A Word from Bob: I’ve taken today’s blog post from my 31-day devotional, Grief: Walking with Jesus.
“When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him”(Luke 24:30-31).
Suffering Before Glory
As we near the end of our grief journey with Jesus, we sneak a peek at the road to Emmaus where two grieving followers of Jesus literally journeyed with him. Yet…they did not recognize him…at least not at first.
Not knowing they were talking to Jesus, they summarize for him all that happened from Friday to Sunday. They explain that they had hoped Jesus was the one to redeem Israel. The Hope of Israel is right there with them! What is blinding them?
Jesus tells us.
“O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” (Luke 24:25-26).
These two men, the twelve disciples, the crowds that followed Jesus, the Jewish officials, and the crowd on Passion Week all wore the same blinders. None of them could comprehend a suffering Savior. None could wrap their brains around suffering before glory.
A Theology of the Cross
In our flesh, we follow a theology of glory. It falsely teaches that Jesus promises us health and wealth; future glory without present suffering. This false theology sets us up for disappointment and drives us to despair when loss crashes down on us.
Jesus teaches a theology of the cross. It was necessary that Christ suffer before entering into glory. Moses and all the prophets predicted this suffering Messiah.
My favorite Bible college professor often said, “If you’re in Christ, you’re in him for the whole experience. Not just the glory, but also the suffering.”
That’s the message of Romans 8:16-17.
“The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.”
Suffering is horrible, but the worst suffering comes when we doubt God’s goodness because we believe Satan’s lie: “God promised only good things for you. Bad things are happening. So you can’t trust God!”
What’s required to counter Satan’s lie?
We must ground ourselves in God’s truth from God’s Word about God’s Son our suffering Savior. That’s why Jesus “interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself” (Luke 24:27).
That’s why they said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?” (Luke 24:32).
We live by every word that comes from the mouth of God (Matthew 4:4).
Theology matters. Truth matters. Applying the Bible’s message of a suffering Savior matters in our suffering. Notice when the light dawned for these men. When Jesus took the bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then “their eyes were opened, and they recognized him” (Luke 24:31).
They saw the light in the breaking of bread—in that act of communion and remembrance of Christ’s blood shed and body sacrificed for them.
A cross-centered lens is our only hope. We must view and interpret all of life—especially our suffering—in light of Christ’s suffering on our behalf.
Applying Gospel Truth to Your Grief Journey
Interpreting grief means looking at life with cross-centered lenses—as we’ve done that for 30 days. Of every cross-centered lesson in our devotional, which one stands out as the most helpful for you on your grief journey? How? Why?
Of all the passages from the Gospels that we’ve applied to grief, which have been most important for you? Why? How will you continue to apply it?
