If there is one place where our Lord Jesus most fully becomes the joy and comfort of His people, it's where He plunged deepest into sorrow. Come, dear souls, and see Him in the garden of Gethsemane. His heart is so full of love that He can't contain it—so burdened with grief that it must be expressed. Witness the bloody sweat pouring from His body and falling to the ground. Watch as nails pierce His hands and feet.

Look up, repentant sinners, to the suffering image of your Lord. Notice the ruby drops on His thorn-crown, adorning the King of Misery's diadem with priceless gems. See Him, with all His bones disjointed, poured out like water, brought to the dust of death. God has abandoned Him, and hell surrounds Him. Can there be sorrow like His?

All who pass by, draw near and behold this unparalleled spectacle of grief, a wonder to men and angels alike. Witness the Emperor of Woe, unmatched in His agonies. Look upon Him, mourners, for if there is no comfort in a crucified Christ, then there is no joy in earth or heaven. If His blood offers no hope, then heaven's harps have no melody, and God's right hand will find no pleasure forever.

We need only to linger more at the foot of the cross to find relief from our doubts and troubles. By seeing His sorrows, our own will seem small. By gazing into His wounds, we can heal our own. To live rightly, we must contemplate His death. To rise to dignity, we must consider His humiliation and sorrow.