When Yeshua went to the cross, it seemed like total defeat.  His own chosen people whom for centuries He had loved and prepared to receive Him as Messiah rejected Him (Luke 23:18-25). He came to share Good News, the best news with them.  He fed them, taught them, healed them, freed them from demonic oppression, comforted them, yet they rejected Him.  He was betrayed by one of His own followers, one in a group that He had held especially close and dear (Luke 22:47-48). The rest of that special little group was scattered after His arrest, one denying that He even knew Him (Matt 26:69-75). His so-called trial was a sham.  Those conducting it broke just about every one of their rules for conducting a trial.  He was cruelly beaten and whipped, crucified, mocked, and humiliated in every way by the very people He came to save.  At the end, it seemed that even His Father had abandoned Him (Ps. 22:1).  At any time, did He ever wonder what was the point?  Why had He gone to the trouble of becoming one of us, to suffer with us and to serve us, when we were already His enemies and there seemed little likelihood of anyone being willing to commit themselves to faithfully following Him?  Yet, despite the discouragement and pain that He suffered, He continued with His mission and poured Himself out as the perfect sacrifice that would pay our otherwise impossible debt and cleanse us from unrighteousness.  In the end, His broken body was taken down and placed in a burial cave. Everything seemed hopeless.

After three days and three nights in the grave, a remarkable thing happened:  Yeshua was resurrected!  His body was no longer broken, but was whole and now immortal.  Death had not defeated Him, rather He had defeated death! His humiliation was now His glory (Phil 2:8-11).  His brokenness was now impenetrable wholeness. Now, instead of rejection, countless people have clamored for Him through the centuries and still do today!  Many people have willingly suffered much and have even been martyred rather than be separated from Yeshua.  In fact, today there are people in over 150 countries who are suffering much persecution because they refuse to abandon Yeshua. His supposed defeat is now revealed as the greatest victory ever.

Even though Yeshua’s death seemed an indication of failure and defeat, it was really the greatest triumph of all time.  What does that mean for us?  Our sins can be forgiven when we sincerely desire it, our debt paid in full, and we are rescued from the clutches of our enemies.  Our greatest defeat may turn out to be our greatest triumph.  When we have loved and served Yeshua only to be disregarded or even shunned by others, we find that we are valued and highly esteemed by the only One whose opinion truly matters.  When we are betrayed by the very ones on earth who should love and support us, we are loved, cherished, nurtured and protected by Yehovah who created us.  We may do all that we can to advance the Kingdom of Yehovah on earth and it may seem that all our efforts have been futile, but perhaps we are not yet able to see the whole picture. Maybe our efforts will bear good fruit even after we are gone.  Just like Yeshua our mortal bodies will also be replaced with immortal bodies at our resurrection (1 Cor. 15:53). Our so-called defeat will become our victory!

Yeshua sits at the right hand of Yehovah in glory and splendor (Rom 8:34; Mark 16:19).  If we remain faithful to Yehovah, we have a place with Yeshua in His glory (Eph 2:6). Yeshua became like us so that we could become like Him. Through our suffering, we are tried and tested and prepared to be effective citizens in the Kingdom of Yehovah. Right now in this world there is ever-increasing darkness and evil. Yeshua warned us that there would be tribulation, but that we should be encouraged because He has overcome the world (John 16:33). Sha’ul (Paul) tells us that our present suffering is not worth comparing to the glory that will be revealed to us later (Rom 8:18). With the help of the Holy Spirit, we can endure to the end, just as Yeshua did. There is hope for us, even in our darkest hours.