Thursday, April 14, 2022
A Suffering Savior
“Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted” (Isaiah 53:4 NKJV).
Why did Jesus have to suffer as He did? We understand that He had to be nailed to a cross because the Bible prophesied this. But why did He suffer?
We follow a suffering Savior. In fact, Isaiah 53 gives this description of what Christ went through: “He is despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; . . . Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted” (Isaiah 53:3-4 NKJV).
Then Isaiah gives us the reason Jesus suffered: “But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5 NKJV).
You see, Jesus voluntarily suffered in our place. It’s hard for us to think of a perfect Creator going through something as human as pain and suffering. But God has suffered more deeply than anyone could imagine. That’s why the Bible calls Jesus a “Man of sorrows.” He suffered because He loves us.
This also means that He can enter into your suffering as well. Maybe you’re in a state of personal anguish today. There’s something that is causing you a great deal of pain. Jesus has been there. He has walked in your shoes.
Hebrews 2:17 tells us, “It was necessary for him to be made in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters, so that he could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. Then he could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people” (NLT).
Don't think that God is disconnected from what you’re facing. Jesus has faced it. He has experienced it. He understands. You’re not alone in your suffering today.
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Grief is one of life’s most difficult challenges. Pastor Greg Laurie experienced this truth when his son Christopher passed away suddenly. Discover comfort and healing in times of pain as you read his book Hope for Hurting Hearts. Receive your copy as our gift for your donation of any amount to Harvest Ministries this month.
