The Suffering of Jesus

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

We gather again this evening to meditate on the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ. Today, we mark how the Lamb of God offers Himself up for the sins of the world. But this is no funeral service. We are not here to mourn over the dead body of Jesus. Rather, we are here to meditate upon His passion in a more fruitful, more excellent way. We, therefore, meditate on the three-fold suffering of Christ upon the cross.

First, of course, consider the physical suffering of the cross and the events leading up to it. Our Lord has not eaten since the Passover meal He partook with the apostles the on the night when He was betrayed. He was beaten, first by the guards of the Sanhedrin, then by Herod's soldiers, and then by Pilate's men. He was whipped and scourged until His flesh hung in ribbons. A crown of thorns was fashioned and struck into His flesh. Spikes of iron were driven into His wrists and feet. He was suspended high in the air, exposed to the elements. He was fed vinegar.

All these things are beyond our comprehension in their severity, but physical suffering is not. Who here among you has not suffered some sort of great pain in your body? Whether it be a broken bone, or the pangs of childbirth, or the effects of major surgery, or the symptoms of serious illness – you have no doubt experienced your share of pain and suffering.

Even suffering at the hands of another is not totally foreign. Fights, scrapes, fisticuffs on the schoolyard – the blows landed by another's hands are not unimaginable. This suffering of Christ we can meditate upon and understand.

Then there is the second suffering of Jesus – the shame of the cross. Our Lord bears the shame of the world as He suffers in silence. By the time He hangs upon the cross, He has been subject to the betrayal of Judas, the blasphemy of the priests, the mocking of the people. He has withstood the inquisition of Pilate. He has been made out to be a sideshow freak for Herod's amusement. The crowds spit upon Him, ridicule Him, and taunt Him to save Himself, since He is the Lord's anointed.

Again, you cannot totally understand the depths of our Lord's suffering in this regard, but you have some idea of His pain. Who among you has never been sinned against? Who has never suffered shame?

You all carry about in your hearts and minds a weight of shame. You carry painful memories of having your brother sin against you. You carry mental reminders of having been mocked, teased, insulted, offended, embarrassed.

The shame and ridicule which the crowds heaped upon Jesus was severe in its extent, but it was nothing new, nor did it end with Him. The crowds, whoever they be, continue to shame each one of us in our own unique ways, whether visible or not.

And, of course, this is so because you are in that crowd. You are mocked and shamed, so you turn that onto others. If you have taken the beating, whether physical or mental, then you have earned the stripes to turn your pain into the next guy's affliction. It may not take away your pain, but it will at least make sure no one else is happier than you. Misery loves company.

This is where your experience of suffering diverges from that of our Lord. For He who suffered under the weight of the sin and guilt and shame of the world made no excuse, gave no reply, raised no hand against His attackers. He was led as a lamb to slaughter, and remained silent as a sheep before the shearers. His misery knows no companion.

Truly, the misery of our Lord knows no companion, in one very important sense. For it is Jesus Christ alone who suffers the wrath of God for the sins of all mankind. The two thieves crucified on Jesus' right and left also suffered the physical pain and torment. No doubt they also suffered much of the same mocking and hatred for their crimes. But no one, no not one, has ever experienced anything like what Jesus experienced in His soul.

Nothing can compare the the agony of utter desolation. No one else is forsaken by God, smitten and stricken by the divine wrath, and sunk down into the belly of Sheol, into the heart of the earth. No one hangs with Jesus in solidarity on this count. You cannot follow Jesus' example in this regard. His suffering is too deep, too heavy, too profound for your mind and heart to fathom.

Your sins are too great for you to bear. You cannot even lift them one inch off your shoulders. And yet Jesus Christ bore all the sins of the entire world. Every last fault and failing. They were lifted off your shoulders and dropped onto His. And by this, He who knew no sin became sin for you. And, having become sin, He was forsaken by His Father, and struck with the wrath due for the sins of the world.

Thanks be to God.

Jesus prays from the cross, “My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken me?” so that you can pray “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me.” He has taken your sins, and has freed you from death and the devil. He has borne the wrath and died the death, so that you might wear the crown and live the life. Thanks be to God that He was willing to suffer everything for you, that He was willing to give His Son for you, that He might make you His dear child.

In the Name of Jesus. Amen.