Christ's Suffering

All of us know that it's been several months now since the last Holy Day.

Several months since last October, and there have been a bunch of confusing and conflicting holidays that the world celebrates, Halloween and Christmas and Valentine's Day. As it turns out, Easter is right at the same weekend when Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread begin this year.

That doesn't always happen. Sometimes it could be a month apart. Sometimes it could be very, very close like this. Usually it's kind of off a little bit. But many times you have a lot of holidays going on during the winter, and yet thankfully, thankfully God revives us again, revives us with the beginning of the Holy Day plan that is going to then go, you know, from here at the beginning of April, you know, in through mid-October. Where we're able to focus on, you know, the wonderful blessing of knowing something about the Passover. See, this is something I'm sure that, you know, as you think about it, as I think about it, you know, it's really very hard to even converse with people about what we enjoy as we observe the Holy Days, as we understand what those days picture in the overall plan of God, and how exciting it is.

See, there is, as you know, a certain amount of understanding, or at least some amount of lip service, among church-going people about Jesus Christ, about his life, or about his death, or resurrection. And that certainly is good. I mean, that I'm glad that people have at least that awareness, because without at least a certain awareness of the Bible, and a certain awareness of the fact that Christ came to the earth, and that he is our Redeemer, without that you really don't have anything to build on. You have to start somewhere. That's the way I've always looked at that.

That's certainly the way I thought about it myself. Growing up in a little town in Oklahoma, and going to just a local Christian church, having no idea why, in this little town of 300 people, we've got a Christian church, we've got a Methodist church, we've got a Baptist church, we've got a symbol of God church. Why don't we all just go to the same church? This doesn't make sense.

Why is it so fragmented? Why is this confusing? Why does this not make any sense? And even though I know I did benefit some from attending service there, I mean I learned a few things. I actually knew a few Bible verses as I grew up. Those were helpful. But see, how much do people really know about what the Passover focuses our mind on? How much do people really think about the depth of the sacrifice that Jesus brought to the earth whenever God sent him here at the appropriate time to offer himself as the Lamb of God?

How much do people think about that? I'm sure they have to think about it at least in a limited way. Unfortunately, you hear the stereotypical church attendance spiking at Easter or spiking at Christmas time. Maybe once or twice a year, people bother to go to a service.

They can't have a whole lot of meeting. They can't have a whole lot of impact. But as all of us do, every year we remember. As Ewan pointed out for us, helped us. He gave me scientific verification that my memory can fade. But I already knew that. I already knew that my memory, you know, unless you rehearse, unless you go over and rehearse, as he mentioned, it's very easy to just, you know, people, if they don't observe the holidays for several years, you can't remember anything about what they're about, what they mean, what they represent.

But see, fabulously, God reminds us every year. He's a little ahead of us. That's the wrong statement. He's way ahead of us. Way ahead of us! Because he knows what it would take to help frail, fragile, forgetful human beings to keep our mind focused on a plan and a purpose, and certainly to keep our understanding growing regarding Jesus Christ and how that Christ is to live in us.

See, that's a primary concept that we have to remember. Now, I know I can read the verses, and you can too, in Philippians 2, where it says that we are to ask that God would let us have this mind be in us which was in Jesus Christ. That's a tall order. I wonder what kind of mind Christ had. How extraordinarily brilliant. How intelligent. You know, I'm lacking.

Everybody's lacking, comparing to what Christ not only had as far as physical, just brain power, but his memory, his recall, his perception, his ability to understand spiritual things. It's amazing to me. You read, you know, at 12, he's in the temples and talking to the doctors of the law, just baffling them.

And that was at a young age. So if we're aware that God wants us to let this mind that Jesus had be in us, then we want to continue to pursue understanding that mind. And of course, as I mentioned, Colossians 1, verse 26 and 27 talk about Christ living in us, Christ in us. We can never get away from some of those very foundational concepts. And of course, a Passover that we observe every year, a commemoration of the death that Jesus went through for us. Now that's fabulous to be able to think about that and to think about his life leading up to that time, to think about what he endured over what appears to be a relatively short period of time as he went to Jerusalem for the last time. I mean, that was a week or two. I'm not terribly good on all the specifics as far as the specific days, although you have this enumerated here in the Bible. I don't tend to focus as much on those, except that I see that as Jesus was leading his disciples, you know, they had no clue what was going to happen. He told them over and over, and they just didn't get it. They just did not perceive the horror that was going to occur.

So as we think about the Passover, I hope that we'll, as a part of our examination, and of course, we're told to examine ourselves. And I think in many ways, and if you think back over maybe however many years, and most of you have been a part of the Church of God, I'm sure there are different things that you have examined, some of which might have been maybe relatively easy to examine, and some probably more difficult, some more extensive, some more not just foundational, well, how am I struggling with this sin or that sin? Because we should analyze that if indeed we, you know, struggle with specific things. But even beyond that, how much are we growing in understanding how much we need Jesus Christ personally in our lives? How much we need the overview of life and death that he had? You know, whenever we examine ourselves, ultimately we're comparing ourselves to the perfect standard. I'm not comparing myself with any of you, or with my wife, or with none of you are either. We're not comparing ourselves with one another at all. In any way, we are comparing ourselves to the perfect standard, the perfect example, and that of course is of Jesus Christ. I want to, you know, read through a few verses here in Matthew 26 and 27, because this is talking about the crucifixion, of course at the end of each of the Gospels. You have some information that all blends together as far as giving us a comprehensive understanding of what led up to the death of Jesus, and how that as he said, I'm going to be in the grave for three days and three nights, and I'm going to rise from the dead. They didn't believe that, but, you know, he knew that that would be what would happen. We know that that's what God brought about, and thankfully he is now at the right hand of the Father. But what I want to focus on here in the time I have this morning is an aspect of what Christ went through that I think we ought to be mindful of, because ultimately Jesus died. Ultimately, he allowed his blood to be shed. Ultimately, there was a spear stuck in his side, and blood and water gushed out, and he died. And of course, we identify with that, or we connect with that, in that it says that without that sacrifice, the shedding of blood, then there would be no forgiveness of sin. So we are grateful. We should be extremely grateful for the recovery that he allows. See, all of us are in recovery. We're all recovering from having been enslaved to sin, recovering from that. And thankfully, Jesus Christ is the one who makes forgiveness available. God does through Jesus, but Jesus Christ is the sacrifice. He was the one who allowed his body to be broken, and his blood to be shed. Those are the emblems that we utilize at the Passover service. But I want to read a few verses that just point out what Jesus went through, what he did, what his example was before he was ever dead, because that's a powerful, powerful example. Verse 59, Matthew 26, the chief priests and the council were looking for false testimony against Jesus so they could put him to death, but they couldn't find any. They couldn't even get people to put it together enough to accuse him of something. He was pure as far as what he had done, how he had lived, what he had said. They just couldn't bring up anything.

Though many false witnesses came forward, at least two came forward, and said, this fellow said I'm able to destroy the temple of God in a building three days. See, they could try to bring something up, that's what he said, but how would that be, you know, in any way a derogatory thing? In verse 62, the high priest said, well, have you no answer that he was talking to Jesus? What do you have to say? Do you have no answer? What is it that you or what is it that they testify against you? In verse 63, it says Jesus was silent.

And then the high priest said to him, while I put you under oath before the living God, tell us if you're the Messiah, the Son of God. And Jesus said, well, that's what you say. You have said so. You're the one who is identifying me as the Messiah.

Maybe you should think about that. Maybe you should consider your options here. Of course, he didn't say any of that. He just simply said there, you are saying so. Of course, he said, I tell you from now on, you'll see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of power and coming on the clouds of heaven. He did say something correct. He said something very definitive about what was going to happen here. This kangaroo court that I'm enduring is ultimately going to lead to an unbelievably wonderful solution. Ultimately, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of God, and he'll be coming in the clouds of heaven. The high priest, he was just about to have a hissy fit. He tore his clothes.

He said, he's blasphemed. He's blasphemed. Why do we still need witnesses? You've now heard his blasphemy. What's your verdict?

And they answered and said, well, he deserves death.

See, now exactly what did Jesus say that would deserve death?

Well, of course, nothing. You know, again, this was contrived. This was a confused and conflicted court or system of condemnation. And in verse 67, see, after this point, we're reading, and things are fairly benign. Jesus is there. They try to accuse him. They can't think of anything to accuse him of. They can't come up with any witness even to come up and lie. So, I saw him steal something the other day, or I saw him with the, you know, this woman in appropriate, you know, whatever they might dream up or bring up or want to misrepresent about Christ. They couldn't come up with anything. Verse 67, it says, they spit in his face, and they struck him, I would imagine, in the face, in the head. They spit on him. They struck him. They slapped him, saying, prophesy to us, you Messiah, who is this that struck you? You know, was he blindfolded? Was he beaten to a point where he couldn't see well? I'm sure a lot of those were, you know, commented on in different commentaries about why, you know, they said what they said. But what it is that you see is that Jesus went through a great deal of abuse before he ever died. He was going to die, yes. He knew he was going to endure death and provide the blood of the sacrifice of the Lamb of God for us. But before that, let's think about what he was going through and why he did this. On in chapter 27, I want to read a few more verses. This is beyond the, you know, the problem he was having there with the high priest and with his cohorts. In verse 11, chapter 27, Jesus stood before the governor and the governor said, are you the king of the Jews? And again, he said, well, you say so.

You say that I'm the king of the Jews.

And in verse 12, when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, or but when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he didn't answer. And Pilate said, well, do you not hear how many accusations people are making against you?

And again, in verse 14, it says Jesus gave him no answer, not even to a single charge, so that the governor was greatly amazed. See, the example that Jesus was setting was, you know, it was precedent setting.

It was inspired from God as far as how it would be that he would handle not just ultimately his murder, not just ultimately his crucifixion and death, but that he would handle the people, the people who accused him, the people who despised him, the people who spit on him, the people who struck him in the face.

See, we drop on down to verse 24. Pilate saw that he could do nothing. Rather than have a riot beginning, he took water and washed his hands. He said, I'm innocent of this man's blood. I don't really want or need to have anything to do with this because this doesn't look good. This looks horrible. This is completely illegal, illicit, completely unacceptable. I don't want to have anything. I don't want my name on this record. See to it yourselves, he was saying. He was trying to get out of some of the blame. In verse 25, the people as a whole answered, well, his blood be on us and on our children. And so he released Brabbus. So he released a criminal. He released despicable character that the Jewish leaders were at least willing to have once again among them. You know, sounds kind of stupid. And yet, of course, it all was playing into the prophesied events that Jesus would endure, that Jesus would suffer. And of course, verse 26, after they released Brabbus, it says they flogged Jesus or scourged Jesus and handed him over to Jesus. He sent him over to be crucified. Now again, you can elaborate a great deal on that.

I'm sure all of you have heard that over the years, and the scourging. And if you ever watch any depictions, even in some of the movies that are regarding Christ's death, they can be unbelievably graphic, unbelievably distressing, just emotionally painful, just to even watch the type of thing that unfortunately Jesus Christ, the Lord of the universe, went through as an example. He went through this as an example. Verse 27, the soldiers, the governor, took Jesus into the governor's headquarters. They gathered the whole cord around them. They stripped him, and they put a scarlet robe on him. And after twisting some thorns into a crown, they jammed it on his head. They put a reed in his right hand and knelt before him and mocked the ruler of the universe. You can read that, and yet we really understand what Jesus was enduring, knowing that he had at his disposal millions of angels that could stop this proceeding at any time, but of course that was not the plan. That was not what he was going to allow happen. So it says they mocked him, saying, hail the king of the Jews, and they spit upon him, and they took the reed, and they struck him on the head, and after mocking him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him, and they led him away to crucify him. See, what an unbelievable example for us. What a remarkable example that Jesus set, an example of suffering. See, ultimately, when you die, and I would assume when he died, then the physical pain ceased.

You know, being in the tomb for three days and three nights and awaiting the resurrection, I don't know that that was painful, that that would seem to not be painful at all. That would be joyous. And yet, as Jesus was led up to this crucifixion, he set an example of suffering that I think we should consider as far as, you know, what can we learn from that example? What can we say about Christian suffering that we might endure?

Now, here's the perfect example. Here's exactly what Jesus went through leading up to the time when he would be taken to be crucified. He was despicably treated by all kinds of nefarious characters, cruel, surely insidious, undoubtedly, you know, enjoying the opportunity to brutalize another human being. See, unfortunately, you know, that type of stuff is so graphically displayed on TV and in other images today, people almost get seared. Their minds are seared to the damage of that type of destruction and put upon other people. You know, you hear of massive destruction and certainly, you know, I think it's good for us to think about Christ's example of suffering. If you look in Isaiah 52 and 53, you have verses that I'm not going to take time to read today, but in Isaiah 52, the last few verses, verses 13 and 14, talks about Jesus as the suffering servant, and most of that extends on down through a big part of chapter 53. So it might be good to read that sometime. Again, I'm not going to take time to do that right now, but Isaiah 52 and 53 describe in detail what Jesus was. I do actually want to look in chapter 53. It describes the prophetic prediction of what the suffering servant would go through.

And of course, it's an amazing description, unfortunately, talking about his appearance being so marred, perhaps in verse 14 of chapter 52, you know, beyond recognition.

See, undoubtedly, that had to hurt. That had to have extensive pain. But it says in verse 4, surely he is born our infirmity and carried our diseases. And yet we account him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted, but he was wounded for our transgression. He was crushed for our iniquity, and upon him was the punishment that made us whole by his bruises. We are healed.

We've got some information that we read in the Old, and then it's also repeated in the New Testament in 1 Peter. They give us a connection with the suffering that Jesus endured, the extent of the suffering that he endured in his body prior to dying.

And of course, ultimately, say down in verse 10, it says it was the will of God for him to endure that, for him to be crushed with that pain when you make his life an offering for sin. I didn't read what the New King James says there. I think this translation, the New Revised Standard, makes that reasonably clear. It was the will of God to punish or crush him with pain when you make his life an offering for sin, because that's what he was. That's what he was enduring. So one of the things that we could maybe gain from thinking about Jesus' suffering, well, the fact is, as a Christian, it's pretty likely that at least at certain times we're going to suffer. Now, in most cases, we avoid that like the plague. We don't want to suffer. I don't like to hurt. I don't want to feel bad. I want to feel good. I don't want to be in distress. I want to feel comfortable. And yet the example of Jesus, and I would think that in many ways his life was very wonderful much of the time. He was able to always be a master of his circumstances and surroundings. And yet this section right here at the end of his life shows an example of suffering that would be beyond anything I could imagine. And yet what we're told is that as Christians there will be times when we are going to suffer.

And I don't know that we could ever say that we're going to suffer like Jesus did, although I guess there could be situations that might be somewhat similar. I don't know.

Cruelty and tormenting before someone was actually put to death. But see, what is it that we can say? Well, I want to go back to 1 Peter here for some of this. 1 Peter chapter 2. The first thing that I want to mention is simply what it says here in 1 Peter 2 verse 21.

Now again, I don't have near the time to try to go through 1 Peter. But actually, if you read through 1 Peter and in many ways, you know, Peter was writing as an encouragement to Christians in many locations. He was writing about the Christian life. He was writing about the trials and the tests that we go through in chapter 1 verse 6 or 7.

Let's see. It says in verse 6, In this you rejoice, even if now for a little while you have had to suffer various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith being more precious than gold that perishes is tested by fire, and you may be found to result in praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. See, this is something Peter is talking about. He's also chapter 4 verse 12. He says, Beloved, don't be surprised at the fire ordeal that is taking place among you to test you as though something strange happened to you. He tells us in many ways we need to recognize that the life of Jesus is an example for us and to us in many remarkable ways. And to think of Jesus as a suffering servant is characterizing an outlook, an understanding, a state of mind that we can benefit from. And here in chapter 2, in verse 21, chapter 2 verse 21, it says, For to this you've been called. And so clearly he's directly talking to people who are a part of the church of God, who understand their calling, who are committed to a way of life which we could term as Christian.

But here he says, To this you've been called because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example so that you should follow in his steps. See, that tells us that there are going to be times when we're going to be suffering. There are going to be times when we're going to be sharing in the suffering of Jesus Christ. Not everything is going to be good. There are going to be times that are bad. There are going to be some very severe times in chapter 4 verse 13.

It says, Rejoice in so much that you are sharing Christ's suffering, so that you may also be glad and shop for joy when his glory is revealed. See, that's what we've been called to. We've been called to share in the suffering of Jesus Christ. And as he willingly endured that, there are going to be times when we will be expected to endure a certain level or a certain amount of suffering. I don't know that we would ever say that the suffering we'll go through is the same as what Jesus went through, but it tells us that we will share, or we should as Christians share, in that suffering, and that we may go through some of those same things. The next thing I want to point out, and it's kind of mentioned here in verse 13, it says, Rejoice in so far as you are sharing Christ's suffering, so that you may be glad and shocked for joy. You know, that's not something that we tend to want to do. Whenever we are in misery, whenever we are suffering, it's much more likely that we will grumble and complain and moan and groan. We'll be distressed. We often are much more likely to strike out, to retaliate if something happens to us, but clearly that was not what Jesus did.

See, whatever you see, what Jesus in his perfect example, maybe we should go back to Isaiah 53, because we've already read exactly what he did. But here in Isaiah 53, in verse 7, it says, He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He didn't open His mouth.

Like a lamb led to the slaughter, like a sheep before the shearers, and silent, He didn't open His mouth. In verse 9, He made His grave with the wicked in His tomb of the rich, although He had done no violence, and there was no deceit in His mouth. He was receiving this, not deserving any of it. And actually, when you read through Peter, you find Peter addressing even the difficulty of Christian suffering. Some of that we might bring on ourselves by different things that we could do. And he says, well, you might expect to suffer for that, but when you suffer for no real cause, and that was what Christ was doing, He suffered not deserving it, never bringing anything upon Himself. He says that type of suffering is commendable. That type of suffering is what you should think about and then strive to ensure that I appreciate that if I'm suffering as a Christian, suffering for the cause of being a Christian, then that's clearly worth suffering for. And yet the example of Jesus is very clear. Verse 7 again, He just simply didn't open His mouth.

He didn't retaliate against those who were picking on Him, who were flogging Him, who were spitting on Him. See, I think this represents the example that you see here in Matthew 5.

Matthew 5 gives us a little example here. Of course, Matthew 5 and 6 and 7 should be a study in understanding the mind of Christ. But He says in verse 38 of Matthew 5, you've heard that it was said, an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, but I say to you, don't resist an evil doer, but if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also. If anyone wants to sue you and take your coat, give your cloak as well. If anyone forces you to go one mile, then go the second. See, He gives an illustration here of, in a sense, retaliation. That's what you have described there, an eye for an eye. Or if I get an eye gouged out, then I need to try to retaliate in some way to rectify that. And yet Jesus' example and His statement was simply to not do that. See, our reaction to bad things happening and to suffering that we endure is often retaliation or revenge. It's often just an immediate reaction to strike back.

But that is not what Jesus did. That is not how He responded. And so He gives us a perfect example, an example of what to consider about my own life, what to consider about my own reactions, what to consider as I look forward to being able to take the Passover here in another six, five weeks, I guess, from now. I want to be able to examine my thoughts and my response in light of what Jesus did. And ultimately, and very thankfully, we see the perfect example here as far as what He ended up doing here in 1 Peter chapter 2. In verse 22, it says, He committed no sin and no deceit was found in His mouth. That's quoting from Isaiah.

You know, He never transgressed. He never violated. He never responded in the wrong way.

But it says in verse 23, when He was abused, He did not return that abuse. And when He suffered, He did not threaten those who were mocking Him or spitting in His face or striking Him. But it does say what He did. He simply entrusted Himself to the one who judges justly. He entrusted Himself to the one who judges righteously.

And if we go on even a little further over here to chapter 4, in verse 19, He says, Therefore, let those suffering in accordance with the will of God entrust themselves to a faithful Creator while continuing to do good.

See, Peter is certainly holding up the example of Jesus Christ as a suffering servant. He is upholding the perfect example of the perfect mind, of the reaction and the response of not retaliating on those who do us harm, but of simply entrusting ourselves to the faithful Creator, to the one who will judge righteously, the one who will uphold our convictions.

And of course, I think one of the most exciting verses in verse Peter is here in chapter 5 in verse 10, because it says, and of course, you know, there's massive amounts of information here in chapter 5 that I'm not going to even consider talking about, but it says in verse 10, After you have suffered a while, see, in a sense, He's almost saying, you know, you're bound to suffer. You're bound to, you know, you need to learn how Christ did this and desire that type of mind. But he says, After you've suffered a while, the God of all grace, who has called you to His eternal glory and Jesus Christ, He will Himself restore and support and strengthen and establish you.

Again, I know the King James says a little different there, but it says, Settle you. You. He will secure you. He will restore you. He will strengthen and He will establish you. And to Him, in verse 11, be the power forever and forever. See, that's what He tells us. That's exciting to see that as we see suffering, as we see distress, as we hate to see, I hate to see that there are members of the Church of God who are suffering, whether it's illness or whether it's, you know, serious complications, whether it's, you know, we've had unsure possibility of some people within the last 36 hours, adversely affected through weather disasters that they could do absolutely nothing about. And yet, you know, He tells us that as a Christian, we can anticipate suffering.

And yet He says, After we suffer for a while, the God of all grace who has called us, who is eternal glory in Jesus Christ, will strengthen and settle and restore and establish us. See, that's what's fabulous about the example that Jesus set. And I think it's good for us to think. As we consider the Passover, as we read through, I'm sure you will be reading through the verses that are at the end of each of the Gospels in preparation for the Passover, at least read through one of those. I would encourage you to do that. Because, you know, Jesus set the perfect example. He did that in every single way. And of course, one of those ways was showing us how to suffer and to know that ultimately the children of God, as we endure the suffering that we're allowed to go through, as we ultimately will be restored and glorified. You know, that's what it says. And we can close with Romans chapter 8. Romans 8, of course, talks about the children of God who are blessed with the Spirit of God. And it says, if we are the children in verse 17 of God, then we are heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ. If in fact we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him. That, in a sense, could be expected. But he says, I consider in verse 18 that the suffering of this present time is not worthy to be compared with the glory that's about to be revealed. He goes on to describe about how the whole creation awaits the coming of the sons of God. The creation, this whole earth needs to be restored. It needs to be replenished. It needs to be uplifted. It needs to be brought out of the state of decay and destruction that it is continually declining in. And that's going to happen when the glory that God holds out before us is presented to us after we've suffered a while, then we would be given that glory. We'd be given that wonderful blessing. And, of course, thankfully, you know, we are learning as we study the life of Jesus and as we think about it and understand more and more of the aspects of it. We understand how perfect his example was, and, of course, we simply want to emulate, try to follow, try to digest, try to internalize, try to allow the mind and life of Jesus to live in us. And so, as we do, as we do endure, as we can, come to rejoice, as we can, and trust ourselves to the one who is the faithful and just Creator, you know, God will truly honor our commitment, but he will, you know, help us throughout the remainder of our life and certainly anticipate the return of Christ and then the glorification of the sons of God.