"From that time on, Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer greatly from the elders, chief priests, and scribes, be killed, and on the third day be raised. Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, "God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen to You!" (Matthew 16:21-22*, emphasis ours)
Then Jesus told His disciples, "If anyone wants to follow Me, let them deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow Me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for My sake will find it." (Matthew 16:24-25*, emphasis ours)
Have you ever thought about what would happen if Jesus Christ had given up? Maybe you think it's impossible or even strange, but remember the instances in the Bible where Christ has to resist such an idea presented in various ways. From the passages above, we see how one of His closest friends, the apostle Peter, actually tries to persuade Him to avoid the coming suffering. Even Satan tempts Him by placing Him on the temple's pinnacle and enticing Him with power. When He is on the cross, one of the criminals crucified with Him challenges Him to save Himself and come down from the cross. The priests who handed Him over to the crucifixion mock Him and challenge Him to save Himself from the pain and death. Jesus had the power to do so.
The evening He was betrayed and arrested, Christ told the apostle Peter, who drew a sword against the guards to protect his Master: "Put your sword back in its place; for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. Do you think I cannot call on My Father, and He will at once send Me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen this way?" (Matthew 26:52b-54*, emphasis ours)
Those who mock, challenge, or even pity Jesus Christ for going to His death do not understand that He is "gaining His life" and the lives of each of us who believe in Him. Jesus fulfills the Scriptures that were written about Him, His mission, and His saving work.
What are you fulfilling? What are we all fulfilling? Where in the Scriptures does it talk about us and what we must go through to gain our lives? Here is what the apostle Paul says: "Do not be frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved—and that by God. For it has been granted to you not only to believe in Christ but also to suffer for Him, since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have." (Philippians 1:28-30*, emphasis ours)
We are given to suffer to fulfill the purpose of our lives, the purpose that God has for us. Suffering is varied—not always just physical, not always just emotional or spiritual—but it is always present and intrinsically linked to the meaning of our lives: to be like Christ. To accomplish what God decided before the creation of the world for us to do here on earth, we must be among people and serve them, as they serve us. It is not painless there, but it is certainly the only way to discover meaning, and thereby to gain our lives.
The temptation to avoid pain and suffering was before Christ, but He overcame it on the cross. The same temptation lies before us—to "gain our lives" by ourselves, to protect ourselves, to prevent pain and injury that could be inflicted by others. To not lose meaning and to fulfill the purpose of our lives, we must accept two facts: the fact of suffering and the fact of God's protection. Both are 100% certain!
Challenge for the Week: What is the meaning of your life? What do you live for? If you do not have a definite answer, or if it is only tied to yourself and your personal happiness, maybe you need a "revelation" from God. Our advice: if you want to understand the meaning of your life, start with practical exercises like serving others. How and with what can you help the people around you? What does it feel like to be of use?
*Biblical quotes are according to the text of Bible, new translation from the original languages © Bulgarian Bible Society 2013.
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