Holding Fast to the Suffering Saviour

This week is Passion Week.

Image via Pixabay

Christians by the millions, of all different tribes and tongues and nations across this world, will take time to reflect upon and connect with the Suffering Saviour.

Our view of kings, of rulers, of leaders is that they come in strength, with royal majesty, with riches, and overcome by force.

Our King, our Ruler, our Lord does not do these things in the typical way.

Although strong, He is “crucified in weakness” (2Co 13.4).

Although royal, “He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him.” (Isa 53.2).

Although rich, “yet for your sake He became poor.” (2Co 8.9)

Although overcoming, He did not overcome with a show of force, but rather with a show of submission. (Jn 14.31)

For our God “chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.” (1Co 1.27)

Christ triumphs in victory, but the path to victory is not the typical path.

It is the way of shame, not glory.

It is the way of betrayal and rejection, not accolades.

It is the way of pain and suffering, not ease and comfort.

It is the way of tears, not joy.

It is the way of loneliness, not popularity.

It is the way of despair, not celebration.

It is the way of death – but it does not end in death.

It does not end with any of the suffering that took Him to the cross, but rather, all of those things will get swallowed up with life (2Co 5.4).

But the path to the mountain cuts through the valley of death first.

So often this is the case for us as well.

Even though we may not go to a literal cross, we too can walk the Christ-like road of pain, rejection, betrayal, despair, etc.

The great hope of the Cross is that Christ walked this path for our sake, and took on the consequences of our sin for us.

But His sufferings are all redeemed and repaid, rewarded and restored.

The great example that He sets is that as we walk our own roads of suffering, that these things too will be redeemed, and that pain and betrayal and death will be swallowed up completely by the overwhelming life of God in Christ.

This week, we enter into the suffering of our Lord Jesus Christ.

And as He suffers with us in this fallen world of ours, we are saved by His suffering, and strengthened in our own suffering, knowing that God ultimately makes all things new in Him.

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