Following Jesus as a Suffering Servant
When Jesus asked His disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” it was a moment of illumination from God the Father for Peter, answering, “You are the Christ (Mk 8:29).” For most Jews, the idea of Messiah was a conquering hero in the political and military sense. One like David had long been expected to arise and deliver the people of Israel from those who oppressed them.
Jesus Christ is indeed the fulfillment of that prophetic expectation. In fact, Jesus is the antitype for all the typical leaders in the Old Testament He resembles Adam, Noah, Abraham, Joseph, Moses, David, etc. The Old Testament serves to point us to Messiah and illustrates who the people were looking for at the time.
The suffering servant imagery of Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53 shows us another side to the dread champion warrior motif so prevalent elsewhere in the Bible. One aspect of Messiah does not negate another. The New Testament writers help us to compare the first and second advent of Christ. We see Jesus as the suffering servant in His first advent, contrasted with the warrior judge/king in His second advent. Today, we are living between the two vivid images of the same God-man.
Suffering in a fallen, sinful world is common to all people, everywhere. We do not teach suffering as a course in schools or at seminars. Suffering is inherent to the human condition. Therefore, most people are inclined to learn how to avoid or cope with suffering in their lives.
Suffering happens to individuals, families, groups, tribes, and nations. It manifests in a myriad of forms, caused by an innumerable number of sources. Suffering may be one of the most common experiences known to us. It is rare for one to subject himself to suffering on purpose. Usually, there is a motive behind choices to enter into suffering.
In the case of Jesus, the Son of God, suffering was a choice motivated by love. God set His love upon His chosen people before the foundation of the world when He predestined us to adoption as His children (Rom 8:15, 23; Eph 1:4–5; 1 Jn 3:1). God’s elect were in Adam when the first man sinned (Gen 3; Rom 5:12; 1 Cor 15:22). They shared in the status of being sons of disobedience and children of wrath (Eph 2:2–3).
The consequences to sin, death, and judgment demand a rescue if God’s people are to be saved from God’s righteous wrath against sinners for eternity. The deliverance from the wrath to come belongs to Jesus (1 Thess 1:10). Suffering was His means to accomplish our salvation. He saved us (Titus 3:5); and He suffered beyond anyone else in accomplishing that for us (Phil 2:8).
The sufferings of Christ began upon His departure from heaven. Leaving glory was a sacrifice. Coming into the world was to enter hostile, enemy territory. The ruler of this world, Satan, along with his demons and rebellious humanity all stood against Messiah (Lk 12:31; 14:30; 16:11). They began to get the picture when Jesus’ public ministry commenced. He came to His own people; but they did not receive Him (Jn 1:11). Instead, they conspired to kill Him.
Jesus’ suffering and rejection is the course for Christians, too (Col 1:24). We join in the sufferings of Christ with the same motive — love for Christ’s church. Just as Jesus denied himself in both life and death, the Christian takes up his or her cross and follows Messiah on the path of putting selfishness to death (Mk 8:34). In doing so, we lose out on gaining more of this world (Mk 8:36).
The Christian witness is brighter the more loss is endured (Mt 5:16). There are the extreme cases where Christians are killed by secular governments or religious fanatics like Boko Haram in Nigeria. There are mild cases of exclusion or mockery by unbelievers. Of course, there is much in between these two experiential poles of Christian persecution (Mt 5:10–12).
The world hates God (Rom 1:30); hates Christ (Jn 7:7); and hates the followers of Christ (Jn 15:18–25). Still, the Bible instructs us to love our enemies (Mt 5:44; Lk 6:27, 35). Love is powerful to turn an enemy into a friend. While we were at enmity with Christ, He poured out His love into our hearts by giving us the token of His love…the Holy Spirit (Rom 5:5, 6, 10; 2 Cor 5:5).
As noted, suffering is common to all people. Suffering for the Person and cause of Jesus Christ is additional and different. People who are born again by the Spirit of Christ are now the marked enemies of the devil and his world system (Jn 3:1–8; Eph 1:13; 1 Pet 1:3). In defection, the Christian is now an ambassador for Christ and His encroaching kingdom in the Spirit (Rom 14:17; 2 Cor 5:20).
The Christian life is one of bearing witness to the supremacy of King Jesus to His enemies in their territory (Acts 1:8). With that powerful motive, love, the Christian bears witness in word and deed (Mk 12:31–33). He or she will boldly declare the superior nature and experience of the kingdom of light (1 Pet 2:9). Our boast is Jesus Christ (1 Cor 1:31; Gal 6:14), who is Himself the truth in opposition to the lies of the evil one (Jn 8:32; 14:6). He is love in opposition to the hatred (1 Jn 4:8). He alone is the way to God the Father, meaning He is the only hope for one’s salvation (Jn 14:6; 1 Tim 1:1).
God’s grace is sufficient for every aspect of every suffering to which the Christian is called to endure. It is a joy and a privilege for the saint to fill up what is lacking in afflictions ordained for the body of Christ. When we suffer for His name, we shine brighter in the present darkness.
Praying without ceasing, let us embark upon His appointment for us to suffer along with the saints in every age and every place. Let us remember His Word of promise that this present suffering is not to be compared with the glory to be revealed to us at His coming (Rom 8:17–18).
The pain and suffering will cease as the kingdom of this world becomes the kingdom of God and of His Christ (Rev 11:15). He is the one we follow. He is the One who has gone before us on this narrow way that leads to life. His Spirit is with us and in us to preserve us to the end of this course in the world (Rom 8:9, 11). Soon, we will see our Savior face to face; and we will be like Him in glory. There, with every tear wiped from our eyes, suffering will be no more.
David Norczyk
Spokane Valley, Washington
January 17, 2024
