THE APOSTLE PETER WRITES, “DEAR FRIENDS, DO NOT BE ASTONISHED THAT A TRIAL BY FIRE IS OCCURRING AMONG YOU, AS THOUGH SOMETHING STRANGE WERE HAPPENING TO YOU. BUT REJOICE IN THE DEGREE THAT YOU HAVE SHARED IN THE SUFFERINGS OF CHRIST, SO THAT WHEN HIS GLORY IS REVEALED YOU MAY REJOICE AND BE GLAD.” 1 Peter 4:12-13

AFTER HIS RESURRECTION, JESUS SAID TO THOSE TWO DISCIPLES ON THE ROAD TO EMMAUS, “WAS IT NOT NECESSARY THAT MESSIAH SHOULD SUFFER AND ENTER INTO HIS GLORY?”

WHAT IS THE GLORY OF GOD? THE DICTIONARY DEFINES GLORY AS GREAT BEAUTY, SPLENDOR, MAGNIFICENCE, DELIGHT, GREAT JOY, BLISS, POSSESSING THE RESPECT AND HONOR DUE FROM GREAT ACHIEVEMENT. WITH GLORY WE ASO THINK OF SHINING, SHIMMERING, GLITTERING, WONDERFUL LIGHT.

JESUS SAID THAT HIS SUFFERING WAS NECESSARY, AND PETER TELLS US THAT WE ARE CALLED TO SHARE IN HIS SUFFERINGS.

THE PRIMARY SIGNIFICANCE OF SUFFERING LIES NOT IN ITS TYPE OR INTENSITY, BUT IN HOW WE EXPERIENCE IT, WHAT IT DOES TO US, WHAT WE LEARN FROM IT. THE BIBLE TELLS US THAT JESUS LEARNED OBEDIENCE THROUGH THE THINGS THAT HE SUFFERED, AND THAT HE WAS PERFECTED THROUGH HIS SUFFERINGS.

LEARNING AND BEING PERFECTED DOES NOT IMPLY THAT JESUS HAD SIN TO RID HIMSELF OF. THINK OF A NEWLY CONCEIVED HUMAN LIFE. IT IS ALL THERE. IT JUST HAS TO BE NOURISHED, GROW, AND DEVELOP. AND THE GROWTH CONTINUES AFTER BIRTH FROM A BABY, INTO A CHILD, AND INTO AN ADULT HUMAN BEING. SO IT WAS FOR THE DIVINE HUMAN LIFE OF THE ONLY BEGOTTEN SON OF GOD.

HE WAS PERFECTED. WHAT A STATEMENT! WE HAVE TO FIGHT AGAINST A STEREOTYPED IMAGE OF JESUS AS GOD JUST SORT OF SLIPPING INTO A HUMAN BODY. IT WAS ALL REAL, NOT MAGIC! WHEN GOD ENTERED HIS CREATION THROUGH MAN, HE SUBJECTED HIMSELF TO THE LAWS OF NATURE WHICH HE HAD DESIGNED AND WHICH HE FULFILLED PERFECTLY. AS JESUS SAID TO JOHN THE BAPTIST, “THUS IT IS FITTING FOR US TO FULFILL ALL RIGHTEOUSNESS.”

JESUS LEARNED THE HEBREW SCRIPTURES. HE WAS TAUGHT BY GODLY PARENTS. HE ASKED QUESTIONS; AND HE WAS A PERFECT LEARNER AND A PERFECT DOER. HE LEARNED OBEDIENCE BY WHAT HE SUFFERED. “WAS IT NOT NECESSARY FOR THE MESSIAH TO SUFFER?”

HOW CAN WE CONCEIVE OF AND UNDERSTAND A HOLY HUMAN LIFE GROWING UP
IN THIS KIND OF A WORLD? ONLY BY GETTING TO KNOW JESUS, BY POSSESSING HIS LIFE, AND EXPERIENCING SOMETHING OF WHAT HE EXPERIENCED.

ISAIAH PROPHECIES OF JESUS, “A MAN OF SUFFERING AND ACQUAINTED WITH GRIEF. ONE FROM WHOM MEN HIDE THEIR FACES.” OUR SIN WOUNDED JESUS THROUGHOUT HIS HOLY LIFE. HE SUFFERED OUR SIN UNTO DEATH. HE TOOK OUR SIN UNTO HIMSELF, CARRIED IT TO THE CROSS WHERE IT EXHAUSTED ITSELF AND WAS DESTROYED BY THE POWER OF HIS INDESTRUCTIBLE LIFE. Hebrews 7:16

WHEN PETER GOT A GLIMPSE OF THE GLORY OF JESUS’ HUMAN PURITY, HE SAID, “DEPART FROM ME FOR I AM A SINFUL MAN, O LORD.” PETER’S FIRST INCLINATION WAS TO TURN HIS FACE AWAY, LIKE WHEN A BRIGHT LIGHT SHINES INTO OUR EYES. BUT LATER, WE SEE HIM SPONTANEOUSLY CRYING OUT, “IF IT IS YOU LORD, BID ME COME TO YOU ON THE WATER.” AND JESUS ANSWERED PETER WITH ONE WORD, “COME!”

WHAT A CHANGE HAD TAKEN PLACE IN PETER. THE EYES OF PETER WERE NO LONGER FOCUSED ON HIS SIN, BUT ON JESUS. HE WAS LEARNING FROM HIM WHAT HE WAS MADE FOR. HE WAS BEGINNING TO BELIEVE IN JESUS!

IT IS THE SAME PETER, WHO WHEN LATER WRITING TO THE CHURCH, ENCOURAGES US TO NOT BE SURPRISED AT THE FIERY ORDEAL THAT WE MAY BE EXPERIENCING TO TEST US. AND TO THE EXTENT THAT OUR SUFFERING IS LIKE UNTO JESUS’ SUFFERING, FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS SAKE, THERE AWAITS US THE JOY AND TRIUMPH THAT HE REALIZED. JESUS’ SUFFERING IS SOMETHING VERY SPECIAL. IF WE SUFFER WITH HIM, WE WILL BE GLORIFIED WITH HIM. Romans 8:17

SUFFERING HAS A LOT OF LESSONS TO TEACH US. IT LETS US KNOW THAT THERE IS SOMETHING DRASTICALLY WRONG. IT DELIVERS US FROM INDEPENDENT PRIDE. IT SHOWS US OUR NEED. BUT ABOVE ALL, IT IS MEANT TO DRIVE US INTO THE ARMS OF GOD WHO MADE US FOR HIMSELF.

PETER GOES ON TO SAY, “AND AFTER YOU HAVE SUFFERED FOR A LITTLE WHILE, THE GOD OF ALL GRACE, WHO CALLED YOU TO HIS ETERNAL GLORY IN CHRIST, WILL HIMSELF PERFECT, CONFIRM, STRENGTHEN, AND ESTABLISH YOU.” 1 Peter 5:10

I RECENTLY READ A PRAYER WRITTEN BY THE DEAN OF THE DOM CATHEDRAL IN
COLOGNE GERMANY. THE PRAYER MAKES REFERENCE TO THE MAGI BECAUSE,
THERE IS A SHRINE IN THE CATHEDRAL WHICH IS BELIEVED TO CONTAIN THE BONES OF THE MAGI. DEAN BERNARD HENRICHS’ PRAYER EXPRESSES A VERY WORTHY DESIRE. MAY WE PRAY WITH HIM.

LORD AND GOD!
YOU CREATED US
FOR A LIFELONG JOURNEY TO YOU.
EACH ONE OF US TAKES A DIFFERENT PATH
OVER MOUNTAINS AND THROUGH VALLEYS,
THROUGH JOY AND SORROW AND NEED.
MAY THE THREE HOLY KINGS GUIDE US IN OUR WANDERINGS,
AS THEIR FAITH, KNOWLEDGE, AND DETERMINATION GUIDED THEM
THROUGH MANY PERILS ON THEIR JOURNEY TO YOU.
THEY SAW YOU, KNELT BEFORE YOU,
OFFERED UP THEIR GIFTS, AND PAID HOMAGE TO YOU.
THEY WERE FILLED WITH THE JOY OF FINDING YOU.

LORD AND GOD!
WE THANK YOU FOR GRANTING US THE FREEDOM TO SEEK AND FIND YOU, OUR LIFE’S GOAL.
GRANT US THE FAITH, STRENGTH, AND TRUST WE NEED
TO FOLLOW IN THE PATH OF THE THREE KINGS.
GIVE US COURAGE WHEN WE ARE AT RISK
OF TAKING EASIER BUT FALSE PATHS.
LET US EXPERIENCE THE JOY
OF BEING WITH YOU AT THE END OF OUR JOURNEY,
SO THAT WE MAY BE ETERNALLY SURROUNDED BY YOUR LOVE.
WE ASK THIS,
THROUGH JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD,
THE DESTINATION OF EVERY PILGRIMAGE.

AMEN

Rosemary E Hyslop,

November 13, 2014