The Theology of Suffering
“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace.
John 16:33
In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
As we enter this season of reflecting on the sacrifice of Christ and all it has afforded us, we thought it would be a good time to unpack the concept of Christian suffering. The example of our suffering Savior should bring perspective and hope to our own human experience. In this life, suffering is a something that we all endure. From the tragic loss of a loved one, to depression, anxiety, chronic illness, heartbreak, and relational strife, etc. As much as it hurts, the reality is that suffering is simply part of life, this side of heaven. Our natural response to these seasons of suffering is often one of uncertainty and questioning. Why did this thing happen? Where is God in this? Why me? When we come to these questions, it’s important that we humble ourselves and look to the wisdom of God, and to the suffering of our Savior, in order to gain perspective. His suffering and death brought us life and grace. There is a strange glory in human suffering, and in God’s sovereignty over it, that can bring us peace if we truly grasp it.
Why do we suffer?
Suffering is a multi-faceted concept. Sometimes we go through suffering due to our own sin, or due to sickness or disease, and other times it’s simply a result of the fallen nature of the world we live in. But one hope that we can stand on in Christ, is to know that any suffering we experience, is never in vain. God is always at work in our lives. We may not be able to wrap our brains around what God is doing in the moment, but rest assured, our Lord does not slumber, nor does He sleep. He’s doing something in us. He is sovereign over all things, even and especially our suffering. Just as Joseph said to his brothers who sold him into slavery, “You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good”. There is nothing that we face in this life, that God is not actively involved in. He is always, always at work. In the book of Romans Paul says, “…we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” He doing something in and through us: producing endurance, character and enabling us to proclaim our Hope to an unbelieving world. One important thing to note here is that Paul is not suggesting an unrealistic response to suffering, in that we would rejoice about the circumstances of our suffering. Rather that, because we have faith that God is working all things together for our good, we can still rejoice and worship during our times of suffering, because our hope is in Him who is faithful.
It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes.
Psalm 119:71
Our Suffering Savior
When we consider our suffering, we can look to the example of Jesus: His suffering and what it afforded us, to help us understand the mystery in the way suffering points to the glory of God. John Piper once said, “God sent his Son into the world to suffer in the place of sinners. Every dimension of his saving work was accomplished by suffering. In the life and death of Jesus Christ, suffering finds its ultimate purpose and ultimate explanation: suffering exists so that Christ might display the greatness of the glory of the grace of God by suffering in himself to overcome our suffering. Everything — everything — that Christ accomplished for us sinners, he accomplished by suffering. Everything that we will ever enjoy will come to us because of suffering.” It is our human nature that resists the idea of suffering. Yet suffering has always been the pathway that God uses to bring about His perfect plan, since the beginning of time.
I think back to when Jesus revealed his plan of His own suffering to His disciples and Peter was passionately set against it. He could not accept the idea that the Messiah would suffer such pain and injustice at the hand of sinners. Jesus responded strongly against Peter and rebuked him. Jesus said, “Get behind me Satan!” to one of his closest friends. It’s important to note here, that Jesus was not saying that Peter himself was Satan in that moment but rather the ideology behind what Peter was proclaiming, was directly set against God’s sovereign plan. Jesus was explaining that the pathway to the restoration of all people, for all eternity, would come through His own suffering and death. But they didn’t understand. Honestly, this is a hard concept for all of us. How often do we prefer the clearest answer, they easiest route, or for justice to be done, or to go on the pathway of least resistance. Yet Jesus was revealing that His plan for salvation was going to look like death and suffering, and for a time, would look as if the enemy had won. The Son of God would be crushed by evil men. But what He would accomplish through this suffering would bring eternal life to all who would believe. It’s the mystery of God’s will and sovereignty over suffering that we see so clearly depicted in Jesus’ suffering and death on the cross. It whispers to our hearts, “He’s doing something”…
Our Response to Suffering
When we face suffering, we can respond with escapism, self comfort, anger and anxiety or trust, surrender and worship. What we believe about God, will directly affect our reactions. Do you believe that God is good, that He is sovereign? Do you believe that He is at work, even in the hard things? Personally, I went through a time of great suffering when we lost a child and walked through the grief that comes with miscarriage. I remember being so angry with God. Because I do believe in His sovereignty over all things, I found myself just so angry with Him, that He would allow this pain to be part of our story. I didn’t see His goodness in it, and my anger caused me to question His character. After some time I came to understand, that God’s goodness is far beyond my understanding of goodness. My child (and all children who pass away) are with the Lord right this very moment. They are in His presence. How much better is that, than what I could have offered him in this life?
Praise be to the One who is higher than I, whose ways are not my ways.
This is a good example of how what we believe about God, will inform our response to suffering. Instead of responding with pride, anger, and questioning God, (like I did...) we can respond like Job. He was someone who understood deeply, the sovereignty of God over suffering; who when faced with intense suffering and loss, the Bible says he “…got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship, and said… The Lord gives and the Lord takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.”
A Hope that is Greater than our Suffering.
Because we know that suffering is part of life, and that nothing happens outside of the providence of God, we can respond in a way that will bring glory to our God in heaven. When our hope doesn’t rest in the circumstances of this life, we can respond in trust, steadfastness, and worship when we face trials of many kinds. Since God, who did not spare His only Son from suffering in order to bring about His perfect plan, is still at work in us, we can have a peace that surpasses all understanding (Philippians 4:7). And we can respond to hardship with a hope that proclaims the goodness of God and the glory of the grace of God, in all things.
“Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Hebrews 12:2
“I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.”
Romans 8:18
Take some time to listen to this song and preach these truths to your heart today: