As you may know, the last few years’ worth of articles on this site have been based around Sunday School lessons that I prepare and teach at our church. Readers of this site get a different experience than those in our class, though, with these articles taking a closer look at individual parts of each lesson (but with less ad hoc commentary from my “live” teaching). The preceding article left off in the Garden of Gethsemane, and then Jesus’ “trials” (none of which were particularly fair or just) were covered by some guest teachers the following week. So, while not included here, I hope that you’ll read through Mark 15:21-47. It is not a pleasant account, but it is an accurate one. After Jesus was betrayed, abandoned, unjustly tried, and convicted, He was crucified. And, after His death (which was confirmed), He was buried.
As a commentator wrote, “The event portrayed in these verses is both the supreme tragedy and the supreme victory of human history.” [Black, p.271]
Even as the birth of Jesus is celebrated at Christmas, and His resurrection is celebrated as Easter, let us remember that He didn’t just come to be a cute baby or to give us a reason to have some time off. Jesus came to this earth for a purpose. And, while the terrible times of His crucifixion, death, and burial were sad, Jesus saw the big picture. He knew that His suffering was for a reason.
Perhaps that is why the author of Hebrews challenged that letter’s readers to focus on Jesus as both their source of motivation and their illustration of what it meant to persevere, even under trials, persecution, and outright suffering.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
Hebrews 12:1-3 NIV
https://bible.com/bible/111/heb.12.1-3.NIV
Let’s not skip over the crucifixion of Jesus Christ just because it was unpleasant. He chose to go through with that sacrifice of Himself, despite having access to alternatives, because He knew how important His choice was for us. In the same way, those who follow Him will experience our own challenges – some of them severe – but we aren’t called to just “tough things out” on our own. Instead, we can remember that we are not the first to walk this path, and that there is also a purpose for our pain, too.
From Sunday School lesson prepared for December 21, 2025
References:
- Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
- The College Press NIV Commentary – Mark, by Allen Black. © 1995 College Press Publishing Co.
Those Who Sin Differently 