What Do We Learn from the
Sufferings of Christ?
Phillip Owens
Peter summarized all that Jesus endured surrounding His death and events that preceded as “the sufferings of Christ” (I Pet. 1:11). We generally think about the unimaginable pain He underwent while on the cross and well we should because such was almost beyond endurance. However, Jesus also endured much before He was nailed to the cross. This would include but not be limited to at least the following:
- The agony in the garden: sweat became as it were great drops of blood (Lk. 22:44).
- They bound Him (Matt. 27:2).
- They slapped Him (John 18:22).
- They struck Him and reviled Him (Luke 22:63-65).
- They mocked Him and beat Him (Luke 22:64).
- He was up all night undergoing insults, etc.
- They stuck a crown of thorns on His head (Matt. 27:29).
- They spat on Him (the Son of God!) (Matt. 27:30).
- They smote Him on the head with a reed (Matt. 27:30).
- They ridiculed Him by bowing down in “worship” (Mark 15:19).
- They scourged Him (Jno. 19:1) and then they took the scarlet robe off Him (Matt. 27:28).
- They nailed Him to the cross—imagine driving nails into your hands and feet (Jno. 20:25
- Suffered from thirst on the cross (Jno. 19:28).
Occasionally some ask that if the death of Jesus was necessary to satisfy God’s justice in allowing sinners to go free, while at the same time punishing sin so as to maintain God’s righteousness, why did Jesus have to suffer such a dreadful death? Why could He not have been simply executed without the attached pain and agony that preceded it?
The answer in part may be in Isaiah 53. “Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem him stricken 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. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and Jehovah hath laid on him the iniquity of us all” (vss. 4-6). In other words, Jesus took for us the punishment we deserve because of our sins.
But one may ask why sin deserves such terrible punishment? For one reason, it is because God’s character is infinitely good and righteous. Sin is a transgression of God’s law (I Jno. 3:4). God’s law reveals the goodness and righteousness of His character. Therefore as God’s creatures, to violate God’s law (sin) is to rebel against the very nature and character of our Creator. This makes the truth that God can not dwell where sin is understandable. Further, because sin is rebellion against Him, it deserves punishment. Again though, why the unusual and agonizing pain of execution by crucifixion? Why not have Him beheaded or stoned to death?
In our country’s justice system, penalties for crimes vary depending on the severity of the crime. When true justice is served the penalty for a crime will be commensurate to the crime committed. That is why one convicted of murder in the first degree—premeditated murder, receives a more severe punishment than one convicted of murder in the second degree – non premeditated killing resulting from an assault in which death is a possibility.
What do we learn from this? Since Jesus was “wounded for our transgressions,… bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed,… and Jehovah hath laid on him the iniquity of us all,” God intended to teach us a lesson as to how dreadful, terrible and horrible sin really is to Him and how it ought to be to us!! The nature of the suffering and death of Christ describes the atrocious nature of sin.
Another verse in the same chapter bears on this idea: “By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who among them considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living for the transgression of my people to whom the stroke was due? (vs. 8). The “stroke” Jesus received was what we were “due.” Again, “Yet it pleased Jehovah to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin…” (vs. 10).
Question: Since the penalty for sin demanded such intense suffering and agonizing death on the part of a completely innocent person–Jesus, how ought we to look at any sin anyone commits, including committing a sin ourselves? A joke? Something to laugh at? Not that serious? Who cares? No one will find out? Not that big a deal? — Hardly!!
Our attitude should be the same as the psalmist: “Through thy precepts I get understanding: Therefore I hate every false way.” And “Therefore I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right; And I hate every false way” (119:104,128). This applies to unauthorized worship and works in which many churches engage themselves.
The question, “What do we learn from ‘the sufferings of Christ?’” is also extremely personal. Think about this the next time you are tempted to wear something immodest, use some vulgar or gutter expression, drink, smoke, covet someone or something, look upon someone to lust after him/her, lose your temper, forsake the assembling of the church, or any other sin. Think about its cost, its punishment, and hate it! Its cost to God and Christ should make us loathe, despise, and detest it with all that is within us.