How Christ is the Greater Job
Last year, I preached twice from the book of Job at Trinity Baptist Church, Donholm. You can find the sermons here and here. I have tried to compress all that into the 5 lessons below that Job teaches us concerning the Lord Jesus Christ.
The book of Job, it has been said, blows the prosperity gospels into smithereens. Job, the man, is introduced to us as a blameless, blessed, and benevolent husband and father. He is commended by God Himself. Yet Job faced unimaginable suffering. In Job 1 and 2, we witness a scene in the heavenly court where Satan challenged God, accusing Job of serving God only because of the blessings he received. Satan argued that if Job were to face suffering and loss, he would surely curse God to His face. God then permitted Satan to test Job, allowing him to take away Job’s possessions and family, even Job’s health, with the exception of Job’s life. Job fell into great grief as a result of the misery, and to add some measure, Satan gave him a discouraging wife. Yet, ultimately, Job did not curse God, he did not disbelieve, he did not accuse God – Job worshipped God in the most intimate way.
As we reflect on Job’s story, we cannot help but see echoes of the suffering of our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus is not unlike Job – in fact, we see greater things in Him than in Job. Jesus is the blameless Son of God, the blessing of the covenant to the world, and is the Benevolent One. Again, like Job, Jesus was a righteous man who endured great suffering and humiliation. He was betrayed by those closest to Him, abandoned by His closest friends, and subjected to a brutal death on a cross. Yet, just as Job’s suffering ultimately led to his restoration and blessing, so too did Jesus’ suffering lead to the redemption of mankind. Through His death and resurrection, Jesus conquered sin and death, offering hope and salvation to all who believe in Him. As Christians, we are called to share in Christ’s sufferings, knowing that through them, we also share in His glory. Romans 8:17 tells us, “and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.” So, how is it that Jesus exceeds Job in all these? Here are just five ways this is clear:
A. Jesus the Greater High Priest who Intercedes For Us
In Job 1, we see Job fulfilling a priestly role by regularly offering sacrifices and prayers on behalf of his children. Job regularly offered sacrifices on behalf of his children, interceding for them out of concern for their spiritual well-being. Job 1:5 states, “And when the days of the feast had run their course, Job would send and consecrate them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, ‘It may be that my children have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts.’ Thus Job did continually.” This demonstrates Job’s role as a mediator between his children and God, seeking God’s favour and forgiveness on their behalf.
Similarly, Jesus, as the ultimate High Priest, intercedes for His people before the Father. However, he offers Himself as the perfect sacrifice for sin. In Hebrews 7:25, we read, “Consequently, He is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.” Here, Jesus is depicted as the eternal High Priest who intercedes for His people without ceasing. Just as Job continually prayed for his children, Jesus continually intercedes for His people, ensuring their salvation in sanctification. Jesus’ intercession for His people is based on His perfect identification with human suffering and His sinless sacrifice on their behalf. Thus, we also see Jesus as the one who suffers, which is our next point.
B. Jesus the Man of Sorrows who Suffers For Us
Like Job, Jesus was a righteous man who endured great suffering and humiliation. He was betrayed by those closest to Him, abandoned by His friends, and subjected to a brutal death on a cross. Yes, Job endured immense suffering, losing his possessions, children, and health. Yet, his suffering was primarily for his own sake, as he grappled with the questions of human suffering and Divine justice. Yet, just as Job’s suffering ultimately led to his restoration and blessing, so too did Jesus’ suffering lead to restoration and blessing – though not for Himself, but for His people, you and I who believe in Jesus Christ. Jesus surpasses Job as the ultimate Man of Sorrows, willingly suffering and dying for the sins of His people. As Christians, we should find comfort in knowing that Jesus, the Messiah, is a “Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief” (Isaiah 53:3).
As the perfect God-Man, being truly Man, He fully understands and relates to the pain and sorrow that we experience in this sin-stricken world. He was rejected by men, is familiar with pain, and was despised by His own kinsmen. He can empathize with us in our grief and sorrow since He also experienced it. Though in our grief we can fall into emotions of guilt, anger, and resentment, it is important to remember that God is sovereign and loving and that He understands and cares about our pain. God’s sovereignty and goodness are not compromised by evil and suffering. Therefore, as we grieve, we should remember that despite the evil suffered, God the Holy Spirit is the ultimate Comforter and that He is able to bring healing and peace amid our sorrow.
Our union with Christ brings with it union with His sufferings, not just with His glory. This is what the Holy Spirit says to us through Paul in Philippians 3:10, “That I may know Him (Jesus) and the power of His resurrection, and may share His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death.” Jesus’ suffering far exceeds that of Job, as He bore the weight of the sins of the entire world of believers upon Himself, experiencing both physical agony and untold spiritual agony at the cross. Through His death and resurrection, Jesus conquered sin and death, redeeming all who believe in Him.
C. Jesus the One who defeats the Devil For Us
In Job 1 and 2, we see Job withstanding Satan’s temptations and remaining faithful to God. However, Jesus triumphs fully and finally over Satan through His substitutionary death and resurrection, securing victory over sin and death for His people. Jesus engages in direct confrontation with Satan during His earthly ministry, and He overcame, unlike Adam and Eve. There is one musician who puts it well, “If that was me or you before Satan, we would have knelt. So thank God for the perfect righteous Son.” Jesus ultimately triumphed over Satan through His death and resurrection. In Colossians 2:15, we read, “He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.” Through His victory on the cross, Jesus defeated the powers of darkness and secured redemption for humanity.
The book of Revelation is full of imagery of the Lamb’s triumphs over Satan on earth for His people. In Hebrews 2:14-15, we read, “Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.” Here, Jesus is shown as the one who defeats the devil and liberates His people from bondage to sin and death. While Job’s victory over Satan was temporary and personal, Jesus’ victory is permanent and universal, giving hope and redemption to all who believe in Him.
D. Jesus the One who pleases the Father perfectly
While Job received praise from God for his righteousness, Jesus surpasses Job as the one who perfectly pleases the Father in every way. In Job 1:8, God declares Job to be “a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil.” God’s commendation of Job’s righteousness highlights his faithfulness and integrity. In Matthew 3:17, at Jesus’ baptism, we read, “and behold, a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.’” Here, the Father expresses His pleasure and delight in Jesus, affirming His unique identity as the beloved Son. Unlike Job, who was a righteous man but still fell short of perfection, Jesus perfectly fulfills the Father’s will and pleases Him in every aspect of His earthly ministry. Jesus’ obedience to the Father’s will surpasses that of Job, as He fulfills the law perfectly and offers Himself as a perfect sacrifice for sin.
E. Jesus the One who Teaches us to Worship God in Spirit and in Truth
Despite facing unimaginable loss and affliction, Job responds with worship and reverence for God. In Job 1:20-21, we read, “Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped. And he said, ‘Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.’” Job’s worship amidst suffering demonstrates his great faith and trust in God’s sovereignty. Our Lord Jesus teaches us to worship God in spirit and in truth, through His words and actions. Jesus teaches that true worship transcends external rituals and emanates from a heart surrendered to God. In John 4:23-24, Jesus tells the Samaritan woman, “But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” Jesus emphasizes the importance of authentic, heartfelt worship that honors God in every aspect of life. To worship as Jesus worships is the only true acceptable worship – to worship as He commands is the only way the Father will accept us and our worship. Jesus tells us He is the only way to the Father. Jesus tells us He and the Father are One. Jesus tells us that we must believe in Him or perish. Jesus tells us that without Him, our lives, our efforts, our salvation, our fruit, our goodness – all that is worthless without Him. Jesus is our worship!
