"WHY DID JESUS SUFFER?"
INTRODUCTION
- The gospel message is that Jesus died and shed his blood for our
sins...
- According to the Jewish Scriptures - 1Co 15:3; Isa 53:4-6
- Without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sins - He
9:22; Ep 1:7
- Yet it is not unusual to wonder: why couldn't Jesus have simply died
a quick death...?
- Animal sacrifices were killed with a quick slice of the knife
- Why did Jesus have to endure the scourging, mocking, and
crucifixion?
[Why, then, did Jesus suffer? Before we consider the Biblical response
to our question, let's first note that His suffering actually included
much more than commonly thought...]
- THE THINGS THAT HE SUFFERED
- BEFORE HIS PASSION...
- For thirty-three years He suffered temptation, the daily
struggles against sin we endure - He 4:15; 2:18
- He experienced rejection by His own hometown - Lk 4:16,28-30
- There were blasphemous accusations when He was doing good - Lk
11:14-15
- There was derision by the Pharisees - Lk 16:14
- There were deceitful questions seeking to ensnare Him - Lk
20:20
- There was defection by many disciples - Jn 6:60-61,66
- He endured ridicule by members of his own family - Jn 7:3-5
- He had to put up with ignorance among the multitudes - Jn 7:40-43
- There was the anticipation that likely produced anxiety
- He knew what was coming, told His disciples on three
occasions - e.g., Lk 18:31-33
- The disciples' lack of comprehension prevented them from
being any source of comfort - Lk 18:34
- At the Passover meal
- There were petty quarrels among His disciples - Lk 22:24
- There were announcements of betrayal, abandonment, denial
- Mt 26:21,31,34
-- The indignity of such things was magnified by knowing who He
was, yet He humbly "made Himself of no reputation, taking the
form of a bondservant" - Php 2:7
- DURING HIS PASSION...
- In the Garden of Gethsemane
- There was the great agony as He prayed - Lk 22:44
- There was His disciples' laziness who could not watch with
Him - Mk 14:37-41
- There followed the betrayal with a kiss by Judas - Mk 14:43-46
- Then He was forsaken by all His disciples - Mk 14:50
- He was arrested and bound - Jn 18:13
- Before Annas, father-in-law to Caiaphas the high priest
- Here Jesus was denied by Peter - Jn 18:17,25-27
- Jesus was struck with a blow - Jn 18:22
- He was sent away bound - Jn 18:24
- Before Caiaphas, in an illegal night assembly of the council
- Jesus was falsely accused - Mt 26:59-61
- The physical abuse intensified - Mt 26:67-68; Mk 14:65
- They spit on His face
- He was blindfolded
- Some of the council beat Him
- The officers struck Him with their palms
- They mocked Him to prophesy who struck Him
- With many words they blasphemed Him - Lk 22:65
- Before the council, in the morning
- After consulting, they bound Jesus - Mk 15:1
- He was led away, delivered to Pilate - Mk 15:1
- Before Pilate the Roman governor
- Unaccompanied by His accusers who wouldn't enter the
Praetorium - Jn 18:28-29
- False charges were made against Him - Lk 23:2
- Before Herod the puppet king
- The chief priests and scribes vehemently accused Him - Lk
23:10
- Abused by Herod with his men of war
- Treated with contempt and mocked - Lk 23:11
- Arrayed in a gorgeous robe and sent back to Pilate - Lk
23:11
- Before Pilate the second time
- Barabbas, a murderer, robber, and rebel is released in His
stead - Lk 23:13-25
- Demanded that He be crucified, Jesus is delivered to be
scourged - Mk 15:15
- Abused by the Roman soldiers
- Surrounded by the whole garrison - Mk 15:16
- They stripped Him and put on a scarlet robe - Mt 27:28
- They put on a crown of thorns on his head, a reed in His
right hand - Mt 27:29
- They bow the knee and mock Him, "Hail, King of the Jews!"
- Mt 27:29
- They spat on Him, struck Him on the head with the reed - Mt
27:30
- They mocked Him further, then stripped Him of the robe and
put His own clothes back on Him - Mt 27:31
- They led Him away to be crucified - Mt 27:31
- The journey to Golgotha
- At first, He bore His own cross - Jn 19:17
- A great crowd followed, including women who mourned and
lamented Him; yet He mourned for them - Lk 23:27-31
- At the crucifixion
- He refused sour wine mixed with gall (an anesthetic) - Mt
27:33-34
- They crucified Him, as He cried out for God to forgive them
- Lk 23:33-34
- The soldiers divided His garments, casting lots for them
- Lk 23:34
- People stood looking on, some blasphemed - Mk 15:29-30
- The chief priests with the scribes mocked and sneered - Mk
15:31-32; Lk 23:35
- The soldiers mocked - Lk 23:36-37
- The two thieves reviled Him, one persisted in blasphemy - Mk
15:32; Lk 23:39
- For six hours He hung on the cross - Mk 15:25,33
- Finally He cried "My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?"
- Mk 15:34
- Perhaps indicating the burden of bearing the sins of the
world - cf. 2Co 5:21
- Perhaps indicating the greatest suffering He endured was
the spiritual agony
- Then He died, possibly of a ruptured heart - Lk 23:46; cf.
Jn 19:34
-- As prophesied, Jesus was stricken, smitten, afflicted, wounded,
bruised, chastised, endured stripes, oppressed, led to the
slaughter, cut off from the land of the living - cf. Isa 53:4-8
[Again we ask "Why?" Why did it please the Lord to bruise Him, to put
Jesus to grief (Isa 53:10)? Why could His death for our sins have not
been more merciful? Why did Jesus suffer...?]
- THE REASONS THAT HE SUFFERED
- TO BRING US TO GOD...
- Thus Peter explained in his epistle - 1Pe 3:18
- God seeks to reconcile us back to Him - Isa 53:6; 2Co 5:18-21
- Motivated by love, God sent His Son to be the propitiation for
our sins - 1Jn 4:9-10
- The suffering reveals the terribleness of sin
- The universality of sin - Ro 3:23
- The consequence of sin - Ro 6:23
- The suffering reveals the greatness of God's love
- The love of the Father - Jn 3:16; Ro 5:8
- The love of the Son - Jn 15:13; 1Jn 3:16
-- Yes, He was wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our
iniquities
- TO BE OUR HIGH PRIEST...
- A good high priest must be compassionate - He 5:1-2
- His suffering prepared Jesus to be the perfect high priest - He
2:10
- To aid those who are tempted - He 2:17-18
- To sympathize with our weaknesses - He 4:14-16
- To appreciate the challenge of obedience in the flesh - He
5:7-9
- Thus He lives ever ready to intercede for us - He 7:25
- To provide mercy and grace in time of need - Ro 8:34
- To provide strength to conquer in time of trial - Ro 8:35-39
-- His suffering makes Jesus the perfect high priest and
intercessor on our behalf
- TO BE OUR EXAMPLE...
- Of suffering for the sake of righteousness - 1Pe 2:20-24
- When we are mistreated for doing good
- How we should trust in God to judge rightly
- Of persevering in our battle against sin - 1Pe 4:1-4
- As we seek to live for the will of God, not the lusts of the
flesh
- As we endure the ridicule of those in the world
- Of loving one another, and loving our enemies - Jn 13:34-35; Ep
5:1-2; Mt 5:44-45
- Loving one another as He loved us
- Blessing those who curse us, doing good to those who hate
us, praying for those who persecute us
-- His suffering illustrates how far we must go for the sake of
love and righteousness
CONCLUSION
- Perhaps we can now appreciate more fully why our Savior suffered...
- To pay the terrible price of sin
- To be our perfect Advocate (1Jn 2:1) in our struggle against sin
- To motivate us to reach a higher plane in striving for love and
righteousness
- May contemplation on the suffering of Jesus ever serve as the
inspiration for those...
- Who have yet to obey the gospel - cf. Ac 2:36-38; 22:16
- Who have obeyed the gospel, but have fallen back into sin - Ac
8:22; 1Jn 1:9
- Who desire to live for Christ in an unfriendly world - 1Pe 4:12-16
For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us,
leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps:
- 1Pe 2:21
Therefore let those who suffer according to the will of God commit
their souls to Him in doing good, as to a faithful Creator.
- 1Pe 4:19