The Suffering Servantنموونە

If we believe that faith is a matter of evidence, we are sorely mistaken. It’s not that evidence cannot be helpful, but the truth about Jesus is ultimately a spiritual truth and Jesus said that faith is a gift from God (Matt. 16:17). For many, little evidence will move them toward faith in the end. But some will not believe, no matter what evidence they see.

The most extreme example of this in all of history was the religious leaders in the first century. It might be easy to think that Jesus’ time wasn’t so bad compared to other eras in the history of God’s people. Heck, they built a golden idol about two seconds after they escaped Egypt, and the book of Judges is a wild example of one idolatry after another. But not every form of idolatry looks the same. It’s possible to keep up the appearance of righteousness, while having a heart like an open grave.

It is a unique kind of evil for lawful authorities to condemn innocent men, even more than it is to let the wicked go free. And Jesus wasn’t just an innocent man—he was chosen for destruction because they knew they could not turn the people away from him any longer. They could never hope to counter Jesus as the testimonies of his miracles—now even raising the dead—would spread far and wide.

Their desire to fight was proof of their spiritual condition. They were so fearful of what Rome might do if the people followed Jesus, they never thought to fear what God would do if they rejected Jesus (John 11:48). This is the true danger of idolatry—we become so consumed by our sinful desires that we become blind altogether to the things of God.

Isaiah prophesied that Jesus would be “despised,” “oppressed [and] afflicted” (Isa. 53:3, 7). He was the Lord of Glory, the God of Israel in the flesh, and yet they did not recognize him. Instead, they would seek to destroy him so that none could hear of his saving power. Indeed, they were so blind that they imagined they could defeat the Man who commands corpses to breathe.

Jesus suffered greatly because he pursued righteousness above all else. And he warned his disciples that, just as the world hated him, so too will the world continue to hate his followers (John 15:18). An inborn hatred of God will always lead us to hate the things of God. But Jesus provides us with a powerful example—an example that will conquer the world.

Jesus was willing to face persecution of the most extreme kind because he understood that his death would mean the end of sin, the destruction of death, and judgment against all who rose up against him. Despite their best efforts, the evil deeds of the leaders of Israel have only resulted in the triumph of the gospel, in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. Jesus knew that his suffering would result in a harvest beyond comparison which made it worthwhile in every way.

May we remain steadfast in the face of evil, knowing that Jesus has gone before us. He is mighty, with all power in heaven and on earth. Just as his suffering was used to bring about God’s good purposes, so too will God make use of our suffering in ways we could never imagine.