He Suffered – Luke 22:39-48
Suffering always seems to be looming under the surface of life. In these moments where we struggle, we reach out to God more frequently and fiercely than ever before. Just as we have learned to walk with Jesus on the mountaintops of life, we must learn to walk with him through the valley of suffering
Summary of the Apostles’ Creed.
The Apostle’s Creed is a summary of the Christian faith that depicts the full story of scripture. The Apostle’s Creed contains one of the most concise summaries of the Christian faith in straightforward scriptural language. It follows the narrative arch of scripture from creation to incarnation, crucifixion to resurrection, and Pentecost to life everlasting.
The Apostle’s Creed reminds us that our story and church are rooted in an ancient faith. There is no singular author by which this creed can be traced, rather it is the work of the Western Catholic Church. Though, it seems to have grown out of Peter’s confession in Matthew 16:16. Its origin is as a baptismal confession, those that are laying down their life to join Christ in his death and resurrection (Romans 6:4) confess this as their new reality and guiding story.
The Apostle’s Creed is not simply a routine repetition of doctrine but rather our pledge of allegiance to one God– Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This is not a routine repetition of doctrine. It is a liturgical poem meant to move our heart as a pledge of allegiance to the triune God revealed in the person of Christ.
The Church and church people are way more acquainted with the God of the mountaintop than we were with the God of the valley.
What would it look like to develop a theology of the valley?
“He suffered under Pontius Pilot, was crucified, died, and was buried.”
“And he came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed him. And when he came to the place, he said to them, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.” And he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground. And when he rose from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping for sorrow, and he said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation.” While he was still speaking, there came a crowd, and the man called Judas, one of the twelve, was leading them. He drew near to Jesus to kiss him, but Jesus said to him, “Judas, would you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?” – Luke 22:39-48
In this passage we see Jesus experience the fullness of human suffering in four themes:
Theme 1: Loneliness
“To be crucified was to be cast out of the human community, rejected by God, and the world- a fate worse than death.” - Benjamin Myers, Apostles Creed
Theme 2: Anxiety
Theme 3: Broken relationship
Theme 4: Death
“Because in Jesus, God has fully shared our condition there is no human experience that can alienate us from God- every affliction is an opportunity to identify with Jesus- to suffer with him so that we may be glorified with Him. We die differently because the Son of God has touched our frail mortality and has drawn it into the wider context of his life. We die differently because we know that “neither death, nor life … will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” - Benjamin Myers, Apostles Creed
STEP 1: Experience Grief
STEP 2: Re-story
STEP 3: A New Narrative Emerges
We can find God in moments of suffering when we allow ourselves to experience grief, restory, and emerge with a new narrative, one that knows how to walk with Jesus in the valley.
