But Others… (They Will Be Satisfied)
Average Reading Time: 9 mins & 57 seconds
By faith these people overthrew kingdoms, ruled with justice, and received what God had promised them. They shut the mouths of lions, quenched the flames of fire, and escaped death by the edge of the sword. Their weakness was turned to strength. They became strong in battle and put whole armies to flight. Women received their loved ones back again from death. But others were tortured, refusing to turn from God in order to be set free. They placed their hope in a better life after the resurrection. Some were jeered at, and their backs were cut open with whips. Others were chained in prisons. Some died by stoning, some were sawed in half, and others were killed with the sword. Some went about wearing skins of sheep and goats, destitute and oppressed and mistreated.
Hebrews 11:33-37 NLT
When you read about our call as Christians, it’s hard not to be excited. It was said that the early Christian’s turned the world upside down. That’s a movement I want to be a part of. One of my favorite stories is in Acts when leaders contemplate putting a stop to the Jesus followers, and someone stands up and argues that if they’re leading this movement on their own, it’ll soon fizzle out, but if God is really with them, they’re unstoppable, and fighting them will be like fighting God Himself. Isn’t that crazy? Don't you want to be a part of something indestructible and unstoppable?
The Bible says that the same spirit that raised Jesus from the dead is in us, and this is evident through the men and women of God who turned valleys of dry bones into armies, seas into highways, and walls into speed bumps. God used His servants to call down fire from heaven, stop time, survive snake bites, and raise men from the dead. They led nations, counseled kings, saved countries and gave addresses to thousands. Their impact was unforgettable and unprecedented. Read of Solomon’s riches and wisdom. Consider Daniel and David’s political influence. Think of Abraham's lasting impact and Joseph’s economic sway. We read of the respect and honor given to someone like Moses and the power people like Paul and Elijah were trusted with, and to say this is to be expected for Christian’s wouldn’t be a totally false statement.
We are called to live by faith, and this faith is said to move mountains. It’s the same faith spoken of in Hebrews chapter 11 while recounting heroes of the faith. It’s the faith we’re called to emulate and embrace, but I believe there’s an aspect of the blessing we’re often forgetting.
Our text reminds us that by faith our forefathers and mothers overthrew kingdoms, ruled with justice, and received the promises of God. They shut lions' mouths, quenched the flames of fire, and escaped death numerous times. Their weaknesses were turned into strengths. Weapons formed and didn’t prosper. Armies came against them in one way and scattered in seven ways. There were more for them than were against them. They were never forsaken, and their children’s children never begged for bread. The text reminds us of winning battles and awe-inspiring accolades, but it takes a turn when it says, “but others…”
Some saw resurrection, but others faced murder. Some saw healing, but others saw torture. Some saw stages and money and fame and popularity, but others saw ridicule, pain, problems, abandonment, and abuse. Some were jailed for not turning against God. Some were abandoned, gossiped about, forgotten, abused, mocked, molested, betrayed, blamed, and intentionally misunderstood. Some were thrown into fire, some were stoned, and others were sawed in half. Some were poor, stripped naked, and starved. While we remember the miraculous moments and captivating crowds, we often forget that the call is to carry a cross. The blessing must come with a burden.
The “but others” in our text reminds us that some were whipped with strips of leather attached to pieces of bone, rusted metal, and glass that were meant to rip out chunks of their flesh. Some were crucified upside down, boiled in oil, or pulled apart by horses. Some were tied to poles as starved and abused lions were released to tear at their flesh while crowds cheered. Others were burned alive to illuminate the gardens of rulers as human candles. Some saw the fruit of their labor and obedience, while others died in the midst of pain. Some saw joy come in the morning, while others didn’t seem to last through the night.
Jesus Himself said if they hated Him, how much more would they hate the people who look like Him? Jesus was sold out and set up by someone He poured into for three years. He was denied by someone He had prayed for and platformed. His brothers and sisters didn’t believe in Him. His hometown tried to discredit Him. The very people He gave His life for thought it would be better to watch His lifeless body be eaten by vultures on the side of the highway than to listen to what He had to say. You can expect the same thing.
Pain is a Part of the Plan
I want to bring this out because while I believe following Jesus is still better than any other lifestyle in a practical sense, blessings are not the absence of burdens. You cannot have purpose without pain. I believe that I could make a compelling argument that following Christ will give you a higher likelihood to succeed relationally, financially, professionally, academically, and physically, but Christianity isn’t just about the earthly return on investment. Following Christ is not a guarantee of being rich, famous, and successful on earth. It’s not a guarantee that everything on earth will go as you want it to. But it is a guarantee for earthly hardship and a heavenly reward. It’s putting a target on your back. It’s volunteering for the front line of the battle. Signing up to follow God isn't just agreeing to be an enemy of the adversary; it's agreeing to take up your cross as you follow Jesus into the death that must precede resurrection. While following Jesus is simple, it’s not meant to be easy. While it’s full of blessings, they’re often found on the other side of burdens.
The “others” in our text understood something we often forget. They understood that true Christianity is trusting God even when you don’t understand what He is allowing. True Christianity is being like the three Hebrew boys who said, even if He doesn’t offer an escape from our earthly enemies, we will still trust Him. It's to be like Job and saying even though He slays me, my wife abandons me, my business fails, my children die, and my friends accuse me, I’ll still trust Him. Job did nothing wrong. The Bible said that he was perfect, but he still experienced more loss than any of us. Christianity will sometimes come with heartbreak. It will come with a miscarriage after the marriage you fought for. It will come with abuse after vulnerability. It may lead to you being fired after you do your best. You may get lied on, lied to, and forgotten. But it’s about trusting God even when you don’t get what you expect from Him. The issue is that many of us refuse to follow God if it means a season of suffering. But in order to get the true benefits of following Christ, you have to take up your cross with Him. The resurrection He offers can only come after death, and the “others” in our text understood that.
True Christianity is trusting God when you get cheated on. It’s trusting when they stab you in the back. It’s trusting when you do everything right and still experience more pain than those who do everything wrong. It's doing the right thing even when others get better results for doing the wrong thing. It’s trusting when you aren’t healed, and He doesn’t answer the prayer the way you expect. It’s about following when it means walking into hurt, harm, persecution, and pay cuts. Following God will hurt. But the promise was never an absence of storms; it was a peace that surpasses understanding while in the midst of them.
Even Jesus asked the Father if there was another way besides the cross. I get it. You won’t want to go through with it. It will come with questions and doubt and depression and hardship. But here’s the good news: everything we face on this earth will be worth it.
Paul says that everything—not some or half or a good percentage of, but everything—will be turned around for our good. Even better than that, the present trials won’t measure up when compared to the good God has waiting for us in heaven. Death becomes worth it on earth when you realize God is a God of resurrection.
Keep Swimming
So how can we endure? How can we hold on through these storms? This is what the “others” spoken of in our text placed their hope in. Even though they didn't always see redemption in their situation, they knew it was coming and allowed that belief to carry them through.
I remember hearing about an experiment done to test how long rats could swim. Scientists would place the rats in water and take note of when the rats would give up and drown. I know, it may not sound like the most humane thing, but they definitely learned something that we can benefit from. They realized that the rat would drown in about 15 mins but in one of the experiments, the rat was saved and allowed to rest and dry off before it collapsed under exhaustion. They took the rat to its limit and then saved it. But later, they put that rat back in the water, and instead of going for only 15 minutes, it swam for over 60 hours straight. Yes, over two days! The rats' belief that they would soon be rescued allowed them to push past what researchers believed was possible. Knowledge of a potential salvation unlocked a stamina like no other. The same was true for the people in our text and the people in our time. Knowledge of your salvation will give you the stamina to make it through. Remember the end goal.
You’ll be Satisfied
The Bible says that Jesus bore the cross, considering the reward that was before Him. He knew that pain was worth it. He knew it led to something. Isaiah 53, a beautiful prophecy concerning Jesus that was written over 700 years before He was born, says this,
“He was despised and rejected by people, one who experienced pain and was acquainted with illness; people hid their faces from him; he was despised, and we considered him insignificant. But he lifted up our illnesses, he carried our pain; even though we thought he was being punished, attacked by God, and afflicted for something he had done. He was wounded because of our rebellious deeds, crushed because of our sins; he endured punishment that made us well; because of his wounds we have been healed. All of us had wandered off like sheep; each of us had strayed off on his own path, but the Lord caused the sin of all of us to attack him. He was treated harshly and afflicted, but he did not even open his mouth. Like a lamb led to the slaughtering block, like a sheep silent before her shearers, he did not even open his mouth. He was led away after an unjust trial – but who even cared? Indeed, he was cut off from the land of the living; because of the rebellion of his own people he was wounded. They intended to bury him with criminals, but he ended up in a rich man’s tomb, because he had committed no violent deeds, nor had he spoken deceitfully. Though the Lord desired to crush him and make him ill, once restitution is made, he will see descendants and enjoy long life, and the Lord’s purpose will be accomplished through him. Having suffered, he will reflect on his work, he will be satisfied when he understands what he has done. My servant will acquit many, for he carried their sins (Isaiah 53:3-11 NET).”
Aside from this being a crazy accurate description of what Jesus would go through, I want you to notice one thing. “He will be satisfied.” After all the pain and suffering, He will see what it led to and say it was worth it.
As we emulate Jesus, we can learn to say the same thing. We will see the way we died to ourselves on earth, and in heaven, God will play back the highlight reel of how our sacrifice impacted more people than we can count. We will look at the suffering, pain, and problems, and when we compare them to what God used to produce, we will say it was worth it compared to the glory we saw revealed in heaven. Keep going.
One pastor does an illustration I love. He gets the longest rope he can find. I mean, like this rope can stretch around an entire football field. And he has volunteers hold the rope around the auditorium. As it’s stretched around the entire room, you begin to see how long the rope really is. Then the pastor puts a piece of tape on one end. You can barely see the tape in the sea of rope that is stretched across the room, but the pastor asks you to imagine that the tape is earth and the rest of the rope is eternity. Think about it. Don’t a few years of pain pale in comparison to eternity in prosperity?
Questions to consider:
Did you expect following Christ to come with problems, or did you think a Christian life was a perfect one?
How do you accept the fact that God expects you to live with both blessings and burdens?
How have seasons of suffering turned your attention to your Savior?
Do you consider knowing Christ worth the trials of this world?
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