A video went viral recently of a pastor in Vancouver evangelizing to a crowd of people who wanted nothing to do with Jesus. But even as they reviled and harassed him, one man came up and said he wanted to know the Lord and be baptized. As the pastor led him into a nearby lake, the crowd screamed blasphemies and covered the two in silly string and half-eaten food. But the man was baptized and came out of the water with a victorious shout, fueled by a new hope and joy that he knew no worldly attack could destroy.
What kind of Messiah could make a man so firm and unshaken in the face of persecution? Peter tells us: he is a Messiah who suffered as well, who was persecuted onto a cross and into a grave, and who victoriously rose above it all. He is a Messiah who has claimed domination over all suffering. This means that in our hardest battles and darkest troubles, we can rejoice! When we suffer at the world’s hands, Christ is with us, giving us indomitable hope and comfort!
In fact, that means nothing could possibly scare us. When the devil’s power grows stronger and adversaries wage war to suppress the faith, we have no reason to fear their victories or feel like victims. We can simply smile, confident that our Jesus will surely win out in the end. It’s true, Satan is powerfully at war against the faith. And yet we can wear that faith boldly and courageously, not budging in the slightest but weathering every attack. Our king promised us that we would suffer, but also that he will soon overcome the world—and our king does not lie!
In the meantime, the powers of hell are powerful indeed. Suffering is no small matter, and many of us know that firsthand. But be reminded that there is rest and restoration at the end. Be reminded that it is worth it to endure with hopeful expectation. If Christ were not king, there would be only despair; there would be only suffering and death. But he in fact reigns, and our suffering is with him until the certain day when he redeems it all, and our reward for endurance will be great. We have the privilege of suffering now as if that great future kingdom is already here; so rejoice in suffering and hope with confidence!
