Hardship Through the Cross

For the past month, we've had the privilege to learn from a few members of our church family who have willingly shared personal stories of times in their lives when they went through a season of hardship. Cassy shared the painful story of losing her mom. Michelle wrote about some of the trauma from her childhood and teen years. Sheila and Reese each opened up about the physical struggles they have faced. And Dan shared about problems he faced in his career. But as each blogged about these hard times, they also shared how that difficult period led them to a place of thankfulness.

I’ll admit… it feels weird, or at least feels like a paradox, to be "thankful for hardship." You wouldn’t expect a personal struggle to lead to a heart of gratitude. Yet time and time again, I meet people who will say something like, “While I would never wish that hardship upon anyone, I’m grateful for what I learned.”

Today, as we wrap up our Thankful for Hardship series, I want to point out that this paradoxical reality isn't just found in the everyday lives of people like Cassy, Dan, Michelle, Reese, or Sheila. I see it at the heart of the gospel.

The gospel story of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus is central to Christianity. Without His sinless life (2 Corinthians 5:21, Hebrews 4:15, 1 Peter 2:22), His death on a cross would have been to pay for His own sin (Romans 6:23). And without the resurrection, His death would have been like every other human death, no matter how great a life He lived. (We talked about this on Sundays back in March through the Jesus is the Gospel sermon series.)

As you study the events of the cross, you realize just how horrific it was…

• Thirty-nine lashes on His back, ripping through skin down to muscle…
• having to carry a heavy beam of wood uphill after significant blood loss…
• a crown of thorns jabbed onto the sensitive part of the skull…
• huge nails driven through His wrists and feet…
• not to mention bearing the emotional weight of the mocking of the crowd and the spiritual weight of humanity’s sin…

No wonder the word “excruciating” means “out of the cross.”

Now, I don’t want to belittle any hardship you have gone through or are currently facing. But whatever it is, and as bad as it might be, it pales in comparison to what Christ endured.

Yet as awful as the events of Holy Week were, Hebrews 12:2 says that “for the joy set before him, [Jesus] endured the cross.” Now, don’t get confused by that verse – there was no joy within the cross. Jesus wasn’t laughing as His back was ripped to shreds, nor smiling when nails were driven through His wrists. All that He endured was truly “excruciating.” The joy wasn’t in the hardship of the cross. Rather, the joy lay on the other side of the cross.

And what was this “joy” set before Him? God’s redeemed people! Jesus knew His work through the cross and empty tomb would forgive the sin of all who placed their faith and identity in Him and this gospel story. And for that, as hard as it all was, He was thankful.

As we approach our annual Thanksgiving service this Sunday, and as you head into the Thanksgiving holiday next week, may you not only express thanks to God for the blessings in your life, but may you also take time to thank God for the difficult things, because there is usually a “joy” lying on the other side of the hardship.