Christ’s, as well as his followers’, suffering and victory are not mutually exclusive, either-or realities. Even so, we Christians, both as individuals and as traditions, can tend to emphasize either suffering or victory, either sobriety or joy, at the expense of the other. Such an over-emphasis, one way or the other, is due to our experience, history, and context. Somehow the crucified and risen Jesus still bears, and apparently will forever bear, the scars from the horrific wounds inflicted on him when he was crucified.
