PEACE IN SUFFERING

The scripture text for this evening is taken from the gospel of John: 6:33; I have told you this so that you will have peace by being united to me. The world will make you suffer. But be brave! I have defeated the world!"

When I read this verse, it seems like contradicting one another because Jesus said about peace in the first sentence, but the following sentence is about suffering. How can we understand this? It is like “to have peace is to suffer”. Right?

Firstly, I’d like to go to the Old Testament for more clearer and understanding of this verse. In the book of Daniel 3, we can see the faithful three young Jews. Let’s see this briefly.

- On day, King Nebuchadnezzar had a gold statue made, ninety feet high and nine feet wide, and he had it set up in the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. Then the king gave orders for all his officials to come together--- other officials of the provinces also, and they were to attend the dedication of the statue which King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

When all these officials gathered for the dedication and stood in front of the statue,

a herald announced in a loud voice, "People of all nations, races, and languages!

as soon as the music starts, you are to bow down and worship the gold statue that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. Anyone who does not bow down and worship will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace."

And so, as soon as they heard the sound of the instruments, the people of all the nations, races, and languages bowed down and worshiped the gold statue which King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

It was then that some Babylonians took the opportunity to denounce the Jews. They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, "May Your Majesty live forever! Your Majesty has issued an order that as soon as the music starts, everyone is to bow down and worship the gold statue, and that anyone who does not bow down and worship it is to be thrown into a blazing furnace. There are some Jews whom you put in charge of the province of Babylon---Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego---who are disobeying Your Majesty's orders. They do not worship your god or bow down to the statue you set up."

At that, the king got angry and ordered the three men to be brought before him. He said to them, "Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, is it true that you refuse to worship my god and to bow down to the gold statue I have set up? Now then, as soon as you hear the sound of the trumpets, bow down and worship the statue. If you do not, you will immediately be thrown into a blazing furnace. Do you think there is any god who can save you?" Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered, "Your Majesty, we will not try to defend ourselves. If the God whom we serve is able to save us from the blazing furnace and from your power, then he will.

But even if he doesn't, Your Majesty may be sure that we will not worship your god, and we will not bow down to the gold statue that you have set up." Then Nebuchadnezzar lost his temper, and his face turned red with anger at Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. So he ordered the furnace to be heated seven times hotter than usual.

And he commanded the strongest men in his army to tie the three men up and throw them into the blazing furnace.

So they tied them up, fully dressed---shirts, robes, caps, and all---and threw them into the blazing furnace.

Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, still tied up, fell into the heart of the blazing fire.

Suddenly Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement. He asked his officials, "Didn't we tie up three men and throw them into the blazing furnace?" They answered, "Yes, we did, Your Majesty."

"Then why do I see four men walking around in the fire?" he asked. "They are not tied up, and they show no sign of being hurt---and the fourth one looks like an angel."

So Nebuchadnezzar went up to the door of the blazing furnace and called out, "Shadrach! Meshach! Abednego! Servants of the Supreme God! Come out!" And they came out at once.

All the princes, governors, lieutenant governors, and other officials of the king gathered to look at the three men, who had not been harmed by the fire. Their hair was not singed, their clothes were not burned, and there was no smell of smoke on them.

The king said, "Praise the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego! He sent his angel and rescued these men who serve and trust him. They disobeyed my orders and risked their lives rather than bow down and worship any god except their own.

"And now I command that if anyone of any nation, race, or language speaks disrespectfully of the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, he is to be torn limb from limb, and his house is to be made a pile of ruins. There is no other god who can rescue like this."

And the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to higher positions in the province of Babylon.

From this event, I’d like to draw out in to 3 points:

Firstly, “Their Faith”

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, They were not given a promise to be saved from fire by God. We can say this, because if we see their words, “even if He doesn’t” we will still not worship your god.

Today we have so many promises of God in the Bible. We sing a song, “standing on the promises of God” but in our life, we are afraid to walk by faith. We don’t dear to walk by faith. Do we have faith in God like them? Let’s check our faith and life. Their faith is good example for us.

Secondly, “their Faithfulness”

-One thing we have to know is that -- to bow down and worship king’s gold statue was only on the day of the dedication of the statue, not everyday.

I was thinking this: If I were them, I may pray like this, “God, now I will pretend before king as worshipping the statue. But in my inner heart I worship you alone, because You are the one who seeks only heart, not external”. Very funny, right? But, they were not like that! They were very faithful not only before men, but also to God. We also need to have faithfulness not only before men, but also to God. Not only external but also internal

Thirdly, they have “Peace in Suffering”. This is my focus point! Let’s see:

Before they were thrown into the fire, they were not free because they were tied up. But when they were into the blaming furnace they walked around in the fire freely. They were not burnt.

The wonderful thing was this: the fire burnt only their tied-string. So, we can say that they have peace in the fire, on the one hand, they have peace in suffering.

Conclusion:

Brothers and sisters in Christ, we may have some trouble, difficulties, suffering in our daily lives. Sometimes we may get some depression, stresses, etc.., but what did Jesus say? He said, “you have to go through with all this suffering”. But finally, He said, “I have defeated all these (the world). It means: you trust God and have faith in God, and you will have peace in your life even what kind of the situation (suffering) comes.

In John 16:33, Jesus said, “you might have peace in your hearts because of me while you are in the world, you will have to suffer”.

So, To have peace is to face suffering. But, Jesus said, Cheer up, don’t be afraid, I have defeated the world.

Peace in Suffering. May God bless u all!