Suffer

“and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may be glorified with Him.”  Romans 8:17

Suffer – Jesus is the first in the family.  He is the oldest Son, the elder brother, the one who lead the way.  If I want to know what my inheritance will be, I don’t have to look any further than the inheritance of Jesus.  But when I look, I find something quite startling.  I find an inheritance of suffering.

Do you remember the second form of “heir” from yesterday’s word?  It had a little prefix added to change the meaning to “together”.  This same prefix is attached to the word paschomen (suffer).  Our inheritance together includes our suffering together. In fact, the words “if indeed” are critical here as well.  They do not imply that this is only a possibility that might occur.  They imply that the assertion is true even if it doesn’t seem to make sense to us.  Did you get that?  What Paul is saying is the suffering is part of the inheritance.  It will happen.  It happened to Jesus.  It will happen to us.  There is no avoiding it.  It is part of the plan of the benefactor.

Wait a minute!  I’m sure you didn’t imagine that God’s plan for our glorification with Jesus meant suffering with Christ.  When we think of our godly inheritance, we think of the streets of gold, the angelic hosts, the thrill of His presence and comfort.  We don’t think of the cross.  But God does.  The cross is not a contingent piece of the plan.  It is the plan!  The cross has always been the plan.  And the Christian who follows the Christ will encounter the cross.  There is no other inheritance.

Do you now realize why the disciples rejoiced in their suffering?  They were receiving the inheritance right here, right now.  They were on the road of reshaping and they praised God for His benevolence toward them.

When will our eyes be opened?  Jesus is the suffering servant.  He shows us what’s ahead.  By obedience we follow.  The path of glory goes through the valley of the shadow of death.  But I will not fear.  He went before me.