JESUS FEELS YOUR PAIN

(by Cindy Mead)

As we approach Good Friday and Easter Sunday, we remember the tremendous pain, suffering and death of Jesus Christ. Jesus conquered death and the grave by rising from the dead.  Are you living in situations that you are suffering with, through no fault of your own? Does the situation make you feel like less than a person? Jesus can fully identify with every situation you and I are living in. Jesus suffered through no fault of His own. Pontius Pilate said, “I find no fault in Him.” (Luke 23:4). Jesus came to earth, became acquainted with our grief and withstood every one of our temptations. And by this substitution He has let you know how much He loves you. Jesus can also identify with when you feel like less than a person because of all the beatings, floggings and stripes He had received.

We all, no matter who we are, live with a lesser or greater degree of pain and suffering, but no one suffered more than Jesus. Sometimes our suffering can be temporary, and sometimes it is permanent. There are all kinds of suffering. Some suffer through no fault of their own, such as being born with a permanent disability. I am one of those people, born with Cerebral Palsy, confined to a wheelchair all my life. I spent most of my childhood years learning how to do things in a way l could manage, even if it appeared strange to others. We all have choices in life; we can either be negative about our situation and wallow in self-pity, doing nothing all day, or we can be positive and do whatever we can, however we can. I am thankful that I am able to type, even with just one finger, therefore I can write what the Lord gives me to write, and share it with His people.       

Jesus suffered more than any human being. He was struck, beaten and spat upon numerus times at the hands of the chief priests, elders, and members of the counsel. They also beat Jesus with a whip of 9 tails or knots which would tear the skin and flesh, and inflict severe pain. Jesus took those stripes on His back for our healing. “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). “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 53:3).

     So if you find yourself living in situations that are causing suffering through no fault of your own, or a situations that make you feel like less than a person, Jesus can identify with you. Jesus did not deserve any of the suffering He went through. All that Jesus suffered, the beatings, floggings and whippings on His back were for our sake.

    After the chief priests, elders and members of the counsel had finished all their punishment on Him, they delivered Jesus to Pontius Pilate, the governor. Pontius Pilate allowed the crowd to decide which prisoner he should release. The crowd, being urged by the elders and priests, all in one accord shouted, “Release Barabbas.” The governor said, “What shall l do with Jesus.” The crowd kept shouting “Crucify Him, crucify Him.”Then Pilate said to them, “Why, what evil has He done?” But they cried out all the more, “Crucify Him!” (Mark 15:14). They forced Jesus, with His beaten, bruised and weakened body to carry His cross to Calvary. When Jesus collapsed under the weight of the cross, they asked someone from the crowd, Simon, to carry Jesus’ cross for Him. “Simon was passing by. He was from Cyrene. He was the father of Alexander and Rufus. Simon was on his way in from the country. The soldiers forced him to carry the cross.” (Mark 15:21).  

When they arrived at Calvary, the guards striped Jesus and cast lots for His clothes. “Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” And they divided His garments and cast lots.”  (Luke 23:34).  Then they nailed His hands and feet to the cross. Suddenly, there was darkness over the land. The darkness lasted three hours, the time Jesus was still alive on the cross. As soon as Jesus said His last words, “It is finished” He died, and the veil of the Temple was torn in two from the top to the bottom. That was the veil which separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place, which only the High Priest was allowed to enter once a year to atone for the sins of the people. When Jesus died, taking upon Himself the sins of the entire world, He opened the way to the Father for everyone who repents of their sin and surrenders themselves to Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour.

If you have never repented of your sin, and asked Jesus to be your Lord and Saviour, please do so now. “Jesus, l come to You and thank You for taking my sin upon Yourself on the cross. I repent of my sin and ask You to forgive me. I want to have a relationship with You and my Heavenly Father. I surrender my life to You, and want to live for You the rest of my life. Amen.”                    

If you have a Bible, or can access one online, start reading in the Book of John. It is the fourth Book of the New Testament. It will explain what Jesus did for you, and how much He loves you.