September 13, 2023

Mark 9: 12 “Why then is it written that the Son of Man must suffer much and be rejected?” (NIV)

All our questions about God and suffering should, in fact, be filtered through what we know about Jesus.*

This is Jesus, answering a question with a question. It is part of his discussion with Peter, James, and John following their big encounter with Elijah and Moses up on a high mountain. I bring it up here in order to ask a version of that same question myself: Why did Jesus have to suffer and die? 

My question isn’t about the fact of his sacrificial death. Someone had to pay the price for sin. I get it. But why the suffering? With all the slaughtering of animals in the Old Testament, not a one of them was tortured first. 

In Acts 3: 18, Peter declares, “But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Christ would suffer.” So, he suffered to fulfill prophecy? Not exactly. It was prophesied because it was going to happen – the prophets didn’t make it happen just because they foretold it. 

In fact, I can’t find a direct answer to my question anywhere in scripture. I have asked some preacher friends and they couldn’t provide me with that “A-ha” moment that I was looking for. But I think I have a clue – from Peter, again. In his first letter, chapter four, verse twelve, he writes, “Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering . . .” Could it be that Jesus suffered because his followers might also be called on to suffer for his sake? 

“But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ,” Peter continues in verse thirteen, “so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.” We can rejoice because Jesus suffered, and Jesus overcame, and we will never be called on to suffer more than he did. According to Warren Wiersbe, not everyone is called to a ministry of suffering,* but Jesus asks us to surrender all. 

He may ask for our all – but he gave his all first.

We’ll never suffer more than Jesus suffered.*