What the Lord of the Universe is Comforted By: Reposted

As I've been meditating on the truths of Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday -- the events surrounding and the Scripture passages commenting on the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus, I was reminded of a post I wrote a while ago, entitled, "What the Lord of the Universe is Comforted By." I thought that it fit well with the death and resurrection themes, and so I decided to re-post it. I pray it's a benefit.

And Jesus answered them, saying, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal. If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also; if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.

Jesus is acknowledging that the time for His crucifixion is near. We learn from the next verse (which we'll look at in a minute) that He was troubled. And that's not terribly surprising. It's not that He's just going to die an agonizing and ignominious death at the hands of those who have perverted His Father's holy Law, and have subjugated His people under a yoke of slavery that no one in history has been able to bear (Ac 15:10). That would be enough to trouble any of us, certainly.

But Jesus' trouble went deeper than that. He was troubled at the fact that soon He would lose the delightful and exuberant fellowship that He had always enjoyed with the Father. There would, for the first time in eternity, be a horrible change in their relationship; it would go from one of perfect communion, love, blessing, joy, and delight in each other, to abandonment, hatred, cursing, wrath, and shame. On the cross, Jesus would experience the full exercise of the righteous wrath of His Father -- wrath He had known objectively but never experientially. The bitter cup that He never deserved to drink would soon be pressed to His lips, and the delightful, well-pleased smile of His Father -- the apple of His eye from all eternity -- would be hidden from Him.

Very literally, Jesus is about to go through hell.

And so He's troubled. But even at that point (in verses 23-26), He is comforting Himself with the promises of His Father. He speaks of His impending death -- both physical and spiritual -- as being "glorified." Rather than focus on the condemnation He will suffer for His people, He remembers that His Father will not let His Holy One undergo decay (Ps 16:10), and that as a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied (Is 53:11), He will be allotted a portion with the great (Is 53:12). And so He reminds Himself that His death will eventually mean His glorification. He reminds Himself and His disciples that it is through this kind of self-sacrifice that one doesn't waste his life, but bears much fruit... that eternal life knowing the Father and knowing Christ (Jn 17:3) is better than a comfortable life on earth for 80 years.

And yet in the moment, He still says, "Now My soul has become troubled."

And then he asks, "...and what shall I say, 'Father, save Me from this hour'? But for this purpose I came to this hour."

That's so beautiful. "Father, I am troubled. My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death (Mt 26:38). I don't want to leave You. I don't want to be abandoned by You. I don't want to lay down the privilege of the consummate joy and love and delight that We've had for all eternity. I want to continue to know Your blessing and Your smile. I want to continue to be well-pleasing to You. Father, I am troubled.

"But Father I trust You. I entrust Myself wholly to You (1Pet 2:23). For I know You are in control of all things. And I know that You are most wise. And I know that at the heart of Your very Being that You are good, for I have witnessed firsthand the overflow of Your beneficence in all creation and providence. So I will not ask that you deliver me out of this trial. No, this is precisely why I have come."

And so He doesn't ask that His suffering be removed. But what is amazing, what is staggering, what is so refreshing, is what He does ask for.

"Father, glorify Your name."

That's what He wants! That's what comforts the Savior's soul! He wants to see His Father's name be magnified and honored and made to look as big and as sweet and as desirable as it actually is! He wants to see His Father's glory! The glory of the Father is so pleasing, so delightful, so enjoyable to the Son that it is what He asks for to comfort Him before the greatest trial, the greatest suffering, that anyone has endured in history.

Oh, we've got to see this! This is not just amazing self-sacrifice on Jesus' part. Jesus is not merely saying, "I'll give it all up as long as God is glorified." He's saying that, but that's not nearly the whole story! He's actually saying that what He wants to calm His troubled, deeply grieved soul is the sight of His Father's glory! This is what reassures Him of His Father's sovereignty, wisdom, and goodness. It is knowing that He Himself will be glorified with this glory that He so enjoys, as He enjoyed before the world was (Jn 17:5), that comforts Him and gives Him strength to do this terrible, awesome work. The Father's glory is the joy that was set before Him for which He endured that shameful cross (Heb 12:2)!

And the Father grants His Son's request: "Then a voice came out of heaven: 'I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.'"

Oh I pray that you feel the weight of that, Christian! I pray that this awesome interaction between Father and Son lands on you!

And how instructive it is for us in our Christian life, especially through the trials and sufferings that God has granted to us (Phil 1:29). In every aspect of our lives, what should be our comfort? What should be our request to God for strength to do the work He's given us? Our request should be, "Father, glorify Your name." Our comfort should be the seeing and savoring of the glory of God in the face of Christ (2Cor 4:6; 2Cor 3:18; Ex 33:18).

I can bear the scoffing and mocking of an unbelieving generation. I can gladly sacrifice popularity among my friends. I can endure the disowning and snubbing of my own family. I can face cancer, disease, and arduous medical procedures with joy. I can live my life with next to no money and worldly comforts for these 80 short years. I can lay down my life... if... if my Father will glorify His name! If the name of my God would be lifted up and exalted and magnified, if I can see Him and enjoy Him in all His majesty, well then for me to live is Christ! And to die is gain!

Be instructed, dear friends, and be comforted by what the Lord of the universe is comforted by.

...for I know that this will turn out for my deliverance
through your prayers and the provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,
according to my earnest expectation and hope,
that I will not be put to shame in anything,
but that with all boldness, Christ will even now,
as always, be exalted in my body,
whether by life or by death.
For to me,
to live is Christ
and to die is gain.
- Philippians 1:19-21 -

Gilt is Afraid of Fire, But Gold is Not

I thought it would be a nice postscript to the series on lessons from Jeremiah's suffering in the book of Lamentations to post Spurgeon's morning entry from Morning and Evening for October 7.

Treasure his words:

Our heavenly Father sends us frequent troubles to try our faith. If our faith be worth anything, it will stand the test. Gilt is afraid of fire, but gold is not: the paste gem dreads to be touched by the diamond, but the true jewel fears no test.

It is a poor faith which can only trust God when friends are true, the body full of health, and the business profitable; but that is true faith which holds by the Lord's faithfulness when friends are gone, when the body is sick, when spirits are depressed, and the light of our Father's countenance is hidden. A faith which can say, in the direst trouble, "Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him," is heaven-born faith.

The Lord afflicts His servants to glorify Himself, for He is greatly glorified in the graces of His people, which are His own handiwork. When "tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope," the Lord is honoured by these growing virtues. We should never know the music of the harp if the strings were left untouched; nor enjoy the juice of the grape if it were not trodden in the winepress; nor discover the sweet perfume of cinnamon if it were not pressed and beaten; nor feel the warmth of fire if the coals were not utterly consumed. The wisdom and power of the great Workman are discovered by the trials through which His vessels of mercy are permitted to pass.

Present afflictions tend also to heighten future joy. There must be shades in the picture to bring out the beauty of the lights. Could we be so supremely blessed in heaven, if we had not known the curse of sin and the sorrow of earth? Will not peace be sweeter after conflict, and rest more welcome after toil? Will not the recollection of past sufferings enhance the bliss of the glorified? There are many other comfortable answers to the question with which we opened our brief meditation, let us muse upon it all day long.

This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope.
Yahweh's lovingkindnesses indeed never cease,
For His compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.
"Yahweh is my portion," says my soul,
"Therefore I have hope in Him."
Yahweh is good to those who wait for Him,
to the person who seeks Him.
It is good that he waits silently
For the salvation of Yahweh.
- Lamentations 3:21-26 -

Series Outline

1. Introduction
   
2. He identifies with, and suffers alongside, his people.
3. He acknowledges that sin is at the root of suffering (even though not all suffering is a direct result of personal sin).
4. He acknowledges God’s absolute sovereignty in his suffering.
5. Piper and Edwards: The Glory of God in Ordaining Evil.
   
6. He recognizes that although God is sovereign, He is not the enemy.
7. He sets his hope entirely on, and rests in, God’s character.
8. Spurgeon: Gilt is Afraid of Fire, But Gold is Not
   

Hope in God's Character

The final installment in this five-part series on lessons about suffering righteously that we can learn from Jeremiah as we study the book of Lamentations has been a long time coming. The big crunch at the end of last semester prompted me to take a break from the blog in December, and visiting home over the last couple of weeks -- during which time I've had the opportunity to prepare and deliver a sermon -- has monopolized much of my time. I apologize for any of you who have been waiting for this final post. I also hope any of you who have surmised that this blog must just have "gone dark" will come back and continue reading, as I plan to post more regularly again.

That said, now we come to the final, and perhaps most important, lesson that Jeremiah teaches us on suffering well and according to righteousness and faith. In the midst of his intense suffering and deep anguish, Jeremiah does not mourn as one who has no hope (1Th 4:13). Rather, he sets his hope entirely on, and rests in, God's character. He hopes in the restoration of God's people according to His character and His covenant.

Even though there has been broad devastation, Israel was not utterly destroyed. Jeremiah attributes that to Yahweh’s compassion, lovingkindness, and covenant faithfulness. Because his words are so powerful, I simply want to reproduce them here. Please read them thoroughly, and give them much thought. The juxtaposition of "affliction," "wandering," "wormwood" and "bitterness," along with "hope," "lovingkindess," "compassion," and "faithfulness," is so striking and spurs the heart unto much worship.

Remember my affliction and my wandering, the wormwood and bitterness. Surely my soul remembers and is bowed down within me. This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope. Yahweh's lovingkindnesses [His chesedim] indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.

"Yahweh is my portion," says my soul, "therefore I have hope in Him." Yahweh is good to those who wait for Him, to the person who seeks Him. It is good that he waits silently for the salvation of Yahweh. It is good for a man that he should bear the yoke in his youth. Let him sit alone and be silent since He has laid it on him. Let him put his mouth in the dust, perhaps there is hope. Let him give his cheek to the smiter, let him be filled with reproach.

For the Lord will not reject forever, for if He causes grief, then He will have compassion according to His abundant lovingkindness.

I hope you lay hold of the magnitude of those words. They come at the dead center of the book of Lamentations (Lam 3:19-32). Yahweh's great covenant faithfulness and loyal and steadfast love according to His own character and name is the centerpiece of Jeremiah's lamentations in his great suffering.

And that is deliberate. Lamentations has the most deliberate, symmetrical structure of any book in the Bible. In chapters 1 and 2, even in the original Hebrew, there are 22 verses that are composed of 3 lines in each verse, for a total of 66 lines in each of the first two chapters. And each verse begins with the successive letter in the Hebrew alphabet. In chapter 3, there are 66 verses of one line each, again totaling 66 lines in the chapter. And again, each cluster of three verses begins with successive letters in the alphabet. (So, verses 1-3 start with aleph, 4-6 with beth, and so on.) Chapter 4 has 22 verses composed of two lines each, and chapter 5 has 22 verses with one line each.

All of this gives form and shape to Jeremiah's mourning. Because of Yahweh's great faithfulness to His own name, His steadfast, loyal, covenant love expressed in the repeated term chesed (Lam 3:22, 32), Jeremiah's suffering is not just unbridled grief and despair. Yahweh's fresh mercies and abundant lovingkindnesses keep him from losing control and despairing entirely as those who grieve with no hope (1Th 4:13).

Therefore, though Israel has been exceedingly unfaithful to the covenant which God made with them at Sinai, and though God has chastened them greatly because of it, nevertheless their unfaithfulness will never nullify God’s faithfulness to the word which He spoke to Abraham: to give His people the land He promised (Gen 15:17-18). That is why Paul says in Romans 11 that, from the standpoint of God's election, Israel is beloved for the sake of the fathers (Rom 11:28). God will not violate His covenant. Neither will it nullify God's faithfulness to the word which He spoke to David: to send the Messiah to reign over them forever on the throne of David (2Sam 7:10-16; Ps 89:34-35). And so with the New Covenant: "'If this fixed order departs from before Me,' declares Yahweh, 'then the offspring of Israel also will cease from being a nation before Me forever.' Thus says Yahweh, 'If the heavens above can be measured and the foundations of the earth searched out below, then I will also cast off all the offspring of Israel for all that they have done,' declares Yahweh" (Jer 31:36-37; cf. Ps 89:36-37). It is for this reason that Jeremiah can come to the end of his lamentations and declare: "Restore us to You, O Yahweh, that we may be restored; renew our days as of old" (Lam 5:21).

And so in our trials of suffering, we also, as God's people, should faithfully turn to trust in His own faithfulness to His promises. He has sworn by the greatest thing by which there is to swear: Himself. God, desiring even more to show to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of His purpose, interposed with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us. This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil, where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek (Heb 6:17-20).

We must locate our hope entirely in the covenant faithfulness of God, specifically in His promise of the blessings of the New Covenant: that the Spirit guarantees our inheritance of dwelling with God in His presence forever – that nothing will separate us from the love of God in Christ (Rom 8:38-39).

Our hope, just as Jeremiah's, is in the Lord’s grace, His ceaseless lovingkindnesses, His never-failing and always-new compassions, for God will always be faithful to Himself (2 Tim 2:13).


Jeremiah's Five Lessons

1. He identifies with, and suffers alongside, his people.
2. He acknowledges that sin is at the root of suffering (even though not all suffering is a direct result of personal sin).
3. He acknowledges God’s absolute sovereignty in his suffering.
4. He recognizes that although God is sovereign, He is not the enemy.
5. He sets his hope entirely on, and rests in, God’s character.

Recognize the Enemy

After a brief, yet hopefully beneficial, interruption from John Piper and Jonathan Edwards on the God's glory as it relates to His ordaining of evil, we come to the fourth lesson we can learn from Jeremiah about how to righteously respond to suffering.

The third lesson was to acknowledge God's absolute sovereignty in the suffering that we experience, and we noted how active a role God assigns to Himself in the most wicked actions of men. And yet, though Jeremiah attributes the destruction of Israel to God’s sovereign judgment, he neither blames Yahweh nor holds Him morally responsible for the evil inflicted on His people. Quite simply, a Bible-believing Christian has no choice but to admit that God sovereignly and actively brings about the evil events described in Lamentations. But if our understanding of God’s absolute sovereignty leads us to conclude that He is morally culpable, blameworthy, or in any way unrighteous, we’re wrong. The Scripture writers never seek to save God from His sovereignty in evil and sinful events, yet they also never attribute evil to Him directly. Apparently, there is a way for God to ordain that bad things come about without being the immediate, efficient cause for those things; i.e., without being at fault for them.

Rather, Jeremiah spoke about the arrogance of Israel’s enemies (Lam 2:15-16; 3:60-62), and called on Yahweh to judge them for the great wickedness that they had done to God’s people (Lam 1:21-22; 3:63-66; 4:21-22). Though Jeremiah explicitly states that Yahweh employed the Babylonians to accomplish His purpose, he also makes it clear that God’s absolute sovereignty in and over evil does not mitigate human responsibility for that evil.

How is this analogous to our situation when we suffer? Well, the point is: We must recognize who the enemy is in suffering. It is not God. The previous two posts taught us that He brings these events about to conform us more into the image of His Son, and thus to make us fit to see and know and enjoy more of Him, which is our highest happiness. So He is not the enemy. Rather, the enemy in suffering is (1) our own sin, (2) the Enemy, Satan, and (3) the last enemy: death (1Cor 15:26). And so when we go through suffering we can and should pray along with Jeremiah for the destruction of all of these enemies.

Hebrews 2:14-15 tells us that the Son of God became man in order to render Satan powerless. And how did He do that? He freed us who were enslaved to the fear of death so that the Enemy, who had the power of death, had no power over us any longer.

And how did He free us from the fear of death? Answer: by conquering death itself. Because Christ has suffered, died, and yet rose again, demonstrating His triumph over sin and death, we too also will be raised with Him. That's what the entire glorious chapter of 1 Corinthians 15 is about! And it concludes like this:

But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, "Death is swallowed up in victory." "O Death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?" The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

That victory taunt, "O Death, where is your victory?..." is a quote from Hosea 13:14. What's so interesting about that is in its original context, it wasn't a cry of victory for God's people. Instead, it was God pronouncing a curse upon His people. He was calling upon the thorns and the sting of death to rouse them against adulterous, idolatrous Ephraim, that unwise son whose iniquity was bound up upon him (Hos 13:12-14). Indeed, Yahweh arouses the sting of death against His people, declaring, "Compassion will be hidden from My sight."

But the stinging reality of the phrase's original context only makes Paul's use of it that much sweeter. Because at the end of 1 Corinthians 15, because of what Christ has accomplished, going before us as our Deliverer, the people of God can take what was once a taunt of victory against them and shout it out as a taunt of victory against their enemy!

And in the midst of suffering, such a taunt can be our cry. "O Death, where is your victory? Where is your sting? Arouse them! Bring your worst! You will nevertheless remain defeated. Your power over me is entirely broken, and your sting is scarcely felt because of the sweet balm of the truth that anoints and salves my soul! Would you remind me of my indwelling sin? I would remind you of His indwelling Spirit, sent to me by my Savior, who bled and died to cancel out the the debt I owed because of the hostile Law. He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross (Col 2:13)! Get behind me, Satan!"

And therefore, my beloved brethren, we may be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that our struggle against the flesh and the fight for joy in the midst of suffering is not in vain in the Lord (1Cor 15:58).

In the midst of suffering, as we recognize our enemy, we can look back to celebrate the demise both of our sin and of Satan that took place at the cross. And we can look forward to celebrate their final and consummate destruction, when we will have put on the imperishable (1Cor 15:54) and when death and Hades will have been thrown into the lake of fire (Rev 20:14).

It is right for Jeremiah to call for Yahweh's judgment upon the Babylonians for their responsibility in causing the intense suffering of an entire nation. In the same way, it is right for us to call for God's judgment upon and eradication of our own sin, upon the Enemy himself, and upon death, the last enemy (1Cor 15:26).


Jeremiah's Five Lessons

1. He identifies with, and suffers alongside, his people.
2. He acknowledges that sin is at the root of suffering (even though not all suffering is a direct result of personal sin).
3. He acknowledges God’s absolute sovereignty in his suffering.
4. He recognizes that although God is sovereign, He is not the enemy.
5. He sets his hope entirely on, and rests in, God’s character.

Acknowledge God's Absolute Sovereignty in Suffering

The first two lessons we've learned from Jeremiah are that (1) we ought to suffer along with our brothers and sisters who suffer and (2) we must acknowledge the role of sin in our suffering. The third lesson we can learn form Jeremiah's righteous response to suffering is that we must acknowledge God's absolute sovereignty even in the unpleasant and painful circumstances.

One of the things that is striking throughout the book of Lamentations is that Jeremiah finds no solace in attributing the destruction of Yahweh's covenant people to second causes. Rather, he attributes the agonizing desolation of Israel to Yahweh Himself. He declares that "Yahweh has caused her grief" (Lam 1:5) and has "inflicted" this pain "in His fierce anger" (Lam 1:12); it is He who has knit together this yoke, who has given her into the hands of her enemies, who has rejected her, and has trodden her as in a winepress (Lam 1:14-15). You'll notice that he does not speak of God merely "allowing" such devastation. Instead, he speaks of God actively accomplishing that which He had purposed to do:

• Lamentations 2:17 – Yahweh has done what He purposed; He has accomplished His word Which He commanded from days of old. He has thrown down without sparing, And He has caused the enemy to rejoice over you; He has exalted the might of your adversaries.
• Lamentations 4:11 – Yahweh has accomplished His wrath, He has poured out His fierce anger; And He has kindled a fire in Zion Which has consumed its foundations (cf. Lam 2:1-7).
  
• Lamentations 3:37-38, 43-44 – Who is there who speaks and it comes to pass, Unless the Lord has commanded it? Is it not from the mouth of the Most High That both good and ill go forth? … You have covered Yourself with anger And pursued us; You have slain and have not spared. You have covered Yourself with a cloud So that no prayer can pass through.

And again, as we did with the discussion on acknowledging sin, we have to be careful not to draw a direct parallel in this situation, and perhaps in many other situations. In Jeremiah's case, God is explicitly inflicting punishment. This may or may not be so when we suffer. But even if He's not explicitly punishing or disciplining, it is still wrong to locate the origin of these unpleasant events somewhere outside of God.

Job's case makes that clear. He did not attribute His suffering to second causes, but always recognized that God was sovereign in his afflictions (Job 1:21; 2:10; 12:9-10). And God commended him for that (Job 2:3; 42:7). And lest you think Job was somehow confused about who caused his sufferings since he was never privy to the opening interaction between God and Satan, the inspired text of the narrator of the book of Job agrees at the end of the book: "...and they consoled [Job] and comforted him for all the adversities that Yahweh had brought on him." Get that. Not, "...all the adversities that Satan had brought," and not even "...all the adversities that Yahweh allowed." These were adversities that Yahweh himself had brought upon Job.

The lesson for us, then, is that when we suffer, we should not seek to save God from His sovereignty. If we do that, we cut the legs out from under the solid, robust theology of God's absolute sovereignty that we depend on and cherish so much in those very times of suffering. To try to soften God's involvement with sin by reducing it to a mere permission rather than a definite ordinance is to weaken the spine-strengthening power that is supplied by Romans 8:28. To insist by our word choice that God merely allows evil and suffering rather than intentionally and wisely brings it about in order to glorify Himself and thus most greatly bless the creature destroys the very theology of sovereign grace that is (1) such a comfort to our souls in such troubling times and is (2) precisely that for which God means to receive glory and honor.

God means to be glorified in being recognized as the ultimate Mover and Determiner of all things. Let us not seek to rob Him of that.

I am Yahweh, and there is no other,
The One forming light and creating darkness,
Causing well-being and creating calamity;
I am Yahweh who does all these.
- Isaiah 45:7 -

Who is there who speaks and it comes to pass,
unless the Lord has commanded it?
Is it not from the mouth of the Most High
that both good and ill go forth?
- Lamentations 3:37-38 -

Jeremiah's Five Lessons

1. He identifies with, and suffers alongside, his people.
2. He acknowledges that sin is at the root of suffering (even though not all suffering is a direct result of personal sin).
3. He acknowledges God’s absolute sovereignty in his suffering.
4. He recognizes that although God is sovereign, He is not the enemy.
5. He sets his hope entirely on, and rests in, God’s character.

Acknowledging Sin's Role in Suffering

After learning from Jeremiah that one way to suffer righteously is to identify with and suffer along with those who are suffering, we come to this next lesson: we are to acknowledge sin to be at the root of suffering.

Just as it is significant that Jeremiah identifies with the suffering of his people even though he had little to no part in bringing it about, it is also significant that in his deep mourning Jeremiah acknowledges Israel’s sin. Unlike Job, Jeremiah’s lamentations in response to suffering contain no protest of innocence. He confesses that this judgment is due to “the multitude of her transgressions” (Lam 1:5) and that she “sinned greatly” (Lam 1:8-9) and “rebelled against His command” (Lam 1:18). He goes on to say that Israel’s iniquity had exceeded even that of Sodom (Lam 4:6), and that even the prophets and the priests worked unrighteousness (Lam 4:13). He makes no excuses for the people, but accepts their responsibility for the suffering they are experiencing.

Now, it’s important that we make the point that not everyone who suffers suffers as a direct result of particular sin. That’s an error that Job’s counselors made, and they were severely rebuked for it when God showed up at the end of the book. It's also an error Paul's opponents made against him in 2 Corinthians, and throughout that letter he presents his suffering as evidence for the authenticity of his apostleship, not as evidence for its falsehood.

However, we do need to acknowledge that on a general level, all suffering is a result of the condition of sin that we find ourselves in as children of Adam. Had we not sinned in Adam, and had the human race never fallen into sin, we would never have known suffering (Gen 3:7-24; Rom 5:12; Rom 8:19-25).

And because of our sin, we all deserve to suffer infinitely and eternally, to a horrifying degree and all the time. The comfort that we do receive when we suffer from the “Father of mercies” (2Cor 1:3) is just that: mercy. And that the comfort is mercy implies that we do not deserve it, for mercy is the withholding of deserved punishment. Part of our problem in responding to suffering righteously is thinking that we are entitled to something other than suffering. Yet really, we deserve much worse than we even experience.

2 Peter 2:4 – …God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to pits of darkness, reserved for judgment.

That we are all not suffering eternally in hell at this very moment is a sheer gift of God. The only difference between our sin and the sin of the angels who were damned without mercy is that our sin was graciously paid for by the perfect sacrifice of Christ (cf. Heb 2:16).

And so when we undergo intense suffering, we should not act surprised as if we deserved something better (cf. 1Pet 4:12). We should acknowledge what Jeremiah says in Lamentations 3:39-40: “Why should any living mortal, or any man, offer complaint in view of his sins? Let us examine and probe our ways, and let us return to Yahweh.” When in our times of suffering we are tempted to complain, we should be reminded that we are but dust, are entitled to nothing good at all, and thus -- because in ourselves we are hopelessly sinful -- even in intense suffering we get better than we deserve.

Jeremiah's Five Lessons

1. He identifies with, and suffers alongside, his people.
2. He acknowledges that sin is at the root of suffering (even though not all suffering is a direct result of personal sin).
3. He acknowledges God’s absolute sovereignty in his suffering.
4. He recognizes that although God is sovereign, He is not the enemy.
5. He sets his hope entirely on, and rests in, God’s character.

If One Member Suffers, All the Members Suffer With It

As I mentioned some time ago, I want to take a look at how Jeremiah responded to the suffering of Judah at the time of the Babylonian exile, in the hope that we can glean some principles or lessons on how we can righteously respond to suffering. I mentioned that in the coming posts I'd like to explore five lessons that Jeremiah can teach us on how to suffer well. We'll consider the first of those today: Jeremiah identifies with, and suffers alongside, his people.

What is immediately identifiable at the opening of Jeremiah’s lamentations is that he himself laments and mourns over the destruction of his people. He shares in Israel’s pain, by identifying himself with her. He even personifies Israel and speaks for her in the first person. Notice, in 1:2 he says, “She weeps bitterly in the night and her tears are on her cheeks…” But then he switches to the first person: “For these things I weep; my eyes run down with water; because far from me is a comforter,” and so on (Lam 1:16, 18, 20-21). Later he identifies himself with Israel by referring to them and himself collectively in the first person plural (Lam 3:40-47). He also speaks as himself and tells of his own tears and trouble (Lam 2:11; 3:48-50), his own affliction and brokenness (Lam 3:1-4), and his own shame and despair (Lam 3:14-18). Though he has spent forty years telling them that this destruction would come unless they repented, he did not celebrate their destruction in spiteful vengeance, as if to say, “I told you so!” Rather, their misery moves him to compassion and to prayer.

In a similar way, this godly compassion and love-for-God’s-people-because-they're-His ought to cause in us the same sentiment. We are to identify with the sufferings of our brothers and sisters, suffer with them, weep with them (Rom 12:15), and comfort each other out of that genuine compassion.

This principle is carried through into the New Covenant ministry of the Church. 1 Corinthians 12 says that the Church collectively is Christ’s body, and that those who make up the body are its individual members. And so, Paul reasons, if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it (1Cor 12:27, 26). Because we belong to the Lord, not one of us lives or dies to ourselves (Rom 14:7), for we are united to Him as His body (Rom 6:3-7). And if we are united to Him, we are united to one another (1Cor 12:12-14).

When Lazarus had died, and Jesus had finally arrived at Bethany, Mary was so grieved that she didn’t even leave the house as Jesus was approaching (Jn 11:20). When she did get up to meet Jesus, those around her thought that she was simply going to weep further at Lazarus’ tomb (Jn 11:31). Then, in her grief, she falls at Jesus’ feet and almost blames Him for her brother’s death. You can almost see her incredulous, tear-filled gaze at Jesus as she says through the sobs, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died” (Jn 11:32). She was heartbroken.

Then the text says, “When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, He was deeply moved in spirit and was troubled” (Jn 11:33), and then in verse 35: “Jesus wept.” Though the Jews interpreted His weeping as love for Lazarus – which of course had something to do with it – notice that the text says that it was Mary’s weeping in grief that moved Jesus in spirit. Jesus is grieved not only out of compassion for Lazarus (whom, by the way, Jesus knew He was going to raise from the dead within minutes), but because He identified with the suffering of Mary, who was dealing with the pain of losing her brother.

In the same way, then, friends, if the love of Christ is in us, the compassion of Christ must be in us. This compassion was in Jeremiah for Jerusalem at the time of the exile. And the man who wept with them for 40 years, warning them of the coming judgment that had now taken place – the only man who did not deserve the punishment brought upon Israel – did not stand self-righteously aloof with his arms folded and a smirk on his face, saying, “I bet you wish you would have listened to me!” Nothing could have been further from the truth. Instead, he identified with his people and suffered along with them.

And so should we.

My eyes fail because of tears,
My spirit is greatly troubled;
My heart is poured out on the earth
Because of the destruction of the daughter of my people.
- Lamentations 2:11 -

Jeremiah's Five Lessons

1. He identifies with, and suffers alongside, his people.
   
2. He acknowledges that sin is at the root of suffering (even though not all suffering is a direct result of personal sin).
3. He acknowledges God’s absolute sovereignty in his suffering.
4. He recognizes that although God is sovereign, He is not the enemy.
5. He sets his hope entirely on, and rests in, God’s character.

Learning from Jeremiah: How to Righteously Respond to Suffering

As I might have mentioned before, I’ve recently received the privilege of shepherding a Bible study as a ministry of Grace Community Church. I can’t thank God enough for the dear saints there, and I’m really at a loss for how they have already been such an encouragement to me.

After meeting four times in the Spring, we took some summer months off, as that is their custom. So when it came time to meet again, I was very excited to see everyone. I especially was excited to review the lessons we had gone through before our break. We laid what I thought was a good foundation, and I was looking forward to reinforcing that with a bit more interpersonal discussion.

But at around 1:30 in the afternoon I got a call letting me know that the son-in-law of the woman who hosts the study had died in a car accident early that morning. I don’t even know what to write after that. Immediately I went into prayer-mode, asking God how I was going to shepherd the folks in the Bible study through this. Should we do a message on suffering? Should we skip the message altogether and just pray together? Should we just go on as planned?

Well, I prayed for pretty much the rest of the afternoon. I certainly was reminded of how small and helpless I am when compared to a sovereign God. But it was good to depend on that sovereign God’s grace. In any case, I went to the Bible study – which met at someone else’s house that night – prepared to do any one of those three things.

Those affected directly by the tragedy (obviously) weren’t there that night, and so after asking for people to share how they had responded (emotionally, mentally, spiritually) to this bad news, I discerned that the most beneficial thing for us to do that night was to consider how we should respond to trials and suffering. I wanted to equip them -- and me -- with a rock solid theology of suffering while not yet in the midst of it, so that when we do go through various trials we will be able to fight the unbiblical attitudes, thoughts, and actions that we are tempted to have in those trying times. The best defense against responding to suffering unrighteously is to prepare to suffer well before that suffering comes. Plus, I also wanted to shepherd them in such a way that they would be equipped to comfort those affected by the accident in a Biblical way.

Upon much reflection, I think I can honestly say that I have never felt as weak while presenting a message as I did that night. And yet God was indeed faithful, and proved to us again that when we are weak, then we are strong, for He is strong for us on our behalf, and thus magnifies His sufficiency in our insufficiency. May His name be praised!

The lesson that I taught, and that I’d like to share with you over the next few posts, was a fairly quick, whole-book study on the book of Lamentations. Many times when we suffer, the first book we think to go to is Job. And that’s not wrong. That’s why the book of Job is in the Bible – to teach us how to respond to suffering righteously. But the suffering that Jeremiah, the weeping prophet, endured at the time of the Babylonian captivity was just as severe. Job’s sufferings were indeed horrifying, yet there’s something to be said for the fact that his sufferings were fairly personal. Jeremiah’s sufferings, on the other hand, were on behalf of an entire nation wickedly brutalized and ripped from its land. On top of that, Jeremiah himself had not followed in the unfaithfulness of his countrymen which brought this judgment upon them. All the while, he acted righteously and proclaimed the word of Yahweh as the sole voice of faithfulness. Certainly his suffering is worth considering, and the way he responds is worth imitating.

Over the next few posts, I’ll present five lessons that we can learn from Jeremiah about how to respond to suffering righteously. They are both ways of thinking and ways of acting. They are:

1. He identifies with, and suffers alongside, his people.
2. He acknowledges that sin is at the root of suffering (even though not all suffering is a direct result of personal sin).
3. He acknowledges God’s absolute sovereignty in his suffering.
4. He recognizes that although God is sovereign, He is not the enemy.
5. He sets his hope entirely on, and rests in, God’s character.

Also, see a companion post for lesson 3 by John Piper and Jonathan Edwards, as well as a postscript from Charles Spurgeon.

Hope you’ll join me!

Is Depression Sinful?

That's a sensitive question.

On the one hand, it's very difficult to speak about specifics regarding depression without first-hand knowledge of a particular situation. However, we are indeed commanded to rejoice always (Phil 4:4; 1Th 5:16). To the degree that anyone doesn't do that, they've sinned. There is simply no way to argue with that.

And yet, what about cases of depression that we hear are set off by physical factors, such as a vitamin deficiency, or extremely traumatic factors, like a cancer diagnosis, a botched surgery, or terrible childhood memories? Immediately our instincts of compassion want to explain how the person can't be at fault for such things so out of their control.

Treating the Spiritual as Physical

However, to be frank, there is just a world of subjectivity and assumption in the assertion that a particular case of depression was caused by any one or combination of things. For one thing, it's scientifically impossible to declare with confidence that the depression was "set off" by anything physical. The science in determining the the relationships between cause and effect, and between physiological and psychological, regarding depression is extremely murky. Physiological symptoms which are supposed to be the cause of psychological symptoms may in fact be the effect of a troubling problem in one's life. There is actually no conclusive research that proves we can tell which way the causal arrow points. Therefore, saying that depression may be set off, or caused, by something like a vitamin deficiency or chemical imbalance is more of a theory than a reality.

Following the above thinking, many people speak of depression as a diagnosis. But really that is a misnomer. Depression describes a state of the mind or of the soul. After all, that is what the term psychology means: the study of the soul. It's the same way that mental illness is a misnomer. Illness describes a physical, physiological infirmity that is treated with a physical or physiological treatment. The mind, by definition, cannot be ill. And again, though there are certainly physical issues regarding depression, there's no conclusive evidence that has proven that any particular physical impairment caused the psychological impairment. It can just as well be an effect as the cause.

But even if we were to grant that physiological conditions did indeed cause a particular case of depression -- which, again, we can't possibly know; and please hear the gentleness in what may seem to be a firm statement -- it would still be the person's responsibility before God to respond to those very unpleasant circumstances righteously. Not doing so is sinful.

How Depression Develops

Let me illustrate with an example, which is my own but is adapted from Jay Adams' Christian Counselor's Manual, pp. 375ff:

Depression develops as the result of a downward spiral of unbiblical responses to circumstances of life. First, there is an original problem which may or may not be the person's fault. For example, a man finds out he has prostate cancer – something largely, if not entirely, out of his control. Yet, rather than receive the cancer as a trial from God (Rom 8:28; Jas 1:2-4; 1Pet 4:12-13), and as an opportunity to make much of God in his response by resting in His sovereign goodness, he becomes worried and self-focused. Then, rather confronting his worry Biblically (cf. Mt 6:25-34; 1Pet 5:7), this worry slowly produces complicating problems such as a fatalistic attitude as he begins neglecting responsibilities. His neglect of responsibilities elicits more unbiblical responses until all his multiple problems plunge him into depression. Adams summarizes, "The downward cycle of sin moves from a problem to a faulty, sinful response, thereby causing an additional complicating problem which is met by an additional sinful response, etc." (CCM, p. 375). It is important to note that depression is the result of the sinful responses to the initial problem of a cancer diagnosis, and not the cancer diagnosis itself.

The Myth of "No Control"

Many people (1) seek absolution for themselves or (2) seek to offer comfort to others by asserting that the depressed person has no control over his depression. However, as mentioned before, he may have had no control over the initial problem, but -- and again, please don't hear unfeeling harshness, but tenderness, even in a firm statement -- as someone responsible before God, he does have control over how he responds to that initial problem.

Those who hasten to declare that depression is something over which we have no control do so because they don't want someone who is struggling with depression to heap more blame on themselves, and thereby increase their depression. That is, the fear is that if a depressed person believes that his depression his fault and that he is responsible to feel differently, he will just feel greater pressure and feel worse about himself for not having been able to do anything about it.

We've got to recognize, though, that if a person confronted with that reality responded in that way, it would be a sinful response. Such a response comes from a self-focus, and trusting more in circumstances and others' evaluations of them than in the grace of Christ. And remember, the culprit of compounding depression is sinful responses to unpleasant or unwanted circumstances. So if someone were to respond that way, it would quite possibly further his depression.

But I don't think the alternative is to tell him he has no control over it. In fact, I'd be concerned if depressed people believed that they have no control over their depression, that it's not necessarily sinful (so not their fault), and so that any hope of recovering is out of their control. Insisting that depression is a result of sinful responses means that at any point (by the grace of God in Christ and the work of the Holy Spirit) a child of God can respond righteously, and can reverse that downward spiral of increasing depression. After all, "if you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up?" (Gen 4:7). Perhaps bringing up a depressed person's responsibility may be painful and bring sorrow at first, but I would hope that it would be a godly sorrow which leads to repentance (2Cor 7:8-10). If they can learn that they must confess and repent of their joylessness, that to me would seem to be wonderful progress!

So, insisting that depression is a result of sinful responses gives more hope than does insisting that they have no control over it.

Final Word

I hope I've treated this matter clearly, but also sensitively. I don't mean to be insensitive to real, hurtful problems. To those experiencing the pain that goes along with these kinds of things, I hurt along with you (1Cor 12:26). Yet because the believer's joy in God-in-Christ is at the heart of glorifying God as He's worthy, and because that is what my entire life is supposed to be about, I believe it is so important to order our thinking aright in this matter, even if it means saying and taking a stand on some hard things. After all, the best defense against unbiblical thinking during trials is a strong offense of Biblical thinking prepared in advance. I hope these thoughts are received in the spirit in which they were intended.

But Zion said, "Yahweh has forsaken me, and the Lord has forgotten me."
"Can a woman forget her nursing child, and have no compassion on the son of her womb?
Even these may forget, but I will not forget you.
Behold, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands."
- Isaiah 49:14-16 -

Rejoicing in Suffering

One thing I hear very often from evangelicals is that we don't rejoice in our sufferings themselves, but in the products of that suffering -- what the suffering produces (e.g., perseverance, proven character, and hope, Rom 5:3-4; cf. Jas 1:2-4), and will eventually give way to (i.e., an eternal weight of glory, 2Cor 4:17). And I understand that. We don't enjoy trials as if we're masochists or even ascetics, as if we love suffering for the sake of suffering. We do have a great, deep, abiding joy even during our trials, but we have that joy because of the God-ordained products of that suffering.

But what I fear is that many Christians hear this kind of statement and take it the wrong way. They may hear it and believe that suffering for righteousness' sake is merely something to get through, and not something that is a stimulus to enjoy the glory of God.

So what do I think we should think about this issue?

First of all, we must let verses like Philippians 4:4 and 1 Thessalonians 5:16 govern our understanding of joy in trials or suffering, because it's true that we are commanded to rejoice always. I think 2 Corinthians 6:10 is also a helpful passage to consider, as it tells us that we can be sorrowful, yet always rejoicing.

What I must guard against in my own thinking is the notion that the only true joy or hope that I can have in very unpleasant trials and suffering is in the prospect of that suffering coming to an end. In other words, when I suffer for righteousness' sake, I need to be able to, in that moment, recognize that God has ordained that this happen, and that His purpose in ordaining that this happen is the same reason that He ordains everything else to happen: so that He might be displayed and enjoyed as glorious. And that glory is my greatest good. (That's what Romans 8:28 means.) And so if the trial has come about to reveal God's glory, then I want to enjoy His glory even in the midst of that trial, otherwise I'll waste that trial. So:

1) God ordains that His people suffer and go through trials in order to reveal His glory.
2) God's glory is what I am most happy and satisfied in.
Therefore, 3) I rejoice in the suffering for what it reveals of God.

That is precisely what was going on in Acts 5:40-42, when the apostles rejoiced that they had been counted worthy to suffer shame for the name of Christ. They were rejoicing, not only in the fact that one day the suffering would end, but they saw suffering for Christ's sake as such a privilege and honor -- that they would be displaying His glory and sweetness by giving up their comfort, to put it mildly -- that they were happy to experience it. This is that blessing that Jesus pronounces upon those who suffer for righteousness' sake in Matthew 5:10-12. It is what Peter says in 1 Peter 4:12-16: that to the degree we share in the sufferings of Christ we should keep on rejoicing, because in that moment we are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on us.

So it's important for Christians, in our thinking about our Christian life, not to simply rejoice in the midst of our trials because someday they'll end. We must rejoice in our trials, because in the midst of those trials God 1) is manifesting His glory, which is my greatest joy, 2) has called me "blessed" when such things happen, and 3) causes His own Spirit to rest on me in those instances. The eternal weight of glory that our light and momentary affliction is producing for us is something that we can begin to enjoy even now -- and even in the midst of that light and momentary affliction.

To illustrate a bit, I offer this admittedly imperfect analogy. Compare being sick to sin in our Christian life, medicine to trials, and health to holiness in the Christian life. When I'm sick, I need medicine. Taking that medicine is often very unpleasant in itself. It tastes pretty terrible. There's no way that I would drink this stuff for fun. I'm only going to take it because I know it will make me healthy. But because the taking of the medicine has so often been paired with being rid of my sickness and regaining the joy of my health, I do actually become happy to see the medicine when it's presented to me. My joy in being healthy begins to merge with my joy in taking the medicine, because the medicine is the means by which I will get healthy. I don't groan when I see the medicine. In a strange sense, rather than being bitter, it becomes sweet to me.

Similarly, because trials are paired with 1) seeing and enjoying the glory of God in greater degrees and 2) my increasing Christlikness, I rejoice in those trials also. The "health" that I rejoice in in the above analogy is not simply heaven when I'm free from all suffering, but the enjoyment of God's glory and the progress of my sanctification here and now.

So, when you suffer for the name of Christ, don't waste the opportunity that you've been given to see and enjoy and make much of the glory of God in Christ through that suffering. Receive it with thanksgiving, with joy, with a sense of honor and privilege that you have been granted for Christ's sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake (Phil 1:29).

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!
- Philippians 4:4 -

Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you,
which comes upon you for your testing,
as though some strange thing were happening to you;
but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing,
so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation.
If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed,
because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.
Make sure that none of you suffers as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a troublesome meddler;
but if anyone suffers as a Christian, he is not to be ashamed,
but is to glorify God in this name.
- 1 Peter 4:12-16 -

So they went on their way from the presence of the Council,
rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for His name.
- Acts 5:41 -

For to you it has been granted
for Christ's sake, not only to believe in Him,
but also to suffer for His sake.
- Philippians 1:29 -

Responding to Suffering Righteously

Though the many characters in the story of Job present various views on the reason for suffering and how to respond to it, no one character provides that righteous example. However, from observing Yahweh’s interactions with the various characters, we see that the book of Job teaches that the righteous man should respond to suffering by worshipfully and faithfully submitting to God’s absolute sovereignty in all things.

Though Job’s three friends mean well (Job 2:11), their faulty theology leads them into error and renders them a hindrance rather than a comfort. Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar believe they have God figured out: He rewards the righteous and faithful and punishes the wicked and the unfaithful. While correct in a general sense, they erred by applying this paradigm absolutely. In fact, even before Job is afflicted we learn that his suffering will have nothing to do with his sinfulness (Job 1:8-12; 2:3-6). Thus Yahweh’s wrath is kindled against them (Job 42:7-8). And though Yahweh does not respond to Elihu’s comments, it is clear that his analysis falls short as well. Elihu’s main argument is that suffering is a purifying process (Job 33:8-12, 29-30), and while this certainly has some merit, again, in a general sense (cf. 1Pet 1:6-7; Jas 1:3), the opening chapters teach us that Job is not suffering to be purged of sin, but because God willed to make an example of Job to prove a point to Satan.

Job himself is probably the best example of the five characters throughout the narrative. There is much that we can learn from the ways he responded (Job 1:20-22; 2:10). In fact, Yahweh Himself commends Job for speaking rightly of Him (Job 42:7-8). However, Job’s proper responses are also mixed with foolish thoughts. He proclaims His hope in Yahweh regardless of circumstances (Job 13:15a; 14:7-14; 19:25-27), but in the same breath desires to contend with Him (Job 13:3, 15b). As the book progresses, his tendency to find fault with God’s judgment grows. For this he receives perhaps the most contemptuous rebuke in all of Scripture (Job 38-41).

Though not the perfect example of righteousness, we do learn from Job’s interaction with God how we should respond when we suffer. First, we should not seek to console ourselves by attributing our suffering to secondary causes. Job always recognized that God was sovereign in his afflictions (Job 1:21; 2:10; 12:9-10), and he was commended for that (Job 2:3; 42:7). We should not seek to save God from His sovereignty. He means to be glorified in being recognized as the ultimate mover and determiner of all things (cf. Is 45:7; Lam 3:37-38).

We learn, negatively, though, that faith in God’s sovereignty should not cause us to blame Him or accuse Him of unrighteousness. We should recognize that we all deserve suffering as a result of our sinfulness (Rom 3:10ff). It is God’s mercy that we do not suffer continually (Mt 5:44-45; cf. 2Pet 2:4).

Thirdly, we should not seek detailed reasons for our suffering, but trust God’s wisdom. Just as Job never knew about the spiritual battle revealed in the opening chapters, so also our suffering is often greater than ourselves. We should seek to saturate ourselves with the knowledge of God, and be satisfied in His sovereignty and goodness. He has a plan that cannot be thwarted (Job 42:2) which will bring about His greatest glory, which is our greatest good (Rom 8:28). Thus, we should trust God’s goodness even when circumstances seem to contradict that. As Job did, we should accept good and adversity as gifts from Him (Job 2:10) and worship Him for His goodness (Job 1:20-22).

Finally, we should not wait for circumstances to improve before praising God. Instead, we should imitate Job’s example (Job 1:20-22); he was still on the ash heap covered with boils and sores when he was reconciled to Yahweh (Job 42:1-6). We should praise and worship God even in the midst of our sufferings, and thus demonstrate that He Himself is more satisfying to us than pleasant circumstances.

My flesh and my heart may fail,
But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
- Psalm 73:26 -

What the Lord of the Universe is Comforted By

In my devotional time this semester I've been in the Gospel of John. Now I'm in chapter 17, which is just a wonderful section of Scripture that I intend to go through a bit more slowly. When I read through John 17:1-5 it struck me that there was a similar section earlier in the Gospel. It was in the middle of chapter 12. As I read John 12:23-28 again I was also reminded of a conversation I had with a good friend a while back about that passage. I thought it'd be for our benefit to share those thoughts.

And Jesus answered them, saying, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal. If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also; if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.

So Jesus is acknowledging that the time for His crucifixion is near. We learn from the next verse (which we'll look at in a minute) that He was troubled. And that's not terribly surprising. It's not that He's just going to die an agonizing and ignominious death at the hands of those who have perverted His Father's holy Law, and have subjugated His people under a yoke of slavery that no one in history has been able to bear (Ac 15:10). That would be enough to trouble any of us, certainly.

But Jesus' trouble went deeper than that. He was troubled at the fact that soon He would lose the delightful and exuberant fellowship that He had always enjoyed with the Father. There would, for the first time in eternity, be a horrible change in their relationship; it would go from one of perfect communion, love, blessing, joy, and delight in each other, to abandonment, hatred, cursing, wrath, and shame. On the cross, Jesus would experience the full exercise of the righteous wrath of His Father -- wrath He had known objectively but never experientially. The bitter cup that He never deserved to drink would soon be pressed to His lips, and the delightful, well-pleased smile of His Father -- the apple of His eye from all eternity -- would be hidden from Him.

Very literally, Jesus is about to go through hell.

And so He's troubled. But even at that point (in verses 23-26), He is comforting Himself with the promises of His Father. He speaks of His impending death -- both physical and spiritual -- as being "glorified." Rather than focus on the condemnation He will suffer for His people, He remembers that His Father will not let His Holy One undergo decay (Ps 16:10), and that as a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied (Is 53:11), He will be allotted a portion with the great (Is 53:12). And so He reminds Himself that His death will eventually mean His glorification. He reminds Himself and His disciples that it is through this kind of self-sacrifice that one doesn't waste his life, but bears much fruit... that eternal life knowing the Father and knowing Christ (Jn 17:3) is better than a comfortable life on earth for 80 years.

And yet in the moment, He still says, "Now My soul has become troubled."

And then he asks, "...and what shall I say, 'Father, save Me from this hour'? But for this purpose I came to this hour."

That's so beautiful. "Father, I am troubled. My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death (Mt 26:38). I don't want to leave You. I don't want to be abandoned by You. I don't want to lay down the privilege of the consummate joy and love and delight that We've had for all eternity. I want to continue to know Your blessing and Your smile. I want to continue to be well-pleasing to You. Father, I am troubled.

"But Father I trust You. I entrust Myself wholly to You (1Pet 2:23). For I know You are in control of all things. And I know that You are most wise. And I know that at the heart of Your very Being that You are good, for I have witnessed firsthand the overflow of Your beneficence in all creation and providence. So I will not ask that you deliver me out of this trial. No, this is precisely why I have come."

And so He doesn't ask that His suffering be removed. But what is amazing, what is staggering, what is so refreshing, is what He does ask for.

"Father, glorify Your name."

That's what He wants! That's what comforts the Savior's soul! He wants to see His Father's name be magnified and honored and made to look as big and as sweet and as desirable as it actually is! He wants to see His Father's glory! The glory of the Father is so pleasing, so delightful, so enjoyable to the Son that it is what He asks for to comfort Him before the greatest trial, the greatest suffering, that anyone has endured in history.

Oh, we've got to see this! This is not just amazing self-sacrifice on Jesus' part. Jesus is not merely saying, "I'll give it all up as long as God is glorified." He's saying that, but that's not nearly the whole story! He's actually saying that what He wants to calm His troubled, deeply grieved soul is the sight of His Father's glory! This is what reassures Him of His Father's sovereignty, wisdom, and goodness. It is knowing that He Himself will be glorified with this glory that He so enjoys, as He enjoyed before the world was (Jn 17:5), that comforts Him and gives Him strength to do this terrible, awesome work. The Father's glory is the joy that was set before Him for which He endured that shameful cross (Heb 12:2)!

And the Father grants His Son's request: "Then a voice came out of heaven: 'I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.'"

Oh I pray that you feel the weight of that, Christian! I pray that this awesome interaction between Father and Son lands on you!

And how instructive it is for us in our Christian life, especially through the trials and sufferings that God has granted to us (Phil 1:29). In every aspect of our lives, what should be our comfort? What should be our request to God for strength to do the work He's given us? Our request should be, "Father, glorify Your name." Our comfort should be the seeing and savoring of the glory of God in the face of Christ (2Cor 4:6; 2Cor 3:18; Ex 33:18).

I can bear the scoffing and mocking of an unbelieving generation. I can gladly sacrifice popularity among my friends. I can endure the disowning and snubbing of my own family. I can face cancer, disease, and arduous medical procedures with joy. I can live my life with next to no money and worldly comforts for these 80 short years. I can lay down my life... if... if my Father will glorify His name! If the name of my God would be lifted up and exalted and magnified, if I can see Him and enjoy Him in all His majesty, well then for me to live is Christ! And to die is gain!

Be instructed, dear friends, and be comforted by what the Lord of the universe is comforted by.

...for I know that this will turn out for my deliverance
through your prayers and the provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,
according to my earnest expectation and hope,
that I will not be put to shame in anything,
but that with all boldness, Christ will even now,
as always, be exalted in my body,
whether by life or by death.
For to me,
to live is Christ
and to die is gain.
- Philippians 1:19-21 -

Greater Riches

Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be defrauded?

Take a minute before reading any more and meditate on those questions from 1 Corinthians 6, and adapt your worldview to the Apostle Paul's.


This type of thinking and questioning just cuts directly to the heart of our selfishness. This question really separates the confessors from the professors, the transformed from the hypocrites. I read this and I consider his line of thinking and I ask myself, “How in the world could he reason like this?! What makes a man think it's strange to prefer not to be wronged and defrauded?”

And the answer that comes to me is that his God must have been so big! His God must have been so sweet to him. His God must have been so beautiful, and soul-satisfying, and captivating, and compelling. That he would gladly suffer loss of all things (Phil 3:8), prefer to be wronged and defrauded, and call it gain because He got Christ! He must have known and enjoyed one wonderful God!

What makes a man reason this way? What makes a man prefer to be wronged and defrauded for the sake of his brethren? He was looking to his great reward (Lk 6:35; Heb 11:26). He was seeking a better, lasting city (Heb 11:16, 13:14) than the present one that promised him vain, fleeting comforts. He was going after greater riches (Heb 11:26) than worldly ease and vindication.

I want to know and enjoy his God.

But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High.
- Luke 6:35 -

By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter,
choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward.
- Hebrews 11:24-26 -