July 12, 2002

Reading: 1 Peter 1: 3-12

 

“The sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow” (11)

 

These elements of the Person of Jesus Christ are the two pillars upon which the Old Testament scriptures are built. Very little else is alluded to regarding the Son of Man in the scriptures that “testify of Me” John 5:39. Our salvation depends on His death; for it was there He took upon Himself our sins. The security and continuance of our salvation depends on His exaltation. He was received back into heaven as the Son of Man, His work on the cross accepted by His Father, and He was given a kingdom that would prevail forever – Dan 7: 13-14.

Not only are these two elements of Jesus the pillars of the gospel, they are always presented to us in this order. There is no glory without the suffering. When Jesus taught His disciples, He said, “Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?” Luke 24:26. The wonderful passage in Philippians that speaks of His humiliation and exaltation specifies our thought very clearly, “He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God has highly exalted Him” Phil 2:8-9.

How poignant of our human nature that we should wish to reign with Christ without suffering with Him. We are called upon to suffer with Him – indignities, ridicule, and some even to the point of death. This past week Martin Burnham was killed, and his wife Gracia wounded, following a year of captivity by terrorists in the Philippines. What grace and strength is this that causes Gracia to give glory to God for His faithfulness throughout their inhumane captivity? Some are called upon to suffer great things for their Savior, but none can compare to the sufferings of Jesus who “became sin for us.” How great His suffering – how great His glory. “If we suffer, we shall also reign with him” 2 Tim 2:13 (KJV).

Why do we shy away from suffering ridicule on behalf of Christ? They ridiculed Him, why should they not ridicule us? Paul tells us that suffering for Christ is a privilege, “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.

This world is an enemy of Christ. It’s spiritual leader directs his armies against those who have been adopted into the family of God. “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places” Eph 6:12. Why do many Christians plod through this life without knowing what it means to suffer for Christ? It all depends on where our loyalty lies. If we truly walk with Him, we will suffer with Him to one degree or another. If we align our self with the world, neither it (the world), nor its leader (Satan), will trouble us. “Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God?” James 4:4. There will be no glory for him who shuns suffering in the name of Christ. It was this way for our Master, it will be no other way for His followers.

Luke warmness is abhorrent to God. Unwillingness to suffer for Him constitutes luke warmness. Such He “will vomit out of My mouth” Rev 3:16. But, “To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne” Rev 1:21. As it was with Him, so it will be with us. Suffering is followed by glory. Rev 20:4-5

“And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years” Rev 20:4-5.