The Way of Suffering
Text: Luke 13:31–35
Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Last week, we began our journey through The Way of the Cross by looking at The Way of Trust—Jesus’ trust in the Father’s Word, plan, and protection, even in the wilderness of temptation.
Today, we see Jesus continuing on that path, walking toward suffering with full knowledge of what awaits Him in Jerusalem.
The Christian life is not one of avoiding suffering but following Christ through it. Today, we learn what it means to walk The Way of Suffering.
1. Jesus Faces Opposition, Yet Walks Forward
Have you ever felt like everything was against you? Maybe you've had a day when nothing seems to be going right—you keep getting bad news after bad news, and setback after setback. Nothing is smooth or easy. A day like that just makes us want to go home, have a cold drink, go to bed, and try again tomorrow.
Jesus’ ministry was starting to become difficult. He’d had a lot of wins and attracted a lot of attention, but opposition was increasing at an even faster rate. The bolder Jesus became and the further word of His ministry spread, the stronger the opposition got, particularly from powerful people who felt threatened.
The Pharisees warn Jesus about Herod’s threats, but He doesn’t flinch: “Go tell that fox, ‘I will keep on driving out demons and healing people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal’” (Luke 13:32). Jesus knows exactly what awaits Him in Jerusalem—suffering, rejection, and death—yet He refuses to turn back. He’s beyond the halfway point anyway—He can’t just go back to Nazareth and take up carpentry again. His mission is clear, and He trusts the Father’s plan completely.
Opposition and suffering does not mean God has lost control. Jesus moves toward suffering, knowing it is necessary for salvation. In the same way, we are not promised an easy road as His people in the world. We face opposition from all angles: from the world, from our own doubts, and from difficult circumstances that come our way. But the way of the cross is not about avoiding suffering—it’s about trusting that God is working even through it.
Like Jesus, we are called to walk forward in faith, not fear, knowing that God’s promises are sure, and His plan will not fail.
2. Jesus Laments, Yet Loves His People
Rejection is one of the deepest kinds of suffering. It’s one thing to endure physical pain, but the heartbreak of being pushed away by people you love is even harder to bear.
For Jesus, Jerusalem is the most significant physical location on earth. It’s the place where God had once dwelt. It’s the place that God’s people had always called home in a very deep way. Even those that weren’t locals felt this way. The closest connection we might have to any one physical location would be wherever you call home—whether that’s a town, a property, or a house.
Jesus stands over Jerusalem and mourns: “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing” (Luke 13:34). His sorrow is not just for the suffering He will endure but for the people who reject Him. He longs to gather them in love, but they turn away.
Suffering is not just about external hardships—it includes the pain of broken relationships, betrayal, and loss. We experience this in our own lives: fractured families, friendships that fall apart, division among Christians and even within denominations. It is easy to respond with resentment or to shut our hearts off to those who hurt us, disagree with us, or reject us because of our position or opinion.
But Jesus shows a different way. Even in His grief, He does not turn away in anger. He continues toward the cross, moved by love for those who reject Him. In our own suffering, He calls us to do the same—to love, even when it hurts. This is really what it means to be a Christian—to love the unlovable just as Jesus does.
3. Jesus Suffers, Yet Fulfils His Mission
When we find ourselves facing suffering of some kind, whether it’s opposition, rejection, or something else, all we want is the answer to one simple question: why is this happening?
Jesus was able to endure in His suffering because He knew exactly why He was walking toward the cross. He declares, “Surely no prophet can die outside Jerusalem!” (Luke 13:33). His suffering is not random or meaningless—God’s salvation can’t happen without it.
The cross was never a mistake or a failure. It was the very reason Jesus came—to give His life for the world. He knew the pain that awaited Him, yet He pressed on, trusting the Father’s will.
As Christians, we don’t seek suffering as if we somehow enjoy it, but we also don’t run from it. Jesus promised that following Him would mean taking up our own crosses (Luke 9:23). Suffering comes in all kinds of forms, but in all of it, God is at work—shaping us, strengthening us, and drawing us closer to Him.
When we suffer (not “if”), we remember that Jesus has walked this path before us. His suffering brought redemption, and through Him, our suffering is not in vain. We walk The Way of the Cross trusting that, just as Jesus’ suffering led to victory, God is working through ours for His good purposes.
Conclusion: Walking The Way of Suffering
The Way of the Cross is also The Way of Suffering—not because suffering is good in itself, but because, through suffering, God brings salvation.
Jesus did not avoid suffering; He embraced it for our sake. He walked this path before us, not just as an example but as our Saviour. Because He suffered, we have hope in our suffering. When we face trials, we do not walk alone—Christ has gone before us, and He walks with us still.
As we continue our journey through Lent, we remember that the cross was necessary, but only to finally reach the resurrection. Suffering does not have the final word. In Christ, there is always hope.
