Victory in Suffering
Victory in Jesus • Sermon • Submitted
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· 119 viewsA discussion on the realities of Christian Suffering
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Our Bible reading this year has us in the gospels of Matthew and John, so when Max and I started talking about this year’s Fall Focus, we knew that we wanted it to compliment our Bible reading. So we decided that for this year, we are going to focus on the message of the Gospel, because the gospel message is so important to us.
The gospel message is the foundation of our faith.
But what is the message of the gospel?
As you all know, gospel is a very religious term that means good news, but in the ancient world, “gospel” was not a religious term.
In the ancient world, this term was sometimes used in a political/patriotic way.
For example, when a General would return home from an amazing victory, it would be described as good news.
When a son would begin his reign by inheriting the throne from his father, it would be described as good news.
This is the way that the early church viewed this word: gospel. They viewed it as Jesus taking the throne and achieving a major victory. So, the gospel is a message of Jesus’ victory, and through Jesus, our victory as well.
This is the topic of our Fall Focus this year. We are going to look and meditate on this victory.
In this lesson, we are going to look at the upside-down nature of this victory.
How do the kings of the world achieve victory? It’s usually through the violence and death of others.
How did Jesus achieve victory? It was through his own suffering and death.
So, the victory that Jesus offers is obtained through suffering, and not just through Jesus’ suffering, but through ours as well. This is not always easy for us to understand or accept.
So, the lesson this morning is Victory in Suffering – and in this lesson, we are going to talk about some of the realities of suffering.
The Righteous Suffer
The Righteous Suffer
Jesus suffered.
Jesus suffered.
Jesus went through trials during his ministry. He wasn’t living the easy life. Matthew 8:18-20.
18 Now when Jesus saw a crowd around him, he gave orders to go over to the other side. 19 And a scribe came up and said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” 20 And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”
It’s not just that Jesus had a hard life. Jerusalem leadership was looking to kill him. Matthew 16:21; Matthew 20:18-19.
21 From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.
18 “See, we are going up to Jerusalem. And the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death 19 and deliver him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day.”
This isn’t even the worst of it. Think about where we are in Matthew 26.
In this context, Jesus is sharing a meal with his family (the disciples). Have you ever realized that this was the last time that Jesus was with his disciples before the resurrection? After this meal, the disciples abandon Jesus, and Matthew paints the picture for us in vivid detail.
It starts with Jesus prediction. Matthew 26:30-31.
30 And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. 31 Then Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away because of me this night. For it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’
It continues in the garden. Matthew 26:36-44.
36 Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go over there and pray.” 37 And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38 Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.” 39 And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” 40 And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, “So, could you not watch with me one hour? 41 Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 42 Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.” 43 And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. 44 So, leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words again.
You see, the disciples are still with Jesus in body, but on an emotional level, Jesus is alone.
Then Jesus gets arrested. Matthew 26:55-56.
55 At that hour Jesus said to the crowds, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs to capture me? Day after day I sat in the temple teaching, and you did not seize me. 56 But all this has taken place that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples left him and fled.
In Jesus’ worst moment, his friends have abandoned him.
So Jesus didn’t only suffer. There were times when he suffered alone. Jesus was righteous, but he suffered.
The early disciples suffered.
The early disciples suffered.
The obvious example of this is the book of Revelation. Revelation 2:8-10. Here we see that the disciples addressed in Revelation faced trials, persecution, and even death.
8 “And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: ‘The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life.
9 “ ‘I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich) and the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 10 Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.
We see this in Hebrews as well, and the audience of Hebrews is more relatable to us in my opinion. We typically read Revelation and we don’t relate to it because we aren’t being martyred like some of them were, but we can relate to the audience of Hebrews.
The audience of Hebrews were suffering because of their faith, but they weren’t necessarily facing death.
The Christians that Hebrews was addressed to were facing cultural backlash. These Christians were being socially shunned because of their faith.
They were being denied Jobs because of their faith.
They were being disowned by their families because of their faith.
They were banned from the marketplace because of their faith.
This is why the author of Hebrews tells them to endure like Jesus. Hebrews 13:12-13.
12 So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood. 13 Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured.
We are going to suffer.
We are going to suffer.
Like the disciples in the book of Hebrews, we will endure trials. We will be socially shunned.
There are preachers who will say that the righteous will never suffer. They are wrong.
The more I study, the more I’m inclined to say the opposite.
If we never suffer, if we never have any trials, if the world never looks at us with reproach, then maybe we aren’t really disciples. 1 Peter 2:18-21.
18 Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust. 19 For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. 20 For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. 21 For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.
Suffering is not the last word
Suffering is not the last word
Suffering was not the last word for Jesus.
Suffering was not the last word for Jesus.
Matthew 16:21.
21 From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.
Matthew 20:18-19.
18 “See, we are going up to Jerusalem. And the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death 19 and deliver him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day.”
Throughout the gospels, Jesus repeatedly mentions his death, but what else does he mention? He mentions his resurrection. Why? Suffering is not the last word.
When Jesus went into the grave, did he stay there? No. Through the grave, he inherited a throne. There was victory in his suffering.
Suffering was not the last word for the disciples.
Suffering was not the last word for the disciples.
Revelation 2:8-11.
8 “And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: ‘The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life.
9 “ ‘I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich) and the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. 10 Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. 11 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.’
Suffering is not the last word for these disciples. There was victory in their suffering.
Hebrews 13:12-14.
12 So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood. 13 Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured. 14 For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come.
Even though these disciples were going through trials and were socially ostracized, they were still looking forward to the city that is to come. Suffering wasn’t the last word for them.
Suffering isn’t the last word for us, either.
Suffering isn’t the last word for us, either.
Like the Christians in Hebrews, we are looking forward to a city.
Do you know what that city is like? Revelation 21:1-4.
1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
There is victory in our suffering.
As a matter of fact, our suffering shows that we are winning. We see this in Revelation 12.
In Revelation 12, we see a war between God’s army and Satan’s army, and Satan loses. Revelation 12:7-9.
7 Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, 8 but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. 9 And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.
After Satan loses, he’s upset. So he chases after this woman and loses again. Revelation 12:13-16.
13 And when the dragon saw that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. 14 But the woman was given the two wings of the great eagle so that she might fly from the serpent into the wilderness, to the place where she is to be nourished for a time, and times, and half a time. 15 The serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, to sweep her away with a flood. 16 But the earth came to the help of the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed the river that the dragon had poured from his mouth.
What does Satan do after he’s lost twice? Revelation 12:17.
17 Then the dragon became furious with the woman and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. And he stood on the sand of the sea.
What’s one of the reasons why Satan persecutes the church? It’s because he’s losing.
Satan persecutes us in this world because we are destined for victory.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Let’s not forget this.
Some of us have lost opportunities/jobs/family/friends because of our faith.
Some of us have suffered alone like Jesus did in the garden.
Are we going to endure… or are we going to give up?