The life of the Lord Jesus can be described as a life of suffering. He was not born in a comfortable room but in a humble place, lying in a manger (Luke 2:7). Before He was even two years old, He had to flee with His parents to distant Egypt to escape King Herod’s murderous pursuit (Matthew 2:13). When Jesus began His ministry, He was persecuted by the Jewish religious leaders. He even told His disciples: “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life” (Luke 9:22). Throughout His life, the Lord Jesus faced many trials, but there was not a single one He did not overcome. None of these sufferings prevented Him from carrying out the will of the Father, nor did they rob Him of His peace. On the night before His crucifixion, He told His disciples: “A time is coming, and in fact has come, when you will be scattered, each to your own home. You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me. I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:32–33). At that time, the disciples had no idea what would happen in the coming hours. But Jesus foretold both their betrayal and their later restoration, and how in the rest of their lives they would face suffering for the sake of bearing witness to Him. Even though Jesus Himself was about to face the greatest suffering of His life—the crucifixion and, even more, the abandonment of the Father because He bore the sins of the world—He was still able to comfort and encourage His disciples on that lonely path. As a man, where did His strength come from? We must not forget that when the Lord Jesus came into the world, He laid aside His divine powers and fully lived as a human being. His strength came from the Father. Every miracle He performed on earth was done by relying on the Father’s power. Even as He faced the scattering of His disciples and the lonely road to the cross, He wholly submitted to and depended on His Father. This was the secret of His victory over the world! The victorious path of Jesus is not something we can fully replicate, because only He lived a sinless life. Yet He promised to share the results of His victory with His disciples. Because He has overcome the world, we who follow Him need not fear suffering, but may experience His peace.
Suffering is a fact of life. Both Christians and non-Christians face it, for we live in a fallen and sinful world. Long-term illness, oppression and exploitation in daily life, conflicts and strife in relationships, the consequences of sin, and ultimately the reality of death—all are different forms of suffering. Christians also face another layer of suffering: persecution and hardship for believing in Jesus. Does this mean Christians suffer more than non-Christians? Then what is the point of believing in Jesus? The Lord Jesus did not promise His disciples a life without suffering. On the contrary, He assured them that suffering is inevitable. What He promised was that through Him, His disciples can overcome suffering and live in peace! Non-Christians have no hope of truly overcoming suffering. Even if someone enjoys a lifetime of wealth and honour, never has enemies but only friends, lives a long and healthy life with no illness—when the great suffering of death comes, all earthly peace vanishes, and what awaits is eternal punishment. In reality, however, no one in history has ever had such a smooth life—not even Solomon, the wisest and most powerful king, lived such a life. Therefore, all people must face suffering, but only Christians, through Jesus, can truly overcome it.
“The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. The righteous person may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all; he protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken” (Psalm 34:17–20). When we face suffering, we must admit—it is not pleasant. Sadness, tears, and pain are unavoidable. Yet the tears of Christians are not shed in vain, and our cries are not spoken into empty air. Our heavenly Father hears our cries. Through His Word and His power, He governs circumstances so that we may experience His deliverance, or He gives us greater strength to endure suffering. No matter how great the suffering, it cannot ultimately harm the righteous—that is, Christians who are justified by grace. The Lord Jesus is our model, the very righteous one foretold in this psalm. During His crucifixion, Roman soldiers would normally break the legs of those crucified to hasten their death. The two criminals crucified beside Jesus had their legs broken. But because Jesus had already died, none of His bones were broken, fulfilling the prophecy of this psalm. This also shows that the destructive power of suffering is under God’s restraint. God will not allow suffering to truly harm His children. In our suffering, when we cry out to God, He is willing to save us. He also uses suffering to accomplish greater good for us. “And we know that in all things [suffering] God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28)