Christ's Suffering

"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. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you." 1 Peter 4:12-14

Have you ever stopped to think about Christ's suffering? Well, if you do, you will be humbled by his lifetime of suffering. Christ didn't just suffer on the cross at his death but he also suffered in his life.

I was thinking about how Christ was our perfect sacrifice and thought about what that meant. That meant that he did not sin one single sin in his lifetime. I look at my kids fight and bicker all the time and thought, "Jesus was not like my kids are." As a baby or little boy, if one of his siblings, and he had at least 4 brothers and a few sisters, took something that was his, rather than retaliating in selfishness, Jesus practiced righteousness. So from birth, when he was born in a trough, to his death, 33 years, Christ always did what is pleasing in His Father's eyes. We can barely go a moment without even thinking a sinful thought and Christ, in full flesh, lived His whole life without sinning. Can you imagine the temptations he faced and what he suffered to resist them? And yet because He wanted to do His Father's will, He chose suffering for righteousness sake over His wants or His desires.

As I thought about how Jesus lived a sinless life, I thought about how people often seek out comfort over suffering. Yet, if we are seeking to do the Father's will, we ought to expect suffering for it as Christ suffered. The good news is that as we seek to do His will, God never leaves us or forsakes us. He is faithful and fills all our material and spiritual needs. So share in Christ's suffering and rejoice.

This post was written by me, but the idea of it was sparked by reading Jerry Bridges book "The Gospel for Real Life."