In light of who Jesus is and what we think about Him on Palm Sunday, here are three reminders about Christianity. These will help us remember who Christians are and what they’re like.
We find these points from 2 Corinthians 4:7-12.
Christians Are Ordinary People with Extraordinary Treasure
The first reminder about Christians is that they are ordinary people with extraordinary treasure. This comes from verse 7:
But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.
The treasure that the apostle Paul is referring to comes from the previous paragraph. It’s the “light of the knowledge of the glory of God” (v. 6) – in other words, the gospel. This is a glorious truth, and we get to carry it with us to tell others.
The gospel is awesome, but we’re not – we’re just ordinary clay jars. To use a modern-day equivalent, we’re just plastic travel mugs as opposed to fine china.
That doesn’t mean that Christians are worthless. But God makes us this way on purpose to show that we’re not special – it’s the message inside us that’s special. God makes us ordinary, utilitarian travel mugs instead of fine china “to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.”
Christianity isn’t about us being awesome. It’s about God and the gospel being awesome.
Christians Will Experience Hardship
First, remember that Christians are ordinary people with extraordinary treasure. Second: Christians will experience hardship.
We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed …
– 2 Corinthians 4:8-9
Christians are not immune to hardship. Some people think that we’re above all that, that we’re promised health and wealth in this world if we’re faithful. But that’s not true at all. We are like well-used travel mugs with chips and dents because of our vulnerability to suffering.
You may be walking closely with the Lord and still experience affliction in every way. But you won’t be crushed. You can be perplexed and feeling at a loss, but you won’t be utterly perplexed. You can also be persecuted. Our culture is getting less and less favorable toward Christianity, and persecution may get really bad. But even still, you won’t be forsaken. And especially during this COVID-19 pandemic, you might get struck down. You may lose your job, family members, personal health – but you won’t be destroyed.
No matter what happens, we still carry an extraordinary treasure. In fact, death is an important part of the Christian life.
Christian Hardship Is How Christians Display Christ
Christians are ordinary people with extraordinary treasure. They also experience hardship. And finally, this hardship is how Christians display Christ.
… always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.
– 2 Corinthians 4:10-11
We well-used travel mug Christians will experience hardship. But we can know that whatever hardship we go through has purpose. We experience hardship “so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested.”
Christian hardship not only does not invalidate our witness – it actually further validates it. It’s how we display the life of Jesus to the world.
Good Friday serves to further display the glory of Easter Sunday. The horrors of Christ’s death display the glory of His resurrection. In the same way, our affliction displays God’s upholding power. So our perplexity gives us an opportunity to display God’s guiding power. Our persecution gives us a chance to display God’s powerful faithfulness.
God often uses our suffering in order to display His glory more effectively. That’s why we can rejoice during hardship.
So, What If I’m Not Experiencing Hardship?
You might be thinking, “I’m not experiencing hardship right now. Does that mean I’m a lesser Christian because God isn’t using me to display His glory?”
The answer to that question is no. Paul’s point is: don’t mistake a seemingly luxurious life for a badge that authenticates your Christianity. The Corinthians thought that Paul was an invalid minister because He suffered so much. But he’s saying that his hardships actually do just the opposite.
That’s not to say you should seek after suffering on purpose because you think it makes you a better Christian. A hardship-free season of life is likely a blessing from God. But hold those blessings with an open hand. Use them to glorify God, but if you lose them, don’t think it means you messed up. God is just using you in a different way.
If you’re in a low place right now, know that it’s an opportunity to display God’s glory and the life of Christ. Not only will it do that, it will also benefit others:
So death is at work in us, but life in you.
– 2 Corinthians 4:12
The hardship that Christians experience benefits others, replicating Jesus’s death in ministry to others. Jesus wore a crown of thorns instead of a crown of gold. He embraced seeming defeat instead of seeming victory in order to bring life to us.
As we respond to this, let’s receive Jesus’s death on our behalf. Let’s turn away from any sin in our life and accept forgiveness. Not only should we receive all that, but let’s live out Jesus’s death. Let’s live that self-sacrificial, die-to-yourself-daily lifestyle. Let’s let every affliction we may face now and in the future trigger reliance on God’s power instead of our own.
