Purpose: To highlight the centrality of Christ’s suffering in human history.
Aim: I want the listener to fervently worship Christ because of His willingness to suffer.
INTRODUCTION: In our text we see Jesus leading His disciples away from the crowds to a place called Gethsemane which literally means "oil press," which is interesting in light of the agonizing praying that Jesus would go through there.
Jesus left eight of His disciples in one place then took just three disciples with Him --Peter, James, and John--so that they could comfort Him while He prayed in deep agony to His Father. Jesus prayed three different times stopping in between the prayers to come back to the three disciples for their encouragement. Each time, though, Jesus found them asleep.
In Christ’s first prayer He surrendered Himself to suffer as He said, "As You will" (Vs. 39) then in the last two prayers Jesus ask His Father to exercises His will by saying, "Your will be done" (Vs.42, 44).
Why did Jesus have to suffer? Or we could broaden out the question and ask: why does suffering exist at all? Before we can understand the answers to those questions we must first understand:
I. God’s Plan for Christ’s Suffering
Rev. 13:8 A. Christ’s suffering was planned before creation began
Revelation 13:8 All who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain. (NAS)
The suffering of Christ was not an afterthought in the mind of God. Before creation began God had sin in view and Christ’s suffering as a remedy to it.
This is what Peter said in Acts 2:22--24 "Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know-- this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death. But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power. (NAS)
2 Tim.1:9 B. Christ’s suffering displays God’s grace
If there were no sin then God’s grace could not be magnified.
2 Timothy 1:9 who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity, (NAS)
God’s grace--His forgiveness and blessings all which we don’t deserve-- only comes through Christ. Romans 15:7 Therefore, accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God. (NAS)
God’s grace is put on display because Christ suffered in order to provide forgiveness.
Heb. 2:9-10 C. Christ’s suffering brings God glory
Hebrews 2:9--10 But we do see Him who was made for a little while lower than the angels, namely, Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone. For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings. (NAS)
How wonderful! God is glorified by every sinner that Christ forgives. God is glorified as we partake of God’s glory.
Ephesians 1:4--6 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. (NAS)
Ephesians 1:12 to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory. (NAS)
Ephesians 1:14 who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory. (NAS)
Rev.5:9-12 D. Christ’s suffering brings Him worship
Revelation 5:9--12 And they sang a new song, saying, "Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth." Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing." (NAS)
Notice that the worship of Christ in heaven is given BECAUSE of His suffering. The center piece of the worship of Christ in heaven is His suffering. Revelation 5:6 And I saw between the throne (with the four living creatures) and the elders a Lamb standing, as if slain.... (NAS)
In order for us to more fully understand the importance of Christ’s suffering we must get a glimpse of:
II. The Agony of Christ’s Suffering
The word SLAIN in Revelation 13:8 and 5:12 means: "1. to slay, slaughter, butcher 2. to put to death by violence 3. Mortally wounded." [1]
The most obvious agony that Jesus suffered was physical.
Mark 15:24 A. Christ suffered physically
Crucifixion was designed to be a slow agonizing death. There were times that death by crucifixion would take several days. Usually death came when the victim no longer had the energy to push themselves up so that their lungs could take in air. Suffocation was usually the ultimate cause of death.
The Bible says very little about the physical agony that Christ endured. For example, Mark just simply says: Mark 15:24 And they crucified Him... (NAS) Those alive in that day were already aware that crucifixion produced excruciating pain, but the Bible makes little effort to highlight the physical suffering of Christ for future generations.
This is because the physical suffering that Christ endured, as horrific as it was, was not the worst part of His suffering. This is one reason why I was not interested in watching Mel Gibson’s film The Passion of the Christ because it only highlighted the physical suffering of Christ.
Christ’s also suffered great agony because:
Isaiah 53:6 B. Christ suffered the guilt of sin
We all know what it’s like to feel guilty. There is that heavy, sickening feeling when we know that we have done something terribly wrong. The more we grow in our walk with Christ the more sensitive we are to that awful guilt.
Imagine what it must be like for the sinless, pure, and holy Son of God to feel guilt. When Jesus died on the Cross all of our sins BELONGED to Him.
Isaiah 53:6 All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him. (NAS)
Isaiah 53:12 ... He poured out Himself to death, and was numbered with the transgressors; yet He Himself bore the sin of many...(NAS)
2 Corinthians 5:21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. (NAS)
The curse of sin began with Adam and Eve at a tree, and the curse of sin was taken away by Christ on a tree. Galatians 3:13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us--for it is written, "CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO HANGS ON A TREE"-- (NAS)
Hebrews 9:28 so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many... (NAS)
1 Peter 2:24 and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. (NAS)
Matt. 27:46 C. Christ suffered loneliness
Jesus faced all the pain of the cross alone. When Jesus agonized in the garden in prayer His closest disciples fell asleep. When Jesus was arrested ...all the disciples left Him and fled. (Matthew 26:56 NAS)
But that was not the worst of His loneliness. God the Father turned away from Christ, too.
When Jesus cried out ... "MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?" in (Matthew 27:46 NAS) he was describing His complete abandonment by God the Father. Jesus was quoting the first line of Psalm 22 which also talks about the Messiah’s sacrificial death.
Jesus volunteered to take on the full weight of the sin of millions of sinners alone. This is one reason why the writer of Hebrews says, "For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses..." (Hebrews 4:15 NAS). When we are lonely, Jesus understands.
Matt. 26:39 D. Christ suffered the wrath of God
This is what Jesus was anticipating the night before in Gethsemane when He said, Matthew 26:39 ..."My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will" (NAS). The word CUP in the Old Testament often referred to the wrath of God.
Paul tells us that Christ was "displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness... (Romans 3:25NAS) The word PROPITIATION means "a sacrifice that bears God’s wrath to the end and is so doing changes God’s wrath toward us into favor." [2]
Hebrews 2:17 Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. (NAS)
1 John 2:2 and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world. (NAS)
Calvary pictures the hatred that God has for sin. Oh, how terrifying it must be to stand before God as a sinner. Hebrews 10:31 It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God. (NAS)
The Bible described the presence of God on Mount Sinai as, Hebrews 12:21 so terrible ...that Moses said, "I AM FULL OF FEAR and trembling" (NAS).
The only way to avoid the wrath of God is to trust Christ’s death on our behalf and worship Christ for dying for us. Hebrews 12:25--29 See to it that you do not refuse Him who is speaking. For if those did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape who turn away from Him who warns from heaven. And His voice shook the earth then, but now He has promised, saying, "YET ONCE MORE I WILL SHAKE NOT ONLY THE EARTH, BUT ALSO THE HEAVEN." This expression, "Yet once more," denotes the removing of those things which can be shaken, as of created things, so that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe; for our God is a consuming fire. (NAS)
CONCLUSION: In my next message about suffering we will discover the joy that God has for us in suffering. For today let me mention just one practical and glorious result when a Christian suffers.
If we suffer because we love Christ, God has promised to bless us with more of His presence. 1 Peter 4:14 If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. (NAS)
If we experience suffering of any kind God has still promised more of His presence in our lives. 2 Corinthians 12:8--10 Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me. And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong. (NAS)
When we experience suffering God is just cleaning the windows of our heart so that more of God’s presence can shine in. Romans 5:3--5 And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. (NAS)
Notice that Paul is saying that we should rejoice in our tribulations "because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts"
"Though my natural instinct is to wish for a life free from pain, trouble, and adversity, I am learning to welcome anything that makes me conscious of my need for Him. If prayer is birthed out of desperation, then anything that makes me desperate for God is a blessing."
Nancy Leigh DeMoss [3]
Are you will accept suffering in your life because you long for more of the presence of Jesus? So the bottom line is what do you love more: comfort or the presence of Christ?
[1]Ephesians Four Group, Greek Dictionary, electronic ed., 2.
[2]Systematic Theology by Wayne Grudem Page 575
[3]A Place of Quiet Rest, Moody, 2000, p. 235.
