As believers in Christ, we seek to understand everything in light of the Cross. The Gospel is the lens though which we understand the world, draw strength for daily living, and discover ultimate hope. Nowhere is this truer than in the area of suffering.
While there are many passages that teach us how to suffer in light of the Gospel, Hebrews 12 is one of the most vivid. Notice how the author weaves together our suffering with the suffering of Jesus:
Jesus' Mission (vv. 1-3)
Jesus endured suffering (vv. 2-3)
The end of His suffering is glory (v. 2)
Our Mission (vv. 4-12)
We endure suffering (v. 7)
The end of our suffering is fruit (vv. 10-11)
For the author of Hebrews, Jesus' suffering serves as a pattern for us. There is even a repetition of a key word: "endured" (vv. 2, 7). Just like a zipper brings together the teeth on both sides of a garment, the author zips together our suffering with the cross of Christ.
This pattern is not unique to the book of Hebrews. The apostles routinely call us to understand our own suffering in light of the cross. Consider Romans 8:16-17: "The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs–heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. Peter does something similar: "Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed." (1 Peter 4:12-13)
What does this mean practically? The only way that a believer can come to grips with suffering in his or her own life is by coming to grips with the pain in Jesus' life. We cannot even understand suffering apart from the Gospel. This is why the passage in Hebrews begins with the words, "Consider Him…" (v. 3) In other words, when you as a believer experience a trial, the first move is always to look to the cross.
It has been wisely said, "If God can make sense of the suffering of Jesus, He can most certainly make sense of the suffering in your life." Hebrews 12 reveals four important points about Gospel-centered suffering: the possibility, the progress, the purpose, and the potential. We uncover the first in the next post.
In the book Grief and Pain in the Plan of God, Walter Kaiser gives eight reasons why God allows suffering in this present world. They are Retributive, Disciplinary, Empathetic, Vicarious, Doxological, Revelation, Apocalyptic, and Testimonial. The...[ abbreviated | read entire ]
Two final reasons for suffering are Apocalyptic and Testimonial. Apocalyptic suffering refers to the intense period of pain and suffering that the world will experience just before the Second Coming of Christ. We get a picture of this in...[ abbreviated | read entire ]
Thus far we have discussed four reasons for suffering: retributive, discipline, vicarious, and empathetic. We are not done yet. The Scriptures reveal even more. A fifth reason that God allows for suffering is doxological. Through pain and...[ abbreviated | read entire ]
God may also bring suffering into the life of a person to help that individual develop empathy. Through an experience of pain or sorrow, we grow in our sympathy for others. In essence, we learn to "weep with those who weep" (Rom. 12:15). Growing...[ abbreviated | read entire ]
Bearing shame and scoffing rude, In my place condemned He stood; Sealed my pardon with His blood. Hallelujah! What a Savior! P.P. Bliss A third category of suffering is vicarious. Vicarious suffering takes place when one person is punished in the...[ abbreviated | read entire ]
This is part 2 of the series. Read part 1 of the Complexity of Suffering. In addition to retributive, a second category of suffering is discipline or chastisement. This is God allowing pain into the life of a believer for the purpose of spiritual...[ abbreviated | read entire ]
However this question is answered, we must guard against oversimplification. Suffering is remarkably complicated, and so are the reasons that God allows it. To demonstrate the complexity of this issue I refer once again to Walter Kaiser's book,...[ abbreviated | read entire ]
In the previous post we noted three movements of grief: crescendo – trust in the Lord – decrescendo. There are several practical lessons that we can learn from this pattern. The first implication is a warning against unreasonable...[ abbreviated | read entire ]
"For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven… a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance." Solomon In his book Grief and Pain, Walter Kaiser notes a pattern to grieving in the...[ abbreviated | read entire ]
