Text: 2 Corinthians 1: 3 -11
Christ’s Suffering and Ours
The theology of the cross is all about suffering, Christ’s and ours. As we share in Christ’s sufferings by faith, we also share Christ’s comfort in the midst of our own sufferings by faith. Generally, those who do not know Christ by faith may think of suffering as something to be avoided at all costs. To such as these no good can come of suffering. Some years ago a doctor from the Netherlands, where law permits doctors to kill those suffering from illness, was invited to America to teach U.S. doctors how to lobby for the same. American doctors were not receptive to the idea of killing their patients. The question was asked, “How do you justify taking the lives of the helpless, innocent, suffering patient?” His reply was simply: “Because it makes no sense to suffer.” In other words, when life makes no sense, it is better to end it than try to make sense of it.
Christ Present in Suffering
Although any Christian at one time or another might be at a loss as to explain why God is allowing him to suffer so in that moment, the Christian’s comfort is not found in explanations that satisfy curiosity. The Christian’s comfort is found in discovering Christ in the midst of his suffering. It is Christ’s presence in our suffering that gives us comfort, but such presence can only be received by faith in Christ. We Christians know why Jesus suffered. He suffered in our place the punishment we deserve for our sins. But as comforting as that is to us for our eternal salvation we also want to know that Jesus’ suffering has some relevance for this life too. Our Lord’s suffering serves two purposes: it reconciles us to God by faith and it assures us Christ is with us in suffering and says, “I will not forsake you even though you turn against me in your sins.” Suffering is part of living in a fallen world. When God could have rejected the world after Adam’s sin and ours, he chose instead to reconcile the world to himself through Christ’s suffering and death on the cross. The theology of the cross is that God sent Jesus to suffer and die so we could always be one with him in the crosses we must bear in this life.
Christ Proclaimed in Suffering
Paul writes, “He (Jesus) comforts us whenever we suffer” (v.4). Paul knows that he suffers with Christ, because God uses Paul’s suffering to proclaim the Gospel of Christ to others. Paul writes, “That is why whenever other people suffer, we are able to comfort them by using the same comfort we have received from God” (v.4). As Christ’s suffering brings comfort and salvation, so Paul’s ministry brought the same. “If we suffer,” Paul writes, “it brings you comfort and salvation.” We know that the Church of the first century grew in numbers because the faithful were willing to suffer for Christ as a witness to him. They gave a strong visual witness to their faith in Christ. The suffering of the faithful drew others to Christ.
Christ Makes Sense of Suffering
We are redeemed eternally. Eternal life begins with our baptism and matures with the second coming of Christ in the end. It is because we are already reconciled to God in Christ that “we know that all things work together for the good of those who love God” (Rom. 8:28). Our sufferings make sense not because of explanations that merely satisfy human inquiry or curiosity, but because Christ lives his life in us through our sufferings as a call to put our trust in him. We reflect the life of Christ who called us to take up our cross and follow him. We know the outcome of our suffering as faithfulness to God. That is the theology of the cross.