Week 3: Chapter 2 — The Happiness of Christ

1.Ortlund opens the chapter by noting that we rarely think about whether Jesus is joyful, and that our imagination of him tends toward the grave and sorrowful. Where do you think that image comes from — is it the Scriptures, church culture, or something else?

2.Hebrews 12:2 says Jesus endured the cross "for the joy that was set before him." What was that joy? Ortlund argues it was not merely the joy of obedience completed but the joy of bringing his people home. How does that reading land on you?

3.The chapter draws on the three parables of Luke 15 — the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the prodigal son — to argue that Jesus portrays God as someone who throws a party when the lost are found. What do these parties suggest about the emotional register of heaven when a sinner returns?