Suffering for the Glory of Easter

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who are being protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, even if now for a little while you have had to suffer various trials, so that the genuineness of your faith—being more precious than gold that, though perishable, is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honour when Jesus Christ is revealed.” (I Peter 1:3-7)  This Easter season, we’re going to take a look at some passages from I Peter.  Scholars disagree about the letter’s authorship and date but they are all fairly certain that its purpose is to encourage Christians who are beginning to face persecution for their faith.  Christians are suffering not in spite of the glory of Easter but because of it.  Easter has changed everything.  We have a new life, a new hope and an inheritance that cannot be lost.  And we also have a Lord who changes our relationship to all other forms of authority.  Jesus’ authority has changed the way in which the early believers relate to Rome and its claims of absolute power.  They no longer can accept Roman authority the way they once did.  Suffering and persecution is the result.  It would be nice to believe that has all changed, but it has not.  Throughout the world we have brothers and sisters who continue to suffer because they cannot accept any other claims of absolute political authority.  Coptic Christians, Syrian and Iraqis all continue to suffer because of this new birth, new hope and new inheritance.  Let us pray for them, financially support them and tell the story of Jesus’ victory and his power to sustain those who trust in him.