Christ Suffered For Us

Hebrews 4:14-16 KJV

Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession.  15  For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.  16  Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

We are exhorted here to “hold fast” and to “come boldly to obtain mercy”.  The first refers to persevering in the struggles of life, no matter how bleak the circumstances become.  The second refers to the confidence we can have that GOD will reward them that seek him (1).  Put together, this is saying that we can have hope now in this life, and hope for eternity.  The motivation for this hope is Jesus Christ; who HE was, and what HE did. 

The writer of Hebrews clearly believed that the GOD with whom we have to do (2) is a sympathetic GOD.  HE knows our weakness, our sickness, and our temptation.  How comforting is it to know that Jesus felt what we feel.  Whatever sickness or hurt we experience, Jesus did too.  GOD sent HIS own SON to experience our sufferings so that we would have a real demonstration of GOD’s sympathy toward us.  It can never be said that GOD is distant or unfeeling.  It can never be said that HE is insensitive to our suffering.  HE chose to come in the flesh and walk in our shoes to prove otherwise.

The greater our faith the more comfort we will know.  Faith comes by hearing (3).  If we understand more fully the ways that Jesus has suffered for us, we will in turn understand more of the love and mercy of GOD.

1. Jesus suffered physically.

Isaiah 53:3 KJV

He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

Isaiah prophesied here that the Lord Jesus would have suffering during HIS life.  This was an accurate prophecy.  HIS afflictions began with HIS birth when HE was born outside (4) because no one would make room.  Before HE was two years old HE was taken to Egypt to escape those trying to kill HIM (5).  The beginning of HIS ministry was forty days of fasting in the wilderness, after which, when HE hungered, HE was tempted by Satan himself (6).  Throughout HIS ministry he moved from town to town with no earthly house of HIS own (7).  HE did not come to have an easy life, but rather HE came as the suffering servant.

Of course the apex of HIS physical suffering was in his crucifixion.  The fact the HE knew what would come only added to the anguish and stress that HE endured.

Matthew 20:17-19 KJV

And Jesus going up to Jerusalem took the twelve disciples apart in the way, and said unto them,  18  Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death,  19  And shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him: and the third day he shall rise again.

HE knew that his future held mocking, beating, and crucifixion.  This weighed so heavily on him that in the garden he was sorrowful unto death (8), and prayed in agony until his sweat was like blood (9). 

2. Jesus suffers relationally.

John 1:10-11 KJV

He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.  11  He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

Imagine the pain of coming to your own family and being rejected.  Imagine coming to your wife, or husband, or father, or mother, and being denied and discarded.  Yet this was the experience of the Lord Jesus.  The very people whom HE had created, and whom HE was now coming to redeem, rejected HIM! 

Not only did they reject HIM, but they actively persecuted HIM.  They picked up rocks to stone HIM (10), accused HIM of working for the devil (11), and would not even receive him into their towns (12). 

Luke 13:34 KJV

O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not!

This text expresses HIS sadness and sorrow at the hardness of men’s hearts.  It grieved HIM that they would not make room for HIM.  Even when HE was born outside, it was not simply because there was no room left.  Rather, it was because no one offered HIM a room.  They would not make room for HIM.  As they rejected HIM at birth, they rejected HIM in HIS life and at HIS death.  As they would not make physical room for HIM at HIS birth, neither would they make room for HIM in their hearts.

3. Jesus suffers sympathetically.

In Acts chapter 9, we find Paul heading to Damascus to persecute the believers there.  He intends to arrest them and bring some back to Jerusalem.

Acts 9:3-5 KJV

And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven:  4  And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?  5  And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.

Paul was persecuting Christians, but Jesus said, “You are persecuting ME”.  The Lord Jesus personally felt, and still feels, the slings and arrows that strike HIS body the Church.  As Hebrews says, “we have not a high priest who cannot be touched by the feeling of our infirmities”.  Because HE has felt what we feel, HE is sympathetic to our suffering.

CONCLUSION

Because of the incarnation, Jesus Christ has experienced our suffering and sorrow.  In fact, as the lamb of GOD, the sinless one, HE who knew no sin, Jesus Christ has experienced more suffering than we ever will.  He has suffered more than any other.  HE has suffered our rejection and the pain of persecution against HIS people.  Yet, because of HIS love toward us, HE continues to experience these sufferings.  What manner of GOD is HE, that HE would condescend to HIS people and desire to be with us!  HE is the friend who will never leave us nor forsake us (13).

Proverbs 18:24 KJV

A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.

Jesus Christ is the friend of sinners (14).  And in the unimaginable and unparalleled act of compassion and solidarity, the WORD became flesh and dwelt among us (15) so that the greatest friend could display that HE truly is closer than a brother.

REFERENCES

(1)            Hebrews 11:6

(2)            Hebrews 4:12-13

(3)            Romans 10:17

(4)            Luke 2:6-7

(5)            Matthew 2:13-16

(6)            Matthew 4:1-11

(7)            Matthew 8:20

(8)            Mark 14:34

(9)            Luke 22:44

(10)       Luke 4:16-31

(11)       Matthew 12:22-37

(12)       Luke 9:51-56 (Samaritans), Matthew 8:34 (Gadarenes)

(13)       Hebrews 13:5

(14)       Luke 15:1-2

(15)       John 1:14

Number Your Days

Psalms 90:3-12 KJV

Thou turnest man to destruction; and sayest, Return, ye children of men.  (4)  For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night.  (5)  Thou carriest them away as with a flood; they are as a sleep: in the morning they are like grass which groweth up.  (6)  In the morning it flourisheth, and groweth up; in the evening it is cut down, and withereth.  (7)  For we are consumed by thine anger, and by thy wrath are we troubled.  (8)  Thou hast set our iniquities before thee, our secret sins in the light of thy countenance.  (9)  For all our days are passed away in thy wrath: we spend our years as a tale that is told.  (10)  The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.  (11)  Who knoweth the power of thine anger? even according to thy fear, so is thy wrath.  (12)  So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.

1. GOD TURNS US TO DESTRUCTION

Psalms 90:3 KJV

Thou turnest man to destruction; and sayest, Return, ye children of men.

The ‘destruction’ and ‘return’ referred to in this verse have both a temporal (earthly life) and eternal context.  The eternal context of ‘destruction’ is suffering the infinite wrath of GOD in hell.  The very thought of which should make us tremble in terror and call out to GOD for mercy.  This is the meaning of ‘return’.  It is GOD’s will that men repent, and return to HIM (1).  It is because of GOD’s mercy that HE has warned us, and called to us, ‘Repent!’ (2).

2 Chronicles 36:15-16 KJV  15

And the LORD God of their fathers sent to them by his messengers, rising up betimes, and sending; because he had compassion on his people, and on his dwelling place:  16  But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against his people, till there was no remedy.

GOD has sent HIS prophets to us, and given us HIS word, but we would not hear.  We would not listen to the instruction.  So GOD, in even more mercy, has put into our lives physical warnings that we cannot avoid.  In this life we see misery, struggle and sickness.  Our bodies age, and decay, and suffer disease.  The inevitable end of which is our physical death; when the body returns to dust, and the soul returns to GOD.  It is by these afflictions during life, and by the inevitability of death at the end of life, that GOD is calling to us.  HE has set these trials in our life to remind us that we are fallen.  HE has set the absolute boundary of death at the end of every life so that no man will be unaware.  Every one must face this reality.

Through the destruction of this life, GOD calls us to live a new life.  It is consistently through our affliction that GOD humbles us, breaks our pride and hope in ourselves, and restores us to HIM.  HE turns us to that destruction, to say, “Return to me”!

2. BREVITY

Psalms 90:4 KJV

For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night.

This life is very short.   Even if it were 1000 years, it would still be short.  Yesterday, when it is passed, is nothing.  It is impossible to compare the temporal with the eternal.  This is a clear reminder to us not to trust in man, this life, or the things of the world.  They are passing away.

We are too often deceived into hoping in our earthly future.  We look forward to so many things and we think we still “have so much to live for”.  We think death is still far away.  But this only takes our focus off of the eternal reality.  When the end of our life comes those things will have passed away and they will be nothing.

It is GOD’s mercy that HE does not allow us to be deceived by this lie.  HIS word, the afflictions in our life, and the inevitability of death all remind us that this life is passing away.

3. FRAILTY AND FUTILITY

Psalms 90:5-6 KJV

Thou carriest them away as with a flood; they are as a sleep: in the morning they are like grass which groweth up.  6  In the morning it flourisheth, and groweth up; in the evening it is cut down, and withereth.

The purpose of this statement is to remind us that we have no hope in man or ourselves.  We are carried away, we are cut down, we wither.

As with the moving water of a flood, we are always moving closer to death; it cannot be slowed down or stopped.  But it can be sped up.  Floods can also become violent and quickly sweep away everything in their path.  Even so, we can be swept away by death in an instant.

In the same way that a dream of last night vanishes when you try to remember it, man’s life vanishes.  We are sleeping and dreaming and imagining great things.  We imagine that we always have more time, until we awaken to the reality.  Then our life is gone like a dream of last night.

No one remembers the grass that was cut down yesterday.  It withered, and blew away and it is gone.  Even the most beautiful flower only lasts for a day.  No matter what you achieve in this life, it does not last.  There is no hope in man, or the things of this life, or this world.

4. WRATH

Psalms 90:7-11 KJV

For we are consumed by thine anger, and by thy wrath are we troubled.  8  Thou hast set our iniquities before thee, our secret sins in the light of thy countenance.  9  For all our days are passed away in thy wrath: we spend our years as a tale that is told.  10  The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.  11  Who knoweth the power of thine anger? even according to thy fear, so is thy wrath.

It must be understood that our misery in this life and our physical death are not just natural occurrences.  They are supernatural acts of GOD.  They are debts owed to GOD’s justice.

HE has brought all our iniquities before HIS judgment seat.  HE has exposed our sin, and judged it.  HIS just response to our sin is anger.  HIS judgment on all men is misery in this life, physical death, and eternal death in hell.

Yet, through what CHRIST has done, GOD shows mercy and forgives.  All who repent and believe in the Lord Jesus will be saved from the eternal wrath of GOD.

5. GOD SAYS RETURN!

Psalms 90:12 KJV

So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.

If we would ‘number our days’, we would be convinced that there are very few of them, and that they are quickly passing away.  We need to be aware that our life is short and fleeting.  This would lead us to apply our hearts to wisdom.  It is absolutely insane to hope in something that we know is passing away.  Trusting in this life is foolishness, it is not wise.  If we have any hope in this life it is a sure sign that we have not applied our heart to wisdom.

Everything that has been said in this text so far should make this point clear.  Because of our sin we are under the just judgment of the HOLY GOD.  There is no hope in man, there is no hope in this life.  The brevity, frailty, and futility of this life are merciful reminders from GOD of our condition.  HE has turned us to destruction to call us to repent.

REFERENCES

1.           2 Peter 3:9

2.           Jeremiah 7:13,25; 11:7; 25:3,4; 26:5; 29:19; 32:33; 35:14,15; 44:4;