Encouragement

---

As followers of Jesus Christ, many people mistakenly believe we should flow through life and the Christian Faith with minimal issues and challenges. After all, we are worshipping with a true heart and mind, regular Church goers, paying tithes, caring for our families, being a good steward of Christ [witnessing to others] and living within his moral principles, standards, and values.

I will use the Hebrew name Ye'shua, which is interchangeable with Jesus, and the Hebrew Tetragram Maton for God's name, YHWH or YaHuWaH—universally known in Christian literature as Jehovah, Yahweh, Lord, God, the Most High, Almighty God, Our Heavenly Father and the God of the Universe to name but a few. Torah Observant Messianic Spiritual Israelites call Almighty God Yehovah, Adonai, HaShem, El Elyon, El Shaddai, and Elohim, naming just a few. All scriptures used in this post are from the Christian Biblical versions.

Jesus Christ made it clear that we would suffer if we were to become his disciples. But this thought is generally buried in our unconscious mind. And who would blame us because none of us want to suffer? Still, Jesus never promised us a bed of roses if we followed him. In fact, he promised the total opposite. In Mark 8:34 (NKJV), he said, "If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me." We know the cross meant suffering and death.

At this point, he was talking to his faithful disciples, and they certainly suffered brutally because of their unwavering witness and Faith in him. Most of his disciples did not have an easy ride to eternity. There are few biblical accounts of how they died apart from James in [Acts 12:2] and John. Traditional accounts tell us that most were martyrs. The disciples were either stabbed, stoned, dragged, skinned, burned or crucified.

Although we are not likely to suffer such brutal experiences, we can still experience circumstances that lead us to ask, 'Where is God?'

Let's go back to history to see why Jesus came to the earth and suffered. The Hebrew name of Jesus the Messiah is Yehoshua Ha Mashiach, which means "Yahu saves or Yahu salvation." This tells us that Ye'shua [Jesus] did not come to earth of his own volition but came in the name of our Heavenly Father 'Yahu', short for 'YaHuWaH.'

Jesus's words also emphasize this truth in John 17:1-2 (ESV), where he knelt to pray to our Heavenly Father before his arrest and crucifixion. He prayed, "Father, the hour has come; glorify your son that the son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him." Verse 8 of this prayer emphasizes the authority given to him by our Heavenly Father: "I have passed on to them the message you gave me. They accepted it and know that I came from you, and they believe you sent me."

The question remains. Why did our Saviour have to suffer? Jesus is called the Saviour of the world [1 John 4:14].

We know that in the beginning, The Most High God created a beautiful garden and everything He placed in it he made 'very good' [Genesis 1:31], including man, made in His image [Genesis 1:26] and [Genesis 2:7], who He named Adam [Genesis 5:2]. Genesis 2:15 tells the story of Adam and Eve being given a paradise garden to tend to and only one forbidden instruction: eating from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil [Genesis 3:3]. Unfortunately, Adam and Eve were tempted by a serpent, disobeyed Almighty God, and were sent out of the Garden [Genesis 3:23]. God's image, now corrupted with evil, led Adam's older son Cain to kill his younger brother Abel out of jealousy [Genesis 4:1-16].

Scriptures reveal that the Most High sent Jesus to the earth to redeem humankind [John 3:16-17] and restore His 'true' image and likeness in righteousness and holiness [Ephesians 4:24].

However, a 'price for sin' must be paid to restore us to our Heavenly Father. We learn in Romans 6:23 (ESV), "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." So, this answers the question of why Jesus Christ had to suffer. Almighty God sent him to earth to pay the price for our sins. 1 Peter 3:18 (ASV) says, "Because Christ also suffered for sins once, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God; being put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit..."

The Apostle Peter was not afraid to speak about the suffering we would experience. In 1 Peter 2:21 (ESV), he said, "For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps."

As Kingdon Citizens, we must not live without hope of 'God's Grace' through our suffering. 1 Peter 5:10 (ESV) says, "And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you."

Most of the time, the suffering we experience teaches us a lesson and makes us more resilient and confident in our Faith in Christ Jesus. We have the Holy Spirit [Ruach Ha Kodesh], who Jesus said our Heavenly Father would send as the 'Comforter' to teach and remind us of him [John 15:26]. He is also called the 'Helper' [John 14:26]. The Apostle Paul, in Ephesians 3:16, states that the Holy Spirit will empower us when we pray.

Apostle Paul, also suffering a thorn in his flesh, could say, "But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." 2 Corinthians 12:9 (ESV).

We must continue to trust and believe no matter what we go through as children of the Most High; remain confident that Jesus is with us through our trials and tribulations. He states in John 16:33 (CEV), "I have told you this so that you might have peace in your hearts because of me. While you are in the world, you will have to suffer. But cheer up! I have defeated the world." He also promises in Matthew 28:20, "… and lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world."

References:
Biblical Scriptures: including ASV, CEV, ESV, NKJV
Did the Apostles really Die as Martyrs for their Faith? (Nov 4, 2013) https://www.biola.edu
Price, James D. Dr, The Triunity Report https://luk.staff.ugm.ac.id
What happened to the 12 Disciples Feb 11, 2020, https://www.faithonhill.com

---

PLEASE ENCOURAGE AUTHOR BELOW LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE AS A MEMBER OR VISITOR