Raise your hand if you like it when bad things happen to you!  I can't see you as you read this, but I'll bet you aren't fighting the urge to throw your hand up in the air right now.  Of course we don't like facing trials and difficulties.  We'd have to be crazy to feel otherwise!

     Now, some well-meaning person who knows their Bible might interject, "What about James 1:2-4?"  Well, I don't think that James is encouraging us to be spiritual masochists in those verses, so I think there may be more to it than just simply enjoying our struggles, but we will come back to that in just a bit.  As faithful Christians though, we know that in all situations God is sovereignly accomplishing his wise and definite plan, for our good and his glory.  We see this playing out in the narrative of the religious leaders' plot to kill Jesus and end the "movement" he had started.  Afterall, that's how they had historically dealt with prophets and would-be messiahs in generations past.

     It is very true that Jesus' opponents went to great lengths to see that he was ridiculed, beaten, condemned, killed, and after all of that...that he would stay dead for good.  They obviously didn't believe he would really come back to life, but they wanted to make sure there was no doubt.  We can already begin to see signs that their plan is beginning to unravel, and next week, we will see it completely blow up in their faces.

     Later, we will see, as we study through Acts, time and time again, as opponents to Christianity up the ante on the persecution and oppression of believers, the message of the Gospel spreads further and further, and its influence grows stronger and stronger.  It's the perfect example of how God uses the sinfulness of mankind, and the trials and difficulties that his people are facing, to accomplish his purposes in the world.

     The religious leaders wanted to put Jesus in the grave and bury the power of his message along with him.  But we know that the grave could not hold him, and his resurrection serves as the final evidence that he is the fulfillment of all of the promises of God to his people.  Instead of extinguishing the message of the Gospel, they unwittingly played their role in accomplishing Christ's redemptive work upon the cross, and ignited a fire which can never, and will never be, quenched in the hearts and spirits of believers forevermore.

     This brings me back to that passage from James:

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.  And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

     As I stated earlier, I believe this verse is less about swallowing hard and taking our medicine with a forced smile on our face for everyone to see, and more about suffering well because we recognize that in the seemingly dark moments of life, God is working.  We see that playing out in the narrative of Jesus' betrayal and execution.  We know it to be true, but God's plans aren't always as clear to us as they are in the death of Jesus.

     However, even when we can't see what God is doing clearly, we know he is doing something...again, for our good and his glory.  That's the promise in which we place our hope and our trust.  That is what empowers us to persevere in the face of adversity and opposition.  The struggle produces strength and resolve.  It's that same power (steadfastness) that has fueled the spread of the Gospel since the first century.

     Like the religious leaders of Jesus' time, and those that came before them; like the governments, dictators, terrorists, and atheists of today; there will always be people who want to silence the Gospel...people who want to lock it up and throw away the key.  The reality is, no matter how much power or influence that person/or persons may have...God has more.  No matter how crafty or well thought-out their plans may be...God is wiser.  Let us join with our brother Job in proclaiming, "
I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted" (Job 42:2).



In Grace,
Chris Morris


If you missed this week's sermon (or just want to listen again), follow the link below to listen. Or subscribe to our podcast in iTunes.

Part 98 - Jesus Is Buried

Questions discussed in this sermon:
1.  Who witnessed Jesus dying and why are they important?
2.  Who is Joseph of Arimathea?
3.  How can the guards at the tomb help our faith?

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