Jesus Really Understands Us

Theme: Christ, through His humanity, secured our great salvation which involves exalting believers, freeing us from the fear of death, and affording us the help of a compassionate High Priest in Heaven during temptations.  In addition, Christ’s humanity enables Him to understand our needs, challenges, and pains fully.

Introduction:

Where do you usually turn for comfort when you are hurting?

Perhaps you would say, “my spouse,” “my Bible,” or “prayer,” maybe “my Lord,” or your parents.  If things get bad enough (usually as an absolute last resort) we will turn to our pastor.  It is good if we turn to one of these especially if we go to the Lord Jesus first. 

There are; however, some less honorable options we sometimes resort to, like food (chocolate, cheesecake), shopping, a movie (escape), or travel (escape). Anything to escape being alone with our thoughts, anxieties, fears, and pain…. Unfortunately, these do not really change anything…they only exacerbate the problem. They mask the pain, but they cannot heal it.

Some of us even retreat within ourselves to nurse our wounds. Sulking in silence, brooding in utter bitterness, and refusing to admit we are hurting deeply. The problem is such bitter existence will only result in spreading our pain in the lives of others. Some people also seek comfort in the abuse of alcohol, over-the-counter drugs, illegal drugs, and even prescription drugs. Even Christians sometimes deal with pain in ways that seldom include looking to Christ for comfort.

It may surprise you to know how deeply the Lord Jesus understands our pain. Actually He suffered more deeply, persistently, and pervasively than anyone who has ever walked the earth. He is also the key to triumph over pain. Would you like to know how? Consider Hebrews 2 verses 10 through 14.

For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. 11 For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren, 12 Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee. 13 And again, I will put my trust in him. And again, Behold I and the children which God hath given me. 14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; 15 And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. (Hebrews 2:10-15)

Lesson:

Why did God allow his Son to suffer? (Heb. 2:10-14) To answer this question honestly reveals the answers to our own pain. Yes, there were incredible situation changing purposes for the pain of our Lord Jesus Christ! The same is true for every genuine Child of God. Consider four biblical realities that reveal this vital and strengthening reality.

The Character of God 

Suffering is entirely consistent with the holy character of God, the Great Planner (2:10)—“For it became Him [Father]”.

The Plan. It was completely in keeping with the righteous character of God that man’s dominion should be restored through the humiliation of the Savior.  

Christ must suffer, bleed, and die to put away sin. Sin had disturbed God’s order. Before order could be brought out of chaos, sin must be dealt with righteously; that is in a manner worthy of a holy God (Rom. 3:21-26; 2Cor. 5:21). He sent His only begotten righteous Son to die in our place (Jn. 3:16; Rom. 5:6-10; 8:31-32). Thus God remains “just” and can “justify” the ungodly who trust Christ.

The Planner. The Father as the wise Planner is described as the One for Whom are all things, and by Whom are all things. First the Father is the objective or goal of all creation; all things were made for His glory and pleasure. This defines the purpose of all men and everything else. But He is also the Source or Originator of all creation; nothing was made apart from Him (2:10). To live in His will is an expression of his design for us. Because everything belongs to God, He determines what sacrifice is necessary for sin. He, the Creator of the world, determined what was needed for our “great salvation.” (MacDonald)

The Purpose. His great purpose is bringing many sons unto glory. What does this glory consist of? Glorification includes immortality, moral perfection, spiritual power, liberty, reigning in the Kingdom of God, and sharing God’s glory forever! This incredible truth is well attested in the Scriptures (Rom 8:23; Phil 3:21; Rom 2:7; 1 Cor. 15:43-44; 1Thess 2:12; 2Tim 2:10-12; Rom 5:2; 1Thess 2:12; 2Thess 2:14; 1Peter 5:10).

When we consider our own unworthiness, it staggers us to think that Jehovah would have even bothered with us, but it is because He is the God of all grace (Heb. 2:9) that He has called us to His eternal glory (Heb. 2:10). Truly this is a “great salvation!”

We are destine to share in Christ’s glory and honor as fellow sons of God—what a marvelous-dignified-elevated future is ours (Rom. 9:23-24; 2Cor. 3:18; 2Cor. 4:17-18; Col. 3:4; 2Tim. 2:10; 1Pet. 1:5, 10).

In life or in death, God’s purposes will be accomplished and his promises to believers will be fulfilled because believers have been called into God’s eternal glory. God called—this was his initiative; therefore, he will do as he promised.  Why did Christ suffer?  Because it is the character of God to endure remarkable sufferings to secure our salvation—our highest eternal good!  How can I be comfortable with giving Him token and convenient service? Is it my purpose to bring many sons unto glory in concert with the purpose of God? (Wiersbe)

“Just A Little While”

For believers, suffering will not last forever. If you're under stress, if food is scarce, if disease is spreading, God promises that suffering will last "just a little while more."

No matter what trouble you face, hard as it is, God has stamped your life "temporarily out of order," with emphasis on "temporarily." A day is coming when the Great Repairman will wrench evil from the world and restore your life so that it works as God intended. You will be in mint condition, guaranteed to function as God designed.

Many times all we can do is trust God and look forward to Jesus' return, when God will restore us. Our hope is in him! –The Life Application Commentary Series 

The Captain of God 

Suffering was necessary to prepare Christ to be our perfect Captain of salvation (2:10).

His Passion. This is the cost of our glorification! The captain of our salvation had to be made perfect through sufferings. Hebrews 2:10 says: “Make the Captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.”

Jesus Christ was perfect throughout His earthly experience (Heb. 4:15; 2Cor. 5:21; 1Pet. 2:22). As far as His moral character is concerned; the Lord Jesus was always sinlessly perfect. He could never be made perfect in this respect.

The word “perfect” means “complete, effective, and adequate.” According to Ex 29:33, 35, “to perfect” describes the consecration of the priests, and indicated the qualifying of a person for priestly service.  Jesus qualifies as High Priest because he has completely fulfilled his role as Messiah.

Jesus could not have become an adequate Savior and High Priest had He not become Man and suffered and died. (Wiersbe)

He was made perfect or adequate as our Savior and Intercessor. What does sufferings mean? Basically it means enduring hardship, affliction, pain, persecution, and Calvary. In order to purchase eternal redemption for us, He had to suffer all the punishment that our sins deserved. Christ’s death was punitive.

Besides being forsaken by God, and the extreme sufferings of His physical body, He was also brought into waters so deep, there was no place to stand. He endured extraordinary punishment, arising from the awful visions of the sins He had of His people, and of the wrath such sins deserved, and felt all those inward and painful sensations which such views provoked. In these things, no doubt, the sufferings of His soul far exceeded His physical agonies on the Cross, though these must have been colossal also.—The Biblical Illustrator

We could not be saved by His spotless life; His substitutionary death was an absolute necessity.

He must be made perfect for this role “through suffering.” Since His brethren must suffer, so must He if He is to be the kind of Captain we need. By having done so, He can give us the help we need (v. 18). (Walvoord)

Always bear in mind that God has a glorious purpose in sufferings and He uses such experiences to prepare us for ministry and leadership (2Cor. 1:3-7). Be mindful of this the next time you are dealing with the pains of this life; suffering is preparatory (Rom. 8:17-18).

Sharing with Jesus Christ … involves more than anticipating the glories of heaven. For Jesus Christ it involved suffering and abuse and crucifixion; therefore, being co-heirs with Christ requires that believers share in His sufferings (cf. John 15:20; Col. 1:24; 2 Tim. 3:12; 1 Peter 4:12). In fact believers do share in His sufferings… (cf. Rom. 8:9). Then after the suffering they will share in His glory (2 Tim. 2:12; 1 Peter 4:13; 5:10). –The Bible Knowledge Commentary

His Pioneering. Christ as the Last Adam is our Representative, but He is our Restorer as the Captain of salvation. That word Captain literally means “pioneer—one who opens the way for others to follow—a leader.” Christ gave up His glory to become man. He regained His glory when He arose and ascended to heaven. Now He shares that glory with all who trust Him for salvation (John 17:22–24). He is literally bringing an entire band of redeemed children to glory—great is our Restorer!

As lost children, we were once held in servitude by our enemy, Satan (2:14-15). Since we were human, our Captain had to become human and die for us, in order to rescue us.

His Path. In God’s eyes, Jesus was the perfect sacrifice for God’s people, pioneering their salvation through his suffering and death. Because humans experience suffering and death, Christ became fully human and experienced these aspects of being human as well. That Christ both lived and died gives us confidence that we have a High Priest who is able to sympathize with our weaknesses (4:15). We have confidence that because Christ conquered death, he also can save us from death.–The Life Application Commentary Series

The Children of God

Suffering was necessary to sanctify and identify with God’s children (2:11-13). The next three verses emphasize the perfection of Jesus’ humanity. If He is going to regain the dominion which Adam lost, then it must be demonstrated that He is true Man.

Christ Sanctified Us. First, the fact is stated: For both He that sanctifieth and they who are [being] sanctified are all of one, that is, they are all possessors of humanity, and have the same origin; meaning that in our humanity, we all have one God and Father.

Christ is the One who sanctifies, that is, He sets apart or separates men to God from the world. Blessed are all those whom He thus sets apart! A sanctified person is set apart from ordinary uses to be for God’s own possession, use, and enjoyment. The opposite of sanctification is profanation.

Lookout for the various passages in Hebrews where sanctification is mentioned, and carefully determine which type of sanctification is in view.

Christ Identified with Us.  He is united to us, and we are united to Him: we are spiritually one. We are His “brethren” (Heb. 2:12). This quote from Psalm 22:22—a messianic psalm— refers to Christ and His church as His brethren. This means we and the Son of God share the same nature and belong to the same family! What a marvel of God’s grace!

He became a true Man therefore He is not ashamed to speak of His followers as brethren. Is it possible that the Eternal Sovereign of the universe should become man and identify Himself so closely with His creatures that He would call us brothers?

The answer is found in Psalm 22:22 where we hear Him say, “I will declare Thy Name unto My brethren.” The same verse also pictures Him as identified with His people in common worship, “in the midst of the church [assembly] will I sing praise unto Thee.” In His dying agony, He looked forward to the day when He would lead the ransomed throng in praise to God the Father.

We are all believers (Heb. 2:13). Christ’s humanity is demonstrated by the fact that He placed His trust in God. Implicit confidence in Jehovah is one of the greatest marks of true humanity.

Jesus lived in utter dependence on God and with complete confidence in God.  All of his brethren must live in the same faithful manner even in the midst of hard sufferings.

He can also speak to us of His own trust in God (v. 13a, quoting Isa. 8:17) and can regard us as the children God has given Him (Heb. 2:13b, quoting Isa. 8:18). Like an elder brother in the midst of a circle of younger children, the Captain of our salvation can teach us the lessons of faith along the pathway of suffering. (Walvoord)

Like those faithful to God in Isaiah's day, we should stay true to Christ and ignore the advice that would distract us from following him. –The Life Application Commentary Series

We are His “children” (Heb. 2:13).  Not only are believers His brethren, but we are also His children: “Behold I and the children which God hath given Me” (Heb. 2:13).

The Lord quoted Isaiah 8:18, which refers to the Prophet Isaiah and his unique sons who were given significant names (see Isa. 7:3; 8:1–4). But the ultimate reference is to Jesus Christ.

The thought is that we are members of a common family, acknowledging a common Father. If Jesus Christ had not come to earth and become man, He could not take us from earth to share in His glory. The Incarnation, Crucifixion, and Resurrection must go together. They all lead to glory for you and me.

The Conquest of God

Suffering was necessary to destroy Satan and the power of death (Heb. 2:14).

This exaltation, vaulting us far above the angels to be Christ’s brothers in God’s family, is also our deed to freedom. Satan, who held the power of death, was destroyed by Christ’s self-sacrifice. Now we are free.

By dying Christ was able to destroy …the devil. The author did not mean that Satan ceased to exist or to be active. Rather the word he used for “destroy” indicates the annulment of his power over those whom Christ redeems. –Bible Knowledge Commentary

Thus our greatest enemy has been subdued through Jesus Christ’s mighty Cross and resurrection! Christ did indeed suffer to demonstrate the character of God, to become the great Captain of our Salvation, to completely identify with the children of God, and to conquer Satan and his devices. Thus we are not alone in our pain…whatever it may be.

During the winter of 1777–78 the Continental Army of the rebelling American colonies shivered in Valley Forge while the British forces occupied and rested in Philadelphia. Conditions at Valley Forge were so miserable and supplies so inadequate that the desertion rate from the ranks of the Continentals exceeded the rate of arrival by new recruits.

The only reason the Continental Army survived at Valley Forge was because George Washington was with it. The impression Washington’s character had made on his men through months of service together inspired enough loyalty to keep the Continental Army intact and the British army bottled up.

Washington suffered with his men. He endured their privations and continually interceded with the Continental Congress for provisions and supplies. The troops in the huts who lacked boots, blankets, and food knew the General was their fellow-sufferer and champion with the powers-that-be.

Washington had come out of retirement to lead the Continental forces, and once the Revolution was successfully completed he tried to retreat once more to the beauty of Mount Vernon. (Source Unknown)

The letter to the Hebrews opened with grand assertions about the deity of the Son of God, His role in sustaining all of creation, and His superiority over the angels as the Revealer of the Father to humanity. This tribute of praise set the stage for the main idea Hebrews wants to express about the Son. This awesome Being has shared human nature and experience so fully that He is both Jesus the Son of God and the Son of Man. Hebrews emphasizes the genuine humanity of Jesus as well as Christ’s deity. It was this unique combination of humanity and deity that enabled Him to be both our Savior and our High Priest. Hebrews 4:15 states, “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.”

Whatever the test, pain, or form of suffering you are facing; turn to Jesus Christ the Son of God—the Son of Man. Why? Because He knows all pain fully, deeply, and pervasively! As the suffering Savior he understands. As our Great High Priest He provides help at our moment of need. You are not alone in your pain. Christ is with you in all of them. No, He does not shield us from all suffering…He instead uses pain to make us more like Himself. God uses suffering to prepare us for leadership and greater responsibility. Remember your destiny is glory through Jesus Christ! Trust Him with what hurts…. Approach Him with complete confidence in His unique ability to strengthen and sustain you through the ugliest and worst this broken world can belch out at us.

Yes, it is time to stop looking to temporary fixes, quick fixes, cheap substitutes, and mere brooding…. Step out of the darkness and enter the fellowship of grace, love, and power Jesus Christ affords those who trust Him with their pain.