What does your suffering reveal? Does your suffering have purpose?

Suffering is an inevitable reality of living in a broken world. Seldom can we escape suffering in this life.

Suffering does not have to be meaningless, nor does it need to lead us into despair or hopelessness.

Suffering can be revealing, and can have deep meaning and purpose in our lives.

The Apostle Paul instructed the church in Rome with this truth in his letter, writing, “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.” (Romans 8:16-17, ESV).

Why does the Apostle John want us to know that Mary assumed Jesus was a Gardner at the resurrection in his gospel account?

God created all things good and set humanity in Eden, a garden paradise. When humanity sinned at Adam and Eve’s rebellion, it happened in a garden, and humanity fell, and the Garden of Eden fell. When Jesus defeated sin and death on a cross, and from the grave on the third day, he resurrected from a garden tomb, and humanity was resurrected from that garden, and now the garden will be resurrected with us in the last day.

John’s resurrection account tells us Mary was inquiring of two angels in the tomb about the whereabouts of Jesus’ body. “[Mary] turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?’ Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, ‘Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Mary.’ She turned and said to him in Aramaic, ‘Rabboni!’ (which means Teacher).” (John 20:13-16, ESV).

What is left for God to do to complete his work? Is God’s work complete? What about the work of Jesus on the cross? What did the cross of Jesus accomplish in our lives and in this world?

When Jesus died on the cross for the sins of the world, he proclaimed that his saving and redemptive work was finished. The complete debt of sin was paid in full by the Son of God on the cross.

The Gospel of John tells us, “Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), ‘I thirst.’ A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.” (John 19:28-30, ESV).

According to John’s Gospel account, in John, chapter thirteen, Jesus arose from the Passover meal with his disciples and began to wash his disciple’s feet. All of his disciples, even Judas, whom he knew was about to betray him. The text says, “During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him” (John 13:2, ESV).

The next verses tell us, “Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him.” (John 13:3-5, ESV).

The first century seating arrangement, at what most likely would have been a triclinium table, dictated that the last seat at the table was meant for the servant, and if a servant was not available, it would have been the job of the person at the lowliest position at the table to wash the feet of the guests. This job would have fallen to Peter, who was most likely seated in that last seat, which is why when Jesus begins to wash the disciple’s feet, Peter protests vehemently.

What motivates you to do what you do? Do you understand why you do the work you do? What is your purpose for the vocation you have chosen, and the work you do?

Motivation is important in the quality and the outcomes of our work.

When we begin with why we do something, the purpose of what we do, it shapes how we do what we do, and the effectiveness and purposefulness of what we produce and bring into the world.

The Apostle Paul wrote the church in Corinth about the correct motivation for work, saying, “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” (1 Corinthians 10:31, ESV).

Who is ruling over your life? Who are you looking to for hope and for salvation?

The question is, will God triumphantly enter into the gates of your life?

We are all ruled and governed by something or someone.

The Kingdom God is often referred to as the rule and reign of God.

We long for and need God to rule over our fragmented lives and over this broken world.

What does resting look like in your life? Do you take time to rest?

Resting is a key component of following God. Resting is a reflection of the character of God, and our trust in him and our obedience to him.


God commanded his people to rest in the Torah, saying, “‘Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation. You shall do no work on it; it is the Sabbath of the LORD in all your dwellings.” (Leviticus 23:3).

Sabbath is about resting in God. Work is essential enough to do six days a week. Resting in God for a day is essential in showing obedience and love for God.


The author of Hebrews wrote, “There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His.” (Hebrews 4:9-10).

What do you know you should be doing? Are you doing what you know you should be doing?

When it comes to doing the right thing, we are to do what we know we should be doing. We are not to do the things we know we should not be doing.

When it comes to living well, we are to do what we know is right.

James, the half brother of Jesus, writes this wisdom in his letter, saying, “So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.” (James 4:17, ESV).

What are you working for? Who are you working for? What is your work accomplishing?

The wisdom of the Proverbs tells us that our work brings us God given agency and freedom, saying, “The hand of the diligent will rule, while the slothful will be put to forced labor.” (Proverbs 12:24, ESV).

Our work is essential for provision and fulfillment. Our work has purpose. Our work has eternal significance. Our work brings God glory and helps usher in God’s kingdom in this world.

Do you feel condemnation from God or others? Where does condemnation come from? Are you condemned?

God has not come to condemn us, but to set us free from guilt and shame.

The gospel of John tells us, “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” (John 3:17, ESV).

What are you living for? What are you dying to?

As followers of Jesus, we are living for God, and we are living for a greater purpose and call. We are also called to be dying to certain sinful things in our life.

The Apostle Paul wrote the Galatian church, instructing them, saying, “And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” (Galatians 5:24, ESV).

How do you stay sharp? Who is sharpening you? Who are you helping to sharpen?

We cannot follow God on our own and we cannot do life on our own. We need one another to help one another stay sharp.

The wisdom of the Proverbs instructs us, saying, “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.” (Proverbs 27:17, ESV).

What do you believe about life after death? What does resurrection mean? What does it mean that Jesus is the resurrection and the life?

Jesus gives us his resurrected life in place of our sin generated death.

When Jesus’ friend Lazarus was not well, he went to visit Lazarus and his sisters in Bethany, after waiting a few days. When Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already died and had been in the tomb four days.

When Lazarus’ sister Martha heard that Jesus was coming, “she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. Martha said to Jesus, ‘Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.’” (John 11:20-22, ESV).

How has God designed you? In what ways are you unique and gifted? Do you see that God made you on purpose? Can you see God’s thoughtful and good design?

We were made by God’s good intention, purpose, and design.

The Psalmist writes, “For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.” (Psalm 139:13-14, ESV).

Who are you trying to be like? Are you imitating someone? Who do you pattern your life after?

Following Jesus is about doing what he does. Jesus followers avoid evil and do the good that Jesus has modeled.

Discipleship is imitation.

We can be imitators of evil, or we can be imitators of good.

In his third letter, the Apostle John wrote, “Beloved, do not imitate evil but imitate good. Whoever does good is from God; whoever does evil has not seen God.” (3 John 1:11, ESV).

Can you see in the pitch black darkness? Do you have blind spots in your life?

We need light to see. In our sinfulness, we are blinded and we walk in darkness.

Jesus came as the light of the world to help us see his light.

In John’s Gospel, Jesus said, “‘As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.’ Having said these things, he spit on the ground and made mud with the saliva. Then he anointed the man's eyes with the mud and said to him, ‘Go, wash in the pool of Siloam’ (which means Sent). So he went and washed and came back seeing.” (John 9:5-7, ESV).

Where do you go to receive wisdom and a word from God?

There is so much information coming at us from every direction. We are bombarded by different mediums of communication, facilitating sending us messages from a variety of value systems and conflicting worldviews.

A medium is something in a middle position. Most likely you have heard the expression, “Let’s look for a happy medium.”

A medium is also a means of communicating or conveying information, an idea, or a message. The plural of medium is media.

Who do you know you can call in a moment of your greatest need or desperation?

When we are in trouble, we need people we can reach out to. We need help in our time of need.

When we are in need of salvation, we must call on the name of the Lord.

In his letter to the Romans, the Apostle Paul instructed the Roman church, saying, “For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Romans 10:13, ESV).

What good works might God be doing in and through us despite of our brokenness and infirmities?

Our brokenness and infirmities are not necessarily deserved or brought upon us by our sin or by other people’s sin. Sometimes God is doing a great work through our brokenness, through our flaws, and through our infirmities. It is possible that God is bringing about his purposes and priorities through our infirmities.

This was the case concerning the man born blind in the gospel of John, chapter nine. As Jesus passed by, he saw a man blind from birth, and his disciples asked him, “’Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’ Jesus answered, ‘It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.’” (John 9:1-3, ESV).

How do you love God? What are the different aspects of your life and your being through which you are able to express your love of God?

We are instructed by the law of God to love God with all that we are. We are to love God with our total being. We are to love God in heart and mind, and we are to love God through all our strength and in all our doing.

In the fifth book of the law, the Torah, the final speech of Moses, God speaks, saying, “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” (Deuteronomy 6:5, ESV).