Over the past couple of weeks, since the war in Iraq began, we have been subjected to a barrage of television commentators expressing their views on the conduct of the war. Every channel has their own set of talking heads – retired generals arguing about whether we have enough troops and tanks on the ground; military analysts critiquing battle strategies; politicians assessing the war’s impact on international relations. And one of the most persistent topics for discussion has been whether the war planners correctly predicted how the Iraqis would respond. Did they anticipate the degree of resistance we faced in Basra? Did they expect that fanatical Saddam loyalists would fight to the death rather than surrender? Did they foresee that the Fedayeen fighters would disguise themselves in civilian clothing and use women and children as human shields? In other words, did we know in advance what we were getting into? Early on, there were many voices claiming that we didn’t; claiming that we were too optimistic, that Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld had foolishly ignored the advice of his generals. You may have heard the statement by one of the commanders in Iraq, Lt. General William Wallace, who was quoted in the New York Times as saying that, "The enemy we’re fighting is different than the one we war-gamed against." Those unfortunate words just reinforced the perception that we had rushed into war without adequate preparation and planning.
Now, in the last couple of days, things seem to have turned around quite dramatically. Events seem to be proving the critics and the doubters wrong. But at least they were right about one thing: when you are going into battle, it is essential that you know your enemy. It is essential that you understand where the risks and dangers lie, so that you can be prepared for them, and not taken by surprise. Because in wartime, your survival and victory depend on your ability to anticipate what is coming.
Why bring that up? Because you and I are also engaged in a war. The Christian life is a daily battle against the world, the flesh and the devil. And our spiritual survival, our victory over sin and Satan, depends on knowing what we are likely to face and being prepared for it. For example, Paul writes that,
". . . though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds." – 2 Corinthians 10:3-4
This war is being waged, not with tanks and artillery, but with prayers and faith. And although the battlefield is in the spiritual realm, it is no less real and no less serious. Therefore, as Paul urges Timothy, we are to "fight the good fight of the faith" (1 Tim. 6:12), and conduct ourselves as "good soldier[s] of Christ Jesus" (2 Tim. 2:3). The apostle Peter give us these warnings,
"Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul." – 1 Peter 2:11
"Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith . . . " – 1 Peter 5:8-9
What do all those passages tell us? That we are at war; that we are engaged in a life and death struggle – with our enemy the devil, with the ungodly influence of this world system, and with our own indwelling sin. The Bible tells us that we are soldiers for Christ; and as soldiers, we are called to fight, and resist, and stand firm in faith. As Paul writes in Ephesians chapter six,
". . . be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground . . . " – Ephesians 6:10-13
Well, if we are soldiers, and if we are at war, then who is our commander? Who is our chief military strategist? Jesus Christ. He is the one who developed the war plan. He is the one who directs the troops. And we need to trust that he knows what he is doing, even when battle seems to be going against us.
This morning, I want us to draw some insight from the final briefing our Lord gave his disciples before he was crucified. This passage in John 13-16 is known as the "Farewell Discourse". Christ knows that he will soon be taken from them in death, and so this address was intended to prepare his followers for what would lie ahead. You might consider the disciples to be his generals, his field commanders, whom he is about to send into battle. Now, I chose this passage for two reasons. First, because we will be commemorating the death and resurrection of Christ in just a couple of weeks. And as we prepare to observe Good Friday and Easter, it seems appropriate to reflect on how Christ prepared his disciples for those same events two thousand years ago. But even more important, I believe that the instructions Jesus gave his disciples then, to prepare them for the dark days ahead, are just as powerful and necessary for us hear today, as we ourselves experience trials and suffering.
To begin, I’d like to note simply that Jesus warned them in advance what was going to happen. The gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke all reveal that as they journeyed together toward Jerusalem, Jesus told the disciples very clearly that he would be killed, and that would rise again on the third day. Here in the farewell discourse, he repeats that prediction:
"My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come. . . In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me." – John 13:33, 16:16
But not only does Christ tell the disciples what is going to happen to him; he also reveals what will happen to them. For instance, he predicts that Peter will deny him, and that all the disciples will be scattered. He warns them that they will be hated by the world, and put out of the synagogue. And he informs them that they will soon pass through a time of intense sorrow, but that this will be followed by a time of great joy that will never end:
"I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. . . Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy." – John 16:20, 22
Why is it significant, that Jesus foretold all this? Because it demonstrates the absolute sovereignty of God. It shows that God is in control of all things, even an event as terrible and wicked as the murder of his own Son. You see, Christ wasn’t merely a prophet, someone who could foresee future events. The Bible is full of those, but He was much more. Along with the Father and the Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ was and is God, sovereignly guiding and directing future events. And so, what these prophecies tell us is that Christ was firmly in control. In spite of appearances to the contrary, the Pharisees were not in control. Pilate and the Roman government were not in control. Judas was not in control. The mob who shouted, "Crucify Him! Crucify Him!" was not in control. And Satan was not in control. God was in control. Now, we know that when Christ rose from the dead, God was in control. That’s obvious. But it’s equally true that when Christ was crucified, God was in control. Does that surprise you? Listen to these passages from the book of Acts. In Peter’s sermon on the day of Pentecost, he said,
"Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth . . . was handed over to you by God’s set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross." – Acts 2:23
And later in Acts, the believers prayed:
"Sovereign Lord . . . Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen." – Acts 4:27-28
Not only this, but Jesus himself declared that he was in control of the time and manner of his death.
". . . I lay down my life – only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord." – John 10:17-18
Did Pilate, and Judas, and Caiaphas, and the Roman soldiers all freely choose to do what they did? Yes. And will they be judged for their sin? Yes. But ultimately, God is sovereign and God is in control. He was the one who determined that Jesus Christ should die for our sins; he determined how Christ would die, and when he would die, and at whose hands his death would be carried out. In fact, Jesus tells the disciples that one of the reasons he told them these things in advance was so that they would believe this very thing – that he was God in the flesh, the sovereign Lord of all creation.
"I am telling you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe that I am He." – John 13:19
That knowledge would have been of tremendous help to the disciples, if they had only taken it to heart. As they watched their Lord and Master arrested and taken into custody; as they saw him condemned to death by Pilate; as they saw him whipped and beaten, as they watched him nailed to a cross, helpless and humiliated; and then as they saw him die; witnessed him being taken down and buried – if they had only remembered and understood what Christ told them, it would have made a tremendous difference. It would have greatly comforted them in their grief; it would have eased their fears. Because although to all the world it appeared that Christ had been defeated, that evil had triumphed, and that all was lost – in reality, none of that was true. God was in control, from beginning to end. And that meant that this horrible crime; this terrible tragedy; this suffering and grief; must all have a good, and wise, and loving, and just purpose. Because all of God’s acts are good, and wise, and loving, and just. And in this case, we can see that to be true, because unless Christ had died for our sins, we would all be condemned. It was necessary for him to die so that we might have eternal life.
And here’s the application for you and I. The same is true in our lives. Just as God was in control when Christ was betrayed, and arrested, and tried, and condemned, and crucified, so also God is sovereign over the trials that come into our lives. Even when we can’t see it, we can trust that they have a purpose, a good, and wise, and loving purpose, because they come from the hand of a sovereign God who is always good, and wise, and loving toward his children. He cannot be anything else. And so, no matter who may be involved, or what sins may be involved – whether our trials are the result of some other person’s will, or our own sins and mistakes, or whether they seem to be the result of random, impersonal fate – the truth is that ultimately, God is in control of all our circumstances. Nothing happens to us without his approval. And so we can trust Him in the midst of our difficulties, no matter how severe. We can take comfort in the knowledge that his hand is guiding our circumstances, even when we can’t perceive it. We can rest in knowing that what we are experiencing is all a part of his plan, and is intended for our ultimate blessing and benefit. As Paul writes,
". . . we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." – Romans 8:28
"In all things" God is working for our good. Paul doesn’t say all things are good in themselves, but that the end result of everything God allows into our lives is good. And the only way that statement could be true is if in fact, God is completely sovereign. Otherwise, he couldn’t possibly work all things for good. Note also that Paul doesn’t promise we will understand how this is true. As we look at the events of our lives, we may not be able to see how they could possibly produce anything good. Certainly, as the disciples watched Christ suffer and die, they didn’t understand how any good could come from it. What could possibly be worth that much pain and sorrow? How could life come from death; victory from utter defeat? But what we have to remember is that we walk by faith and not sight. As Paul writes in First Corinthians thirteen, now we know only in part, we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror. Our understanding and our knowledge are incomplete. And so our trust must rest in God’s limitless wisdom and understanding; we must trust that He knows what is best for us, and that he will bring it to pass.
Before I move on, I want to make sure I don’t give the impression of being glib or cavalier about suffering, as if all we have to do is quote a verse or two, and everything will be fine. That’s not true. Anyone who has suffered knows it’s not true. Paul himself suffered greatly throughout his life, and he never minimized the struggle that suffering brings. The point isn’t that as Christians we can avoid suffering, or that our suffering is somehow insignificant, or easy to bear. The point is that we can have hope and comfort in the midst of suffering. We don’t have to be overwhelmed with fear and despair. Because we know by faith that our God has a good, and wise purpose in it, and that he loves us with an everlasting love. If we hold on to that assurance, we can endure; we can make it through whatever the world throws at us; we can not only persevere in faith, but do so with joy and peace.
In fact, and this is the second point I want to make, Christ has warned us, you and I, that there will be seasons of suffering in our lives, just as he warned the disciples. He has told us in advance, so that when troubles come, we won’t lose our faith. We won’t conclude that God has abandoned us, or that Satan is winning, or that we are at the mercy of some random, arbitrary fate. As Peter writes,
"Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trials you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you." – 1 Peter 4:12
And Jesus himself said, in the conclusion to his Farewell Discourse,
"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 16:33
Finally, we can draw hope and encouragement from the fact that the suffering Christ predicted for his disciples was temporary. As painful as was, it came to an end. Let’s listen to his words again:
"I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. . . Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy." – John 16:20, 22
And the same is true of you and I. This world is full of troubles and sorrows. But through faith, God gives us the strength to persevere. Christ has risen from the grave. Someday soon, he will return, as he promised. And the glory and joy of that day will be so great, with eternity stretching out before us, that the pain and sorrow of this life will seem insignificant in comparison. As Paul promises,
"I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us." – Romans 8:18
"Therefore we do not lost heart . . . . For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." – 2 Corinthians 4:16-18
Paul calls our suffering "light and momentary," not because that’s how it seems to us now, but because that’s how it will seem to us in light of eternity, an eternity of perfect joy, and peace, and satisfaction, and love; after God has wiped away every tear from our eyes (Revelation 7:17).
I’m confident that some in this congregation are suffering, even today – experiencing trials, and difficulties, and problems, things that perhaps no one else knows about but you and God. Private struggles, unseen sorrows, hidden griefs. Those of you who aren’t suffering right now, certainly will. I guarantee it. And what I want to say to you today is that God knows what you’re going through. He has a good purpose in it, even if you can’t see it now. Someday, when Christ returns, you’ll see clearly, and you’ll understand fully. It will be worth it all. In the meantime, put your trust in Him; pray; seek His strength, and His peace, and His joy. And He will bring you through, by his grace.
(For this and other sermons in .rtf format, see www.journeychurchonline.org/messages.htm)
