I. The relevance of suffering
A. Normal Christianity
Just as instances of miraculous deliverance, provision, protection, and healing are part of the normal Christian life in this age, so also is suffering of various kinds and degrees. And just as the LORD has a design to magnify Jesus in displaying His miraculous power, He also has a design to magnify Jesus in restraining His power. The glory of God is in the face of Christ as exalted King and Suffering Servant.
1. The Afflicted Way
13 “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. 14 Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. Matthew 7:13-14
11 …and they consoled him and comforted him for all the adversity that the LORD had brought upon him. Each one gave him a piece of silver and each a ring of gold. Job 42:11
I know, O LORD…that in faithfulness You have afflicted me. Psalm 119:75
In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome… Jn 16:33
12 Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. 2 Tim 3:10-12
Therefore let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to Him in doing good, as to a faithful Creator. 1 Peter 4:19
2. God’s Design
a. The common idea that obedience and faithfulness to Jesus in this age will result in a consistent ascent of comfort in domestic affairs, peace in relationships, and popularity or favorable recognition in ministry is foreign to the New Testament. The question is not if we will suffer, but rather when and how.
b. Having this delusion shattered is necessary if we are to glorify Christ in the midst of it and if our hearts are to persevere through it. To persist in error related to God’s leadership and suffering will leave one either offended with God (for not fulfilling His supposed obligation to procure our comfort) or condemning themselves (for the supposed sin or unbelief that has caused it).
… 36 Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment. 37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented — 38 of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth. 39 And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith… Hebrew 11:36-40
c. All hardship we face comes with the promise that the tender compassion of Jesus is with us in it, the assurance of the ultimate eradication of it, and the confidence that God has a design for it – a design for His glory and for our good.
B. Tribulation and Great Tribulation
1. Remembering the Context of Our Lives: the Nature of the Present Age
…who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age… Galatians 1:4 (cf. Rom 13:12, II Cor 4:4, Eph 5: 15-16, Eph 6:12, II Peter 1:19, II Pet 3:11-13)
a. We live in an age of darkness and wickedness, looking for the dawning of the age of light and righteousness. As such, God’s outward reward for righteousness and His judgment of wickedness is for the most part (not completely) restrained.
Blessed are you poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. 21 Blessed are you who hunger now, for you shall be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh. 22 Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they exclude you, and revile you, and cast out your name as evil…But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation.25 Woe to you who are full, for you shall hunger. Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep 26 Woe to you when all men speak well of you… Luke 6:22-26
b. We are commanded to set our hope fully on the Day of the LORD when He will judge all things. Lacking a clear vision of the return of Jesus we inadvertently misappropriate the promises of the age to come into the present evil age – this blurring is disastrous.
Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ… I Pet 1:13
…teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, 13 looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ… Titus 2:11-13
2. The End of this Age
Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”… Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake…For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved. Matthew 24:3, 9, 21-22
It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation. Revelation 13:7 (cf. Rev 6:9-11, Daniel 12:7)
a. The biblical presentation of life in this age is tribulation unto great tribulation. Due to the circumstantial ease we experience in the West, we often view that suffering is normative for the 1st century and the last, but that in between it is not to be expected.
b. This stark dichotomy between the present-day and the end of the age is both unbiblical and extremely myopic historically. Furthermore, it inevitably leads to a romanticizing of suffering in its eschatological context.
c. At the end of the age Jesus is going to cause a global humanitarian crisis beyond what our minds can fathom and lead His people into that crucible of suffering and persecution so that they might bear witness of His glory to the peoples of the earth.
d. If we are offended at Jesus leading us into suffering right now, we will even more so when we are hurled into wars, pestilence, famine, and martyrdom. And if we do not understand how to glorify Jesus in suffering now, we will have little capacity to glorify Him then.
II. Glorifying Jesus in the midst of suffering
A. The Challenge of the New Testament
40 …when they had called for the apostles and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. 41 So they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name. Acts 5:40-41
22 Then the multitude rose up together against them; and the magistrates tore off their clothes and commanded them to be beaten with rods. 23 And when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to keep them securely… 25 But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Acts 16:22-25
2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. James 1:2-3 (cf. Romans 5:3-4)
24 I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church. Colossians 1:24
6 And you became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit… 1 Thessalonians 1:6
Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they exclude you, and revile you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of Man’s sake. 23 Rejoice in that day and leap for joy! For indeed your reward is great in heaven…But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you… Luke 6:22-28
B. The Phenomenon of Sacrificial Love & Joy in Suffering
1. We want to avoid suffering at all costs, using whatever resources we have to stay immune from its reach – even at the expense of others. And when our options are depleted and we finally must succumb to it, our response typically borders on the total opposite of the Bible.
2. If our plans are disrupted, if we are unrecognized, overlooked or mistreated, if we are inconvenienced and our aspirations thwarted by the needs of others, if we experience sickness or pain, if our comfort is stripped from us, and if we are suddenly hemmed in by limitation, our primary reaction is anger.
3. It may be the quiet anger of resentment, the cold anger of hard-heartedness, the conniving anger of manipulation, or the burning anger of rage, but it is not joy. If this is the case as those who sincerely love Jesus, what of the unregenerate man?
C. Magnifying Jesus & God’s Design
The contrast between the biblical reaction to suffering and that which is common to man explains why pain and persecution is such fertile ground for magnifying Christ.
1. Two primary (not only) ways that we magnify Jesus in this age while He is not with us are: 1) by rejoicing in Him in the midst of suffering; and 2) by mourning for Him in the midst of ease. These two acts both expose the worthlessness of what has captured the devotion of humanity and the exceeding worthiness of Jesus to capture the devotion of humanity.
2. When we shed tears of joy in the midst of sickness, or beatings, or mistreatment, or pain of any kind, it reveals that whatever was lost through those things does not compare to the beauty of who Jesus is – a treasure which we possess and can never lose.
3. When we weep with longing in the midst of circumstantial comfort it declares that the pleasures of this life are fundamentally insufficient and paltry compared to how infinitely precious Jesus is.
III. the fellowship of suffering: the apostolic heart & the glory of Jesus
A. The Invitation to Imitation – Self-Denial for the Glory of Christ
…saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.” Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. 24 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. 25 For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost? Lk 9:22-25
1. Denying Self-Denial
a. When considering these familiar words from Jesus we must be keenly aware that the way the Christian life is often presented in our day militates against actual adherence to them. Instead of calling us to deny ourselves, Jesus is almost always presented as the one who affirms ourselves.
b. His virtue is often extolled precisely through the benefits He will bring to our health, our relationships, our finances, and our emotions. Jesus is preached as the one who will give us a good life and lead us to the fulfillment we have vainly sought through the things of the world. Self-denial has been diluted to where it is simply abstaining from utter indulgence and opulence.
c. Instead of denial of self for His sake we are at risk adopting a message of Jesus existing for affirmation of self for our sake. Ultimately the question we must face is this: how can we respond to the command to sacrifice the very things that are constantly presented as the benefits of Christianity?
2. The Surpassing Worth of Jesus
25 Now great multitudes went with Him. And He turned and said to them, 26 “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. 27 And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. Luke 14:26-27
a. What Jesus demands is love so consuming and allegiance so fierce that all things in are brought into submission and made subservient to the singular cause of the glorification of Another.
b. It is a radical, violent renunciation of self-affirmation, self-promotion, self-ambition, and self-gratification for the sake of love for Jesus and the renown of His name. Stated positively, it is a passion for His glory that subsumes all other motivations and pursuits, such that all things serve Him rather than ourselves (cf. I Corinthians 10:31).
c. When our comfort, convenience, honor, or well-being are no longer legitimate criteria for decision making, the result is a life that joyfully descends into the crucible of suffering so that His glory might be seen more brightly.
| Luke 9:22-31 | Philippians 3:7-21 |
| …saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.” 23 Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. 24 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. 25 For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost? 26 For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own glory… 27 But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the kingdom of God.” 28 Now it came to pass…that He took Peter, John, and James and went up on the mountain to pray. 29 As He prayed, the appearance of His face was altered, and His robe became white and glistening. 30And behold, two men talked with Him, who were Moses and Elijah, 31who appeared in glory and spoke of His decease which He was about to accomplish… | 7 But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. 8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; 10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, 11 if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.12 Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me… 16 Nevertheless, to the degree that we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us be of the same mind.17 Brethren, join in following my example, and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern. 18 For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: 19 whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame—who set their mind on earthly things. 20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body… |
B. The Apostolic Embodiment of True Discipleship
1. The Fellowship of Suffering
Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you… I Peter 4:12-14
a. The very simple relationship that is stated over and over again in the New Testament is that the apostles understood their suffering and that of the Church to be a living out of the sufferings of Christ- just as Jesus said of true discipleship. (cf. Acts 9:15-16, Col 1:24, II Cor 1:5, II Cor 4:10)
b. Put simply, if our discipleship is to be Christoform, it must be cruciform until the Day of LORD. And just as He suffered before entering into His glory, we must do the same.
c. Repeatedly this is fellowship of suffering is said to be “for His sake”, referring once again to the quintessential call to discipleship from Jesus and the purpose of magnifying Him.
For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake… Phil 1:29 (cf. Jn 15:21, Acts 5:41, I Cor 4:10, II Cor 4:10-11, Phil 3:7-8, I Pet 4:14, 16)
d. Biblically these sufferings are primarily presented as coming in the form of persecution, but not in any way limited to it. Paul experienced “needs”, “distresses”, “stripes”, “imprisonments”, “tumults”, “labors”, “sleeplessness”, “many tribulations”, “chains”, “hunger and thirst”, “nakedness” and said he was “poorly clothed”, “beaten”, “homeless”, “defamed”, “reviled”, “struck down”, “chastened”, “dying”, and “poor”.
2. Our Challenge
…and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. Rom 8:17 (cf. Phil 3:10, I Cor 4:9-16, Jn 15:19-21)
a. In the New Testament the apostolic lifestyle is presented as exemplary, not exceptional. We are warned that if we do not suffer with Jesus we will not be glorified with Him.
b. We must soberly ask if the absence of persecution in America is due to a fundamental change in the world or rather a reflection of the relative impotency of our choices and our witness. Has the world gotten less evil or have we suburbanized godliness?
c. Have we subtly put up boundary lines on where and when evangelism can happen in order to ensure that we are protected from tribulation and persecution?
d. God has a design for the glory of Jesus in suffering – may He find that purpose fulfilled in us.
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