17. The events of
Holy Week bring
the crisis of
human life to its
peak, as all that is
evil in the cosmos
for all time…
18. The events of
Holy Week bring
the crisis of
human life to its
peak, as all that is
evil in the cosmos
for all time are
met with the
infinite Good that
is in Christ Jesus
and…
19. The events of
Holy Week bring
the crisis of
human life to its
peak, as all that is
evil in the cosmos
for all time are
met with the
infinite Good that
is in Christ Jesus
and Good wins.
41. And He prayed,
“O my Father, if it
be possible, let
this cup pass from
me: nevertheless
not as I will, but
as thou wilt ...O
my Father, if this
cup may not pass
away from me,
except I drink it,
thy will be done.
Matt 26:39-42
42. …and yet Jesus
had the time,
and compassion,
to heal the ear
of Malchus, the
High Priest’s
servant, lost to
Peter’s sword in
a vain defense.
43. But Jesus said
to him,
"Judas, are you
betraying the
Son of Man
with a kiss?"
Luke 22:48
44. And still the
witnesses couldn’t
make a credible
accusation. Then
Caiaphas addressed
Jesus directly: “I
put You under oath
by the living God:
Tell us if You are the
Christ, the Son of
God!” Jesus said to
him…
45. "It is as you said.
Nevertheless, I
say to you,
hereafter you will
see the Son of
Man sitting at the
right hand of the
Power, and
coming on the
clouds of
heaven."
Matt 26:63-64
46. But Pilate tried
several times to
satisfy justice
with reason, then
punishment, and
diversion.
Nothing met the
demands of the
angry priests but
execution.
47. And to mock
Him further, a
crown of
thorns and a
tablecloth as a
cloak were put
on Him.
54. Why must we suffer?
Why do people suffer
and die?
Why is life unfair?
Why does God allow
evil to prosper in the
world?
Why doesn’t God stop
all wars and famine
and crime and
injustice?
Where is God when
we are hurting?
How can we trust a
God who allows so
much suffering on
earth?
55. Why must we suffer?
To answer the
mystery that
surrounds our
own suffering, we
need to
understand the
suffering of God.
Until we
understand God’s
suffering, we can
never understand
our own.
58. Can God suffer?
Love involves:
• Fellowship –
God the Holy
Trinity &
Garden of
Eden
• Vulnerability
– Risk of
rejection,
misunderstan
ding, and pain
59. Can God suffer?
Love involves:
•Sacrifice – “God
so loved the
world that He
gave His only
begotten Son,
that whoever
believes in Him
should not
perish but have
everlasting
life.”
John 3:16
60. Because God is love
God opens Himself to
suffering.
In Jesus Christ, who is
100% God and 100%
man, God’s love
included being
tortured and dying.
Jesus suffered as the
spotless and innocent
Lamb of God offered
up to His Father on
behalf of sinners.
61. For our sakes
Jesus also suffered
the punishment for
sin and the
separation from God
that sin entails.
He took on our
condemnation and its
consequences so we
could be made
righteous in God’s
sight.
“For He made Him
who knew no sin to
be sin for us, that
we might become
the righteousness of
God in Him.”
2 Cor 5:21
63. The Crucifixion of
Christ
John the Baptist declared of Jesus,
“Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away
the sin of the world” John 1:29b
The Crucifixion of
Christ is an
eternal event
that intersects
human history
in real time.
64. The Crucifixion of
Christ
John the Baptist declared of Jesus,
“Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away
the sin of the world” John 1:29b
John the Apostle revealed that Jesus, the
Lamb of God, was “slain from the
foundation of the world” Rev. 13:8b
The Crucifixion of
Christ is an
eternal event
that intersects
human history
in real time.
65. The Crucifixion of
Christ
John the Baptist declared of Jesus,
“Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away
the sin of the world” John 1:29b
John the Apostle revealed that Jesus, the
Lamb of God, was “slain from the
foundation of the world” Rev. 13:8b
God said, “Let there be light,” beneath the
shadow of the Cross and upon the
foundation of the Cross.
The Crucifixion of
Christ is an
eternal event
that intersects
human history
in real time.
66. The Crucifixion of
Christ
God said, “Let us create man in Our own
image,” knowing that this very human
race would betray Him, ruin His creation,
and ultimately rise up and kill His beloved
Son.
The Crucifixion of
Christ is an
eternal event
that intersects
human history
in real time.
67. The Crucifixion of
Christ
He knew the sins and treacheries we
would commit.
He knew if we would eventually repent
and receive His salvation or walk away
from His tremendous love to spend
eternity in hell.
In any case and in every case, regardless
of whether we would choose or reject
Him, Jesus suffered the height and depth
and length and width of our sins.
When God
created each
one of us in our
mother’s
womb…
68. The Crucifixion of
Christ
Instead of
asking, “Why
must we
suffer?” perhaps
we should ask,
“Why must God
suffer?” If we
can answer why
God suffers, we
will understand
why we suffer.
69. How does my
suffering reflect
God’s suffering?
Because the Lamb was slain from the foundation
of the world, He endured all human suffering
before we even existed.
He endured my suffering and your suffering and
all suffering before it could reach us.
Therefore, everything that we suffer has first
been filtered through His wounds, through His
broken heart, and through His personal
experience.
Instead of being distant and unconcerned, God in
Christ takes the full weight of our suffering upon
Himself and keeps on loving us.
He suffers because He is love. And He asks us,
“Do you love Me?”
How does my
suffering
reflect God’s
suffering?
70. How does my
suffering reflect
God’s suffering?
Hear what St. Peter writes about
Christian suffering:
“For this finds favor, if for the
sake of conscience toward God, a
man bears up under sorrows
when suffering unjustly… if when
you do what is right and suffer
for it you patiently endure it, this
finds favor with God …since
Christ also suffered for you,
leaving you an example for you
to follow in His steps.” 1 Peter 2:19-21
If we say that
we love Him,
then we will
suffer for
Him as He
has suffered
for us.
71. How does my
suffering reflect
God’s suffering?
Hear what St. Peter writes
about Christian suffering:
“For it is better, if God should
will it so, that you suffer for
doing what is right rather than
for doing what is wrong.”
1 Peter 3:17
If we say that
we love Him,
then we will
suffer for
Him as He
has suffered
for us.
72. How does my
suffering reflect
God’s suffering?
“…to the degree that you
share the sufferings of Christ,
keep on rejoicing; so that also
at the revelation of His glory,
you may rejoice with
exultation… if anyone suffers as
a Christian, let him not feel
ashamed, but in that name let
him glorify God.”
1 Peter 4:12-16
If we say that
we love Him,
then we will
suffer for
Him as He
has suffered
for us.
73. How does my
suffering reflect
God’s suffering?
Hear what St. Paul writes:
“For I reckon that the
sufferings of this present time
are not worthy to be compared
with the glory that is to be
revealed to us.”
Romans 8:16-18
If we say that
we love Him,
then we will
suffer for
Him as He
has suffered
for us.
74. How does my
suffering reflect
God’s suffering?
“For just as the sufferings of
Christ are ours in abundance,
so also our comfort is abundant
through Christ.”
2 Corinthians 1:5
If we say that
we love Him,
then we will
suffer for
Him as He
has suffered
for us.
75. Our suffering and
God’s suffering will
end.
A Christian’s
suffering lasts for
this life only. It is a
prized commodity
that St. Peter
declares is more
precious than gold
which perishes.
76. Our suffering and
God’s suffering will
end.
A Christian’s
suffering will
produce “praise
and honor and
glory” when Jesus
returns to usher
us into heaven
1 Peter 1:7
77. William Penn
In reference to
Palm Sunday
and Good
Friday, William
Penn wrote,
“No pain, no
palm; no thorn,
no throne.”
79. Dietrich
bonhoeffer
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
said, “A Christian is
someone who shares
the sufferings of God
in the world.” Looking
at the misery around
him while he was
imprisoned in a Nazi
death camp,
Bonheoffer declared,
“Only a God who
suffers can help us
now.” Bonhoeffer
later was executed as
a traitor.
80. Suffering puts our
love for God through
the fire. The fire of
suffering purifies our
love, sanctifies it,
deepens it, and
multiplies it.
Our love
81. Our love for God includes
Action and proof, not just words
and emotion.
Freedom – We freely give and
freely receive God’s love through
our suffering.
Fellowship – We enjoy sweet
fellowship with God even in the
midst of suffering.
Vulnerability – We risk rejection,
misunderstanding, and pain for
Christ’s sake.
Sacrifice – We give all for the God
who gave us His all.
