10 LESSONS ABOUT TRIALS FROM THE

PASSION OF CHRIST
1. REMEMBER GOD IS IN CONTROL
The calmness with which Jesus continued the Passover meal with His disciples just before
He went to the Garden of Gethsemane is a lesson in itself. First Corinthians 22:44 tells us He
even “gave thanks” as He distributed the elements to His disciples.

and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in
remembrance of me.”…—1 Corinthians 11:24
When difficulties enter our lives, we can face them with calm—even grateful—assurance
when we remember God is in control.

2. REMEMBER OTHERS ARE LEARNING FROM YOU

Christ could have been consumed with fear of the pain He would soon endure. But He
remembered His disciples, and He purposefully seized the moment to teach them the
meaning of His crucifixion.

24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in
remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new
covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.”.—1 Corinthians 11:24–
25
You and I must likewise remember during times of difficulty that others are watching and
learning from us. Spiritual leaders cannot afford the luxury of despair. As Dr. David Gibbs
once told me, “Your greatest sermon is you in the valley.”

3. REMEMBER TO EXAMINE YOUR HEART

Christ never sinned, so this point is more of an application to what we need to do than it is
an observation of what He did. But even as Jesus was sharing the Passover meal with His
disciples, just before He distributed the bread and the cup, He instigated a moment of heart-
examination among the disciples.

21 And while they were eating, he said, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me.”
22 They were very sad and began to say to him one after the other, “Surely you don’t mean me,
Lord?”— Matthew 26:21–22
To this day, serious Christians take care to examine their hearts before partaking of the
Lord’s table.

But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.— 1 Corinthians
11:28
But we don’t have to wait for the Lord’s Table for this self-examination. Trials themselves
are powerful motivators to examine our hearts, confess sin to God, and ask God to cleanse
our lives. Don’t get so caught up in the trial that you neglect to let it do a purifying work in
your heart.

4. REMEMBER TO PRAY
From the Upper Room, Christ went to the Garden of Gethsemane where He prayed
passionately.

And he was withdrawn from them about a stone’s cast, and kneeled down, and prayed…And being in
an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to
the ground.—Luke 22:41, 44
Why in our times of greatest need do we neglect the powerful resource of prayer? We have
access directly to the throne of grace! We can worry, or we can bring our needs to the One
who understands, cares, and helps.

For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in
all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace,
that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.— Hebrews 4:15–16

5. REMEMBER TO SURRENDER TO GOD’S PLAN

As Christ drew near to the sufferings of the Cross, He prayed that there might be another
way…but even as He did, He submitted to the will of the Father.

42 “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”—Luke 22:42
The Father’s plan in Jesus’ suffering was our redemption—I’m glad Jesus surrendered to it.

God has a plan in our suffering too, and that plan is our conformity to the image of Christ.

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called
according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the
image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.—Romans 8:28–29
In the midst of our pain, we sometimes forget that God has a purpose and that He promises
to use every aspect of our lives for our good and His glory. Surrender to His plan. As Amy
Carmichael once said, “In acceptance lieth peace.”
6. DON’T LET THE ACTION OR INACTION OF OTHERS CAUSE
YOU TO QUIT
From the inaction of the disciples (sleeping when they should have been supporting Him in
prayer) to the wrong action of Judas (outright selling Christ for personal gain), Jesus was
abandoned and betrayed.

46 “Why are you sleeping?” he asked them. “Get up and pray so that you will not fall into
temptation.”
Jesus Arrested
47 While he was still speaking a crowd came up, and the man who was called Judas, one of the
Twelve, was leading them. He approached Jesus to kiss him,—Luke 22:46–47

Sometimes during trials, we become frustrated by either or both of these responses of others.
We dwell on the inactivity of some: “No one cares about me.” “No one tried to help me.”
And we dwell on the wrong actions (or perceived wrong actions) of others: “Everyone is
talking about me.”

Yet, in spite of both inaction and wrong action from His disciples, Jesus went on. He hurt,
yes. But He continued toward Calvary.

Don’t let the responses of others derail you from receiving God’s grace during your time of
trial.

7. REMEMBER TO ACCEPT GOD’S TIMING

From the garden, Christ could have said, “Let’s get this over with. Skip Gethsemane, the
trials, the scourging, the hours of torture. Let’s just get to the moment of death on the cross.”

But every part of Christ’s suffering was prophesied in the Old Testament. From His
scourging (Isaiah 50:6) to the mocking’s He would see and hear (Psalm 22:6–8) to the
crucifixion itself (Psalm 22:13–18), even minute details were recorded in Scripture. I’m
thankful He accepted God’s timing in the duration of His suffering.

Hebrews 12 tells us He was able to do this by looking to the future joy that would come of
it:

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.—Hebrews 12:2
When we’re experiencing trials, we sometimes forget that God has a purpose not only in the
situation itself, but also in the timing of it. Like Christ, we must remember to accept both the
time of suffering and the duration of suffering.

Are you a “fix it” person? I am. In fact, I think we all are to some extent. We want
to make God’s ways work—now. We want to seek His wisdom and get answers—
immediately. But sometimes we must simply trust God. Job 23:10 promises, “But he
knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.”

8. REMEMBER TO FORGIVE
After a mock trial and a punishing beating, Jesus was hung on the cross. And yet, His first
words after the cross was set in the ground were words of forgiveness:

Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment,
and cast lots.—Luke 23:34
Trials invariably bring with them the need to forgive others…which is only possible in light
of God’s forgiveness for us.

And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake
hath forgiven you.—Ephesians 4:32

9. CONTINUE YOUR WITNESS

Incredibly, even in Christ’s extreme pain on the cross, He cared for the eternal soul of the
man next to Him.

42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.[a]”
43 Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”—Luke 23:42–43

Our tendency during suffering is to become so wrapped up in ourselves and in our pain that
we forget that every person around us still has an eternal soul. If we will rely on the grace of
God during trials, His grace can actually magnify our witness. Remember to reach out with
the gospel to those around you.
10. DETERMINE TO FINISH YOUR RACE
I’m thankful that Jesus endured to the end, paying the price for all sin.

When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up
his spirit.—John 19:30
We sometimes grow weary in the struggle, but we can finish our race when we look to Jesus
for strength, grace, and patient endurance.

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.—Hebrews 12:2
Are you in a season of trial right now? “Consider him who endured such opposition from
sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” (Hebrews 12:3).

And remember, there is an end. One day we will see Christ face to face. What a joy it will be
to stand before Him when our faith becomes sight.

These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which
perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is
revealed.—1 Peter 1:7