was a man of sorrow and aquatinted with grief.

I believe the contrast between sorrow and joy is profound and mysterious.

Jesus is a man who knew the deepest sorrow

Jesus is a man who knew joy in its infinite heights.

(Or joy unspeakable and beyond words)

The Psalmist wrote:

Weeping may endure for a night,

but joy cometh in the morning

Psa. 30:5

The truth is we are passing through a temporary night,

But we’re headed to an eternal morning

Our affections are set on things above not on things below

For our light affliction, which is but for a moment,

works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory

2 Cor 4:17

exceeding is an adverbial phrase meaning exceeding to deeper exceeding

It means excessive beyond our wildest imagination

“Joy & Woe are woven fine

A Clothing for the soul divine

Under every grief & pine

Runs a joy with silken twine”

Blake

Scripture is full of contrasts and paradox

As G. K. Chesterton the prince of paradox noted:

“Paradox is truth standing on her head to attract attention.”

Rutherford said:

“But flowers need night’s cool darkness,

The moonlight and the dew.

So Christ from one who loved Him,

His presence oft withdrew.”

Another contrast or paradox is Jesus thoughts on;

A woman when she is in travail has sorrow,

because her hour is come:

but as soon as she is delivered of the child,

she remembers no more the anguish,

for joy that a baby is born into the world.

John 16:21

“Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted”

Mt 5:6

“They that sow in tears shall reap in joy”

Psa 126:5

The age old axiom is:

does sorrow eat up joy and devour it

or does joy consume sorrow.

The conclusion is Joy has a bigger mouth

Again in Rutherford’s beautiful poetic lines

“The king there in His beauty,

Without a veil is seen

It were a well-spent journey,

Though seven deaths lay between:

The Lamb with His fair army,

Doth on Mount Zion stand,

And glory, glory dwelleth

In Emmanuel’s land

O Christ, He is the fountain,

The deep, sweet well of love!

The streams on earth I’ve tasted

More deep I’ll drink above:

There to an ocean fullness

His mercy doth expand,

And glory, glory dwelleth

In Emmanuel’s land.