For us human beings, death appears to be the end. That is what the disciples thought when Jesus told them He would die at the hands of violent religious men. But after the cross comes the crown. That's a certainty because Jesus is the eternal King. It was impossible for the disciples to visualise what Jesus meant in these verses, but they held the words (we know because they were written down) until they could understand.
 
God's Word will never lose its potency, even if it is not fulfilled for centuries (such as the many prophecies about Jesus). However God has His way of encouraging us to trust until He fully reveals His plan. In only six days Jesus would reveal Himself to Peter, James and John in the splendour of His supernatural glory (Matthew 17:1-8). That would give them strength to endure the time of His suffering (and their suffering later). As apostles they lived through persecution with confidence because they looked forward to His second coming.
 
When Jesus comes again it will be a cosmic event (Matthew 24:30-31). It will mark the beginning of His undisputed reign when those who have pitted themselves against Him will be punished and faithfulness will be rewarded. The primary reward will be knowing that we are loved and accepted by Him, welcomed without the stain of sin or the embarrassment of guilt. And with Him will come many other rewards which we cannot yet see or imagine. The life of faith is, by definition, filled with uncertainty - except that Jesus will be with us all the way, and will greet us with a joyful welcome.
 
For many believers under extreme persecution, it is that hope alone which has sustained them. But all of us need reassurance in the hard times that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. That Light is Jesus. In 1941, the American writer Esther Kerr Rusthoi penned these words: "It will be worth it all when we see Jesus, life's trials will seem so small when we see Christ; one glimpse of His dear face all sorrow will erase, so bravely run the race till we see Christ." Unless your horizon is filled with the reality of seeing the glory of the Lord, each step ahead will seem impossible or futile. But anticipating the joy to come will provide the same motivation for living through your suffering as Jesus had to live through His (Hebrews 12:2-3).