Suffering for Christ
Suffering for Christ isn’t easy, but it is a privilege, and one we shouldn’t take lightly. In the following passage, Steph Nickel takes a look at what we can learn from Peter, and from Jesus.
I Will Not Deny You!
Matthew 26:30-35 says,
“And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. Then Jesus said to them, ‘You will all fall away because of me this night. For it is written, “I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.” But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.’ Peter answered him, ‘Though they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.’ Peter said to him, ‘Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you!’ And all the disciples said the same.”
Last time we talked about how hard it must have been for Jesus to share His last supper with the man He knew would soon betray Him. But that’s not all He was facing.
He knew the cruel death He would soon suffer and the fact that all but one of the remaining disciples would abandon Him in fear, even Peter, who declared, “Though they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away.” But the Lord knew better.
Don’t Make Hasty Promises
We can learn much from both Peter and the Saviour in this passage. First, let’s consider what we can learn from this outspoken disciple.
I know there have been times I’ve made hasty promises to the Lord and failed to fulfill them. I would be absolutely lost if it wasn’t for His forgiveness and restoration. These days, I try not to make even mental promises without thinking things through, but sometimes I still get ahead of myself.
Suffering For Christ Is A Privilege
And what if intense persecution finds its way to my doorstep, will I be like Peter, proclaiming I will never turn my back on the Lord but then do just the opposite or will I stand in the strength He gives, knowing what the disciples eventually learned: that it is a privilege to suffer on behalf of the cause of Christ? After Jesus had died, risen, and ascended into heaven, His disciples—now restored—suffered for proclaiming their faith. We read in Acts 5:41 that after one such incident, they rejoiced that they had been counted worthy to suffer for their Lord and Saviour.
This may have been one of the things that brought Jesus comfort on the eve of His death: knowing what lay beyond the abandonment and intense suffering.
Before we move on to the lessons we can learn from Jesus, let’s look at the last line of today’s passage one more time. It says, “And all the disciples said the same.” Peter wasn’t the only one who pledged to stay at Christ’s side.
Suffering For Christ- The Ultimate Example
And what can we learn from Jesus?
As always, He set the ultimate example for us. Though we don’t know with certainty what will happen even a moment from now, Jesus always knew what lay ahead. When He traveled with His disciples . . . when He gave them power over demons and illness . . . when He taught them truths they wouldn’t understand until after His resurrection . . . even then, He knew they would turn their back on Him when, humanly speaking, He needed them most. Even though the majority of those closest to Him would not be by His side, He walked the path laid before Him. And He did it all for love—love for you and me. Jesus counted the cost of becoming the way of salvation and willingly paid the price—not because His disciples earned it, not because we would somehow earn it, but because of who He is and the depth of His love for us.
How to Apply These Lessons
How can we apply these lessons to our lives as individuals and as a family?
1. We must be careful not to hastily make promises to the Lord we may not be able to fulfill. We can, however, declare what we would like to do and pray for God’s wisdom, strength, and enabling.
2. When we do fall short—and we will—we can thank the Lord that because we are followers of Jesus, He has already forgiven us. We can—and should—ask Him to help us do better the next time.
3. We must contemplate the fact that it is actually an honour to suffer for having faith in Jesus Christ. While I don’t believe it is wise to go looking for trouble, I do believe we must make the most of every opportunity that comes our way to share the gospel. And if in the course of doing so we encounter resistance or out and out persecution, we should choose to see it as a privilege.
4. Many of us have been disappointed—or worse—by someone close to us, someone we thought we could count on. We must not let this keep us from doing what we know God wants us to do. We must not let the possibility that this may happen again stop us from being kind and loving to those God brings into our lives.
5. We must seek to do what is right even if we feel all alone. Thankfully, we can ask God to enable us to do so. We must remember we are never truly alone; He is always with us.
What a privilege to discuss these insights with our children in an age-appropriate way. I encourage you to do so. Give them the opportunity to contribute their insights to the discussion. If you haven’t already realized it, you may just be surprised what you can learn from them.
What are your priorities? We would love to hear from you. Comment below or contact us at HopeStreamRadio.
Steph Nickel
Steph Beth Nickel is eclectically interested and eclectically involved. In all she does, Steph seeks to nurture and inspire. She is currently working on the first book in a nonfiction series. Nurture and Inspire LOVE is a compilation of the first devotionals she wrote for HopeStreamRadio.
Steph is a freelance writer and editor. She is the coauthor of Paralympian Deb Willows’ award-winning memoir, Living Beyond My Circumstances, published by Castle Quay Books. Deb and Steph are working on a follow-up book.
You can visit her website, stephbethnickel.com, to learn more about her.
Visit Steph’s contributor’s page or at Steph Nickel’s Eclectic Interests.
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