July 08 2025

Tuesday July 08

Jesus, Our Example in Suffering

Luke 22:63-71

63 Now the men who held Jesus mocked Him and beat Him. 64 And having blindfolded Him, they struck Him on the face and asked Him, saying, "Prophesy! Who is the one who struck You?" 65 And many other things they blasphemously spoke against Him. 66 As soon as it was day, the elders of the people, both chief priests and scribes, came together and led Him into their council, saying, 67 "If You are the Christ, tell us." But He said to them, "If I tell you, you will by no means believe. 68 And if I also ask you, you will by no means answer Me or let Me go. 69 Hereafter the Son of Man will sit on the right hand of the power of God." 70 Then they all said, "Are You then the Son of God?" So He said to them, "You rightly say that I am." 71 And they said, "What further testimony do we need? For we have heard it ourselves from His own mouth."

Today we are looking at Luke 22:63-71. Jesus was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane and taken in the middle of the night on Thursday evening, into early Friday morning. He was taken to Annas's house, the father-in-law of the high priest, Caiaphas, and there He had His first trial. Then the second trial, they took Him to Caiaphas's house. And there He had His second, unfair trial. And now He's taken before the Sanhedrin in verses 63-71 for a third unfair trial before He is brought to Pilate, for three more trials where Pilate declared Him not guilty. And we'll look at that later in Luke chapter 23.

But today I want to focus on how Jesus suffered and how He faced that suffering and what we can learn from His example. Peter 2:19-24 tells us: “For this is commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully. For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God. For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps:  "Who committed no sin, Nor was deceit found in His mouth"; who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness--by whose stripes you were healed.”

This should teach us that Jesus has given us an example and that we should follow in His steps concerning His suffering. When He was reviled, He reviled not again. He did not open His mouth. He was led as a lamb to the slaughter. How can we deal with suffering? I think first we must understand that suffering is a fact of life. There is no way to avoid suffering in this world. It's all a part of the original sin curse. The curse that came upon Adam and all the fallen creatures, you and I. And we are going to face in this world tribulation and suffering. It doesn't matter whether we're a believer or not a believer. Suffering is a fact of life. It's going to be there.

But how can we face it? How can we deal with it? It comes in so many different forms: physically, mentally, emotionally, with all the abuse today that goes on in our families, in our world, it's there. So, how do we deal with it? What can we learn from Jesus. How did Jesus endure His suffering? Here you see them accusing Him. They're mocking Him. They're striking Him, blindfolded Him, and just totally knocking Him around and speaking blasphemous things against Him, it says. And then they say, "If You're the Christ, tell us." But He said to them, "If I tell you, you won't believe." And He said, "Also, if I ask you, you'll by no means answer Me or let Me go."

And then Jesus makes this statement here: “Hereafter the Son of Man will sit on the right hand of the power of God.". This statement reveals how Jesus faced His suffering. Hebrews 12:1-3 tells us that “we are to look unto Jesus, the author, the finisher of our faith. Who for the joy that was set before Him, He endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.”

In the midst of our suffering we look to Jesus, as He's going through this suffering, going through this rejection, going through this physical pain at this point, what does He do? He looks to the time He'll receive the glory of the Father's throne. He'll be seated next to Him. And for the joy of sitting next to the Father and seeing the fruit of His suffering in the salvation of millions and millions and millions of redeemed souls, He endures the suffering. He faces it. He goes through it. He accepts it.

Now my friend, that's how we do it. We look forward. The Bible says in Romans 8:18, “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared to the glory which shall be revealed in us.” Peter later would write about it in 1 Peter 5:9-11: “Resist him (the devil), steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.”

Yes, it is after our suffering, that we are prepared for the glory of God. We look past the suffering to the time there will be no more suffering. Oh, what a hope we have because of Jesus Christ. And we'll be seated with Him in heavenly places. I trust these thoughts will encourage you as you think about our Savior and the example He set for us.

God bless!