“But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ would suffer, he thus fulfilled.” – Acts 3:18
There is profound meaning, power, and comfort in this reality that Jesus the Christ suffered. Though He was fully God, He took on a human body and human nature. As both God and man, He suffered physically and spiritually as He hung on the cross to atone for our sins. He bore our guilt, our shame, and God’s wrath. And He died in physical agony after betrayal, humiliation, injustice, and torture.
We have a Savior Who knows exactly what it means to suffer, to be in agony, to be abandoned, and to experience God’s wrath. When we put our faith in Christ, we are joined with Him, filled with His Spirit, and assured of His continuous presence with us in good times and bad.
When we suffer physically, spiritually, emotionally, whether from disease, disability, deprivation, persecution, abuse, abandonment, or injustice we are accompanied, comforted, transformed, and strengthened in our pain by our Savior who completely understands. As Christians, we’re never alone in suffering – Christ is always with us (even when our feelings lie and claim He’s far away) and He understands.
He hears our cries and our prayers and He’s right there with us and in us. If we lean on Him, He will carry us through every season of suffering, no matter how long or intense, for He is the Christ Who suffered!
#FOLLOWJESUS
NOTE: While Pastor Brian is on sabbatical, we offer this devotional which was originally published on June 5, 2020.