““What’s clear to us is that Jesus is on the road to the cross. From here on in, things don’t get easier for him or for the disciples. Challenges lay ahead. For us, united to Christ, we face the same road in this life. In this age, we don’t go on from glory to glory in the worldly sense, but through suffering and struggle to glory. The apostles came to realize this too. Paul and Barnabas told the early Christians, “We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.” Those are hard words to understand and accept. But they are true words and they define the identity and experience of believers in this age. And we need to remember that Jesus also spoke of his glorious resurrection – like him, we too have a promise of future glory. Today already we are alive through him, and the day will come when our bodies will be raised imperishable and perfect like his body.””
