The Heart of Christ’s Sufferings
It is easy to look at Christ's suffering as just a fact. Something that happened, and now is done. It is a fact, but it is one that deserves our attention as well as our gratitude.
The following verses from Isaiah show just how deep the sufferings of Christ were:
"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.
Surely He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed."
Isaiah 53:3-5
Now go back and read that passage again... I'll wait.
While He was suffering, the very people whose punishment He was taking upon Himself stood there, watching, mocking, having rejected Him and called for His crucifixion. In an even further display of His steadfast love, Christ cries out to God the Father audibly to ask forgiveness for these who had so wronged Him; for these on whose behalf He had chosen to suffer.
But Christ's suffering was not just for those present at the crucifixion. It was not even just for the Jewish people: it was for everyone --you and I included. The following verse is so commonly memorized and quoted, sometimes we pass right by it without thinking about it.
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
John 3:16
It is not just that Christ suffered, or that He suffered for some; His love and mercy are so great, that He chose to take on Him the punishment for all sin, not just some.
"For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: And that He died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto Him which died for them, and rose again."
2 Corinthians 5:14-15
At the very heart of Christ's sufferings is love. Not just love for us on a global level as one might "love" dogs or cats or horses, but individually. Christ took your sin on Himself, that you might be forgiven.
You see, God is just. His very character requires the punishment of sin. Were God to overlook sin, He would cease to be who He is. Yet God is also merciful. That is why He made a way to satisfy His justice, while still mercifully extending forgiveness to us.
Sin had to be punished, so Jesus —God Himself— took the punishment. He allowed Himself to bear the punishment for our sin, so that we could have His righteousness. 2 Corinthians 5:21 puts it this way:
"For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him."
Yes, it was love that motivated this substitution. Love unlike anything we would expect.
"For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.
But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us"
Romans 5:7-8
Christ's love is not based on any merit of our own. That is why we can come to Him as we are: sinners, deserving of God's just punishment. That is how Christ could offer free forgiveness: because His blood has paid the penalty for our sin.
"Much more then, being justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life."
Romans 5:9-10
So as you think on Christ's suffering this Resurrection weekend, remember that love for you was at its heart, and your salvation was its aim.