In Rememberance
It is common in our society to memorialize our accomplishments. In sports it’s a trophy or a ring. In business it’s a sportscar or a rolex. Maybe for parents it’s pictures or a fridge full of drawings. We like to celebrate - and remember - our achievements.
This is a trait passed down from our creator. God also enjoys celebrating and remembering his achievements. God instructed the Israelites to build a memorial when he brought them into the land of promise. And these stones shall be a memorial to the children of Israel forever (Joshua 4:7).
This was certainly a mighty work of God — delivering Israel from Egypt into the promised land — and one worthy to be remembered. But there is one Crown Jewel in God’s trophy case: the wounds of his son, Jesus.
God is most proud of his son and his accomplishments (2 Peter 1:17) and desires to showcase those to the world. Why was Jesus resurrected with his wounds? Could he not have been raised with an unmarred body? Or how about when he was received up to glory? Surely then his wounds could’ve been removed. But no:
In the midst of the throne…stood a Lamb as though it had been slain
Revelation 5:6
Continuing further, what sacraments did God command to those who believe? Baptism and holy communion. Why were these given? At their core, to remember the sufferings of our Lord Jesus. Baptism to join in his suffering and death (Romans 6:3,6) and communion to remember him and his sufferings (Luke 22:19).
God has done much to ensure we remember the accomplishments of his son. But take special attention to notice God has memorialized the sufferings of his son. Oh, his miracles are wonderful, his freedom is enrapturing, and his joy overcoming! But what fountainhead do these flow from? The sufferings of the lamb.
Where are miracles without his suffering? By his stripes we are healed. Where is freedom without a bleeding lamb? Behold the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Where is joy without atonement? We rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
As we can see, heaven places much emphasis on our suffering savior. Now what are we to do with this? Well, Jesus commands us to pray on earth as it is in heaven. If heaven is honoring the sufferings of Christ above all, then, I believe, so should we. There are two ways we can do this in our own lives. First, by honoring his sufferings through remembrance and gratitude. Second, by clinging to our savior when we ourselves suffer.
Remembering his sufferings
Starting off, simply put, Jesus commands us to remember his sufferings (Luke 22:19). We could stop there, but why does God command us to remember? I believe the answer is threefold: to cultivate gratitude, to bring us close to him and to conform us into his image.
Gratitude
We see in Romans 1:21 a lack of thanksgiving towards God leading to the darkening of man’s heart. In contrast, contemplating the sufferings of Christ brings thanksgiving and light to men. Meditating on his passion brings awe, wonder and thanksgiving. Take this simple example:
Jesus Christ - God himself - descended to earth, was rejected by his own creation and - willingly - suffered at their hands a gruesome death. This Jesus, the God-Man, came to die for his creation that wanted nothing to do with him. He came to die for me…me! Jesus came to bring me out of my Egypt, out of my darkness, out of my sin. Thank you Jesus!!
Do you see how remembering his sufferings can easily and quickly birth thanksgiving in the heart? As this thanksgiving is birthed and takes hold, another scriptural truth is unveiled.
Nearness
Let’s look at Psalm 100:4.
Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise.
Remembering the sufferings of Christ invokes thanksgiving in the heart. Thanksgiving then opens the door into his very presence. Hallelujah! This has been God’s plan all along — to be with his people (see Genesis 17:7, Exodus 6:7, Jeremiah 32:38, 2 Corinthians 6:6, Hebrews 8:10, Revelation 21:3).
God desires to be close to us. This much is clear all throughout scripture. God walked with Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden. He physically visited Abraham. He led Israel as a pillar of fire. Jesus became flesh, walked the earth and communed with his creation. Now, the Holy Spirit has been given as a friend and a guide. Finally, this will all culminate in an everlasting marriage to the Lamb.
But why does God desire to be with us?
First, he loves us. God loves his creation and people like to be around those they love. God is no different. And what does John 3:16 say? For God so loved the world, he gave his only begotten son. Because God loves us, he gave himself to be with us.
Second, because he wants us to be like him.
Conformity
God has one ultimate goal for us: to look, act, walk, talk and behave like Jesus. As God sought a suitable helper for Adam, he is now seeking one for his son.
For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
Romans 8:29
There’s not much more to say. God wants us to conform to the image of his son. He wants us back to our original design, created in his image (Genesis 1:26). But how can this happen? How can man look and behave like God? By spending time with God.
In the natural world, it matters who you spend time with. Those around you have great influence on the way you think, act and behave. It is the same with God. The more time we spend with God — in his presence — the greater the conformity. Not by our strength or will power, but by his Spirit and his grace. Paul puts it this way:
For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ has not accomplished through me, in word and deed, to make the Gentiles obedient— in mighty signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God
Romans 15:18-19
Let’s be candid. It is impossible to be like Jesus — in our own strength. But, with God, nothing is impossible. This is where the next step in the process takes hold. It starts with thanksgiving. Thanksgiving brings us into God’s presence. Now, in his presence we begin to behold Him. This is the place of transformation.
Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.
2 Corinthians 3:17-18
Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the LORD of hosts.
Zechariah 4:6
It is by His Spirit that we are transformed. We can’t do it on our own. That’s why they’re called the fruits of the Spirit and the gifts of the Spirit. It is by the Spirit! As we spend time with God, the Holy Spirit works in us to conform us into the image of His Son. Hallelujah!
Practical steps
Jesus was not flippant when he commanded do this in remembrance of me. He knew the power held within this simple act. This is the key to the Christian life. We are saved through grace by faith — but faith in what? Faith in what God accomplished through Jesus. Faith in the power of the cross. Faith in God’s love displayed for us. Faith in the sufferings of Christ.
So, how can we remember? Let’s take the Lord’s lead and do this in remembrance of him. What is this? Holy communion, receiving and remembering the body and blood of Jesus.
Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life
John 6:54
Begin to take communion on your own, frequently, not just when your church happens to. A good practice alongside communion is meditating on relevant scriptures. One I’ve used is Mark 14:22:
And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them and said, “Take eat, this is My body.”
This is essentially the gospel summed up in one verse and a great jumping point to meditate on the person and actions of our Lord Jesus Christ. Allow the Holy Spirit to lead, guide and transform you as you thank, meditate and behold Christ in the midst of communion.
Strength while suffering
You don’t have to live long or look far to realize we live in a desperately fallen world. The ramifications of sin and godlessness are plain and destructive. Sin certainly is not a “victimless crime.”
Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned
Romans 5:12
All of us have been stung by the pain of sin and the fallen human nature. We’ve made bad decisions that hurt ourselves and others. And we’ve been on the receiving end of those bad decisions, too.
But it is not just sin, there are also circumstances outside of our control. Life has a way of throwing curveballs. You lose a job. Freak weather wreaks havoc. Hospital bills stack up. These are things we face as we walk through life, to no fault of our own.
Then, lastly, there is the cross. As Christians, our Lord, Savior and God tells us:
If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.
Luke 9:23-24
The cross is part of the program. God has a special cross for each of his followers. And just like Jesus’ cross, it is a heavy, cumbersome and painful tool with one aim: obliterating sin.
As we can see, suffering is part of the human experience. Maybe even more so for the Christian. Jesus encapsulates our experience with suffering — and provides the solution — with this statement:
In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.
John 16:33
You will have tribulation
As we can see trials will come, but how will we respond? Will we despair, play the victim, point our finger and look for the quickest way to safety? Or will we own the situation, lean into God and allow Him to lead and transform us through the process? These are the paths before us in each trial we face.
Revisiting Romans 8, we know that God’s ultimate goal is to conform us into the image of his Son. Facing suffering, difficulties and the weight of the cross can lead us to this desired Christlikeness. However, it is not a given that suffering equals Christlikeness, for our transformation depends largely on our response.
In the natural, we want to walk down Easy Street. We don’t want or welcome difficulties. We choose the path of least resistance. This is just the problem, there is no resistance on Easy Street. Easy Street doesn’t challenge you, doesn’t make you question, doesn’t require persistence, patience and perseverance, doesn’t require shifting your priorities, increasing your prayer time or setting aside the things you desire. Easy Street is easy.
God’s way is a little different. Take a look at these three verses.
Strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, “We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.
Acts 14:22
And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance character; and character, hope.
Romans 5:3-4
Though he was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered.
Hebrews 5:8
There is purpose in suffering. God uses difficulty to prune, cleanse, purify and refine His people. He uses suffering to make them more like His Son. Trials present the opportunity to exercise our faith, to die to ourself, to learn patience, and, put simply, to place our trust in God alone. This is what God is looking for. This is the model Jesus displayed during His life on earth. Total dependence, total surrender, total trust in God.
But in these trials we are not alone. His name is Immanuel, God with us (Matthew 1:23) and has promised to never leave or forsake us (Matthew 28:20, Hebrews 13:5). He is a very present help in trouble (Psalm 46:1). So we are not alone, God is waiting eagerly, expectantly for us to turn to Him.
This is really the crux of the matter, turning to God. We can “grin and bear” our way through it, but that is not where the transformation comes. How would that make us any different than how the world deals with their problems? In trials we must turn to God in order to receive the full measure of blessing God intends.
But what is this blessing God intends? Typically we think of blessing as a new house, a new car, a new job or a check in the mail. While these are certainly blessings, God’s definition of blessing is much deeper. Look at Acts 3:26, Peter preaching the gospel to a group of Israelites.
To you first, God, having raised up His Servant Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your iniquities.
Acts 3:26
You see, God’s blessings go far beyond physical needs and wants. God’s blessings reach the core of man. This is the essence of Christlikeness. The essence of what God wants for us. God wants to help us rid us of ourselves, of our sinful and fleshly nature, and restore us to our original design. Fully dependent upon Him, the loving Creator, and unmarred from the pain of sin, flesh and this fallen world. That is true blessing.
Take heart
So how do we deal with all of this? How do we endure these tribulations? Let’s take one more look at Jesus’ statement.
In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.
John 16:33
In this world you will have tribulation — we’ve already covered that. What is the antidote? To take heart, because Jesus has overcome the world! God is the answer. The real question to you: is he your answer? Who or what do you turn to in times of trouble? How do you take heart?
When faced with pain, the fallen human nature has two general responses. One tackles the problem head on, with no help from God, resolved to fix the issue with brute force and sheer will. The problem here is man becomes more and more reliant on self. More trusting in his or her own abilities to face challenges. But how long can that last? What stronghold of pride will that build in the heart?
The other tries as hard as it can to avoid, distract or somehow forget the pain is there. Here the avoidance of pain begets another set of issues. Drugs, alcohol, medication, pornography, work, TV, etc. These all disconnect us from reality and steal from our life. They may feel good in the moment, but that momentary pleasure is actually eternal bondage.
You see, our choices to face suffering in our own strength are few and flawed. What we really need during trials can only come from heaven. True strength, comfort, courage and peace. Not of our own accord, but drawn from a personal relationship with God, who is all of these things (see Psalm 46:1, 2 Corinthians 1:3, 2 Timothy 1:7, 2 Thessalonians 3:16).
There are two men in the Bible (among many others) who learned how to take heart in God in the face of suffering: David and Paul. These two men believed who God said he was, took him at his word and trusted him to the very core. Both faced tremendous difficulties in life, but more than that, tremendous victories in the Lord their God. Let’s learn from their experiences.
David
“Now when David and his men came to Ziklag on the third day, the Amalekites had made a raid against the Negeb and against Ziklag. They had overcome Ziklag and burned it with fire and taken captive the women and all who were in it, both small and great. They killed no one, but carried them off and went their way. And when David and his men came to the city, they found it burned with fire, and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive. Then David and the people who were with him raised their voices and wept until they had no more strength to weep. David’s two wives also had been taken captive, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel. And David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because all the people were bitter in soul, each for his sons and daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.”
1 Samuel 30:1-6
This was quite the difficulty David was facing. His stronghold burned. His family and the families of his men taken. His life in jeopardy. What was David’s response? Immediately problem solve and go into “solution mode”? No. Did he whine, complain and despair? Woe is me! No. David strengthened himself in the Lord.
In the face of incredible difficulty, David turned to God. There is no earthly solution to a problem like this. What is a man, a leader to do? We have the option of trying to figure it out on our own or to shy away, but those don’t bring breakthrough. But God has the solution, God has the breakthrough. David knew this and knew he couldn’t solve or survive in his own strength. He turned to God for strength and God gave him the breakthrough, gave him the victory. Glory to God!
Paul
Paul was a man accustomed to trials, just read 2 Corinthians 11. But Paul wasn’t defined by his trials. He was defined by his God. This is why he could pen this in Romans:
Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.
Romans 8:37
Or what about this:
And not on that, but we also glory in tribulation, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance
Romans 5:3
Wow! How could a man who faced so much suffering write things like this?
There are a few answers to this question, but the one I want to emphasize is found in Romans 15:4.
For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
Paul was a man of the scriptures. All through Acts you see stories of Paul’s relationship with the scriptures: proving Jesus as Christ, preaching until midnight and preaching for hours each day for months on end. Why was Paul so enraptured by the scriptures? Because in them he found Jesus. Because in them he found encouragement. Because in them he found life.
Paul didn’t give the scriptures a passing glance. The scriptures were the bedrock of his faith. The source of his life. His ability to take another step in the midst of trial, tribulation and certain death. The scriptures weren’t some dead, boring text to Paul. Or something he had to cross off his “how to be a good Christian” list each day. Paul actually believed what Jesus said about the scriptures, “these are they which testify of me.” Paul found the living, breathing Christ in the scriptures.
The bible isn’t a dead manuscript full of rules and regulations. It is an invitation to the person of Christ. They are an unveiling of who he is, his character, his nature and his ways. The word continually becoming flesh, inviting us into a relationship with the person of Christ. Bible studies and devotionals are nice, but they can’t save, they can’t provide encouragement, they can’t provide life. Only Christ offers those things and he is waiting to be found by you in his word. Paul discovered this and you can too.
Jesus
When you find Jesus, you find life. When you find Jesus, you find the answer to every question. When you find Jesus, you find someone who knows you, who has experienced the very same thing you are experiencing and can offer comfort in our time of need.
Seeing then that we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with out weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Hebrews 4:14-16
That is my last and greatest admonition to you. Come to Jesus. Find him and you will find comfort, grace, mercy and help in your time of need. And always.