Righteous Through His Suffering..

(This is the second article in the series : A Scriptural Response To Suffering)

In our last post, we started to explore about suffering - the state of experience where one is submitted to, or forced to endure pain or distress. We saw the fact that in the beginning, God created a world without sin but due to the rebellion of man, sin entered this world and thus resulted in sorrow and pain and hence suffering started. We also looked at some of the Old Testament saints who went through pain and suffering in their lives and how they dealt with it. This article will talk about the greatest standard of suffering to look unto and follow, who is Jesus Christ himself.

In Psalms 22, we see that David makes one of the most tormented cry of all time and the same events mentioned in Psalms 22 is echoed through the suffering of Jesus at the time of his execution at the cross. The answer to David’s lament came many centuries later through the Son of David (In Mathew’s language) - Jesus Christ, whom God sent into this world as a permanent resolution to sin. On the cross, Jesus endured the greatest suffering and shame, any man could face on this earth. Christ’s hands and feet were pierced. His garments were divided among his enemies. Christ was stared at and derided. In fact, Christ uttered the very same words with which David opens psalm 22: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” thus identifying Himself with the suffering of David.

Due to sin, we were eternally separated from God and alienated from his presence. There was a wall of hostility between God and us and the Mosaic Law could not break that barrier. But in his sovereignty, God foreknew the sin and suffering of man which is why he sent his only begotten Son, Jesus Christ to put an end to sin. While Moses gave up the fame to be with the people of God, Christ - "the greater Moses" did not consider equality with God to cling onto but rather gave up his privileges to take the humble position of a servant and incarnated in this world. The King of whole earth humbled himself in perfect obedience to his father and died a criminal’s death on the cross. Christ went through all kinds of temptation and suffering while living on this earth.

The law could not save us and blood had to be shed to wash away our sins. The blood of bulls and goats were unable to save us but through the death of Christ, he reconciled us back to God and now we have peace with God (Romans 5:2). The Mosaic Law could not condemn sin but only the sinner because of the weakness in flesh. Hebrews 9:9 says – "The gifts and sacrifices offered in the tabernacle could not perfect the conscience of the worshipper." It could give the knowledge of our sins and our inability to overcome it.

So why did Jesus suffer? “It is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life” (Leviticus 17:11; cf. Hebrews 9:22). Jesus had to suffer because suffering is part of sacrifice, and Jesus was “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). Jesus’ physical abuse was part of the payment required to pay off the debt of our sins. “We were ransomed from our futile ways with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect” (1 Peter 1:18-19). So Christ suffered for our salvation so that we would have everlasting life. The suffering of Christ brought life to humanity.

Isaiah 53:3-5 – “He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.” The weight of our sin was so heavy but Christ bore it on the cross for us because of his sacrificial and selfless love for us. The glory of God was displayed through the atonement of Christ. He took the punishment of death as a penalty for our sins. He became willing to endure the pain and shame on our account. The sinless man took upon the sins of the entire world and died a substitutionary death on the Cross. Though it looked as a victory for his enemies, it was the death of Christ that actually triumphed victory over the powers of darkness and evil. It was a glorious win over the curse of sin. Galatians 3:13 says – “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us.”

He endured hunger, thirst, temptation, shame, persecution, nakedness, bereavement, betrayal, mockery, injustice, and death just for us. Though it was the peak point of suffering, the cross where Jesus suffered was the ultimate demonstration of Gods justice. And it was neither accidental nor happened by chance. But rather it was according to the Sovereign Plan of God. Acts 2:23 says – “This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men,[d] put him to death by nailing him to the cross.” Here we see the divine sovereignty and human will working hand by hand to accomplish Gods greater purpose. But death could not hold him and the grave could not keep him.

Acts 2:24 says – “But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.” God had a greater purpose, and Christ was raised for our justification. He defeated death by rising again. The death and resurrection of Christ was part of the ultimate salvation plan of God. He was ascended to the heavens and seated at the right hand of God interceding for us and he is coming back again as the King of Kings which is our future hope. Hebrews 2:18 says – “Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.”

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The suffering of Jesus Christ displayed the glory of God at the cross by redeeming us from sin and making us righteous in the sight of God.

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We are righteous before God because of the suffering of Jesus Christ. There was a judicial transfer that happened at the cross. As we read in Romans 5, Adams sin was charged to the entire human race and so we were all born in sin. But as death entered the world through Adam, so did life enter through Jesus Christ. And at the cross, our sins were charged onto Christ and he his righteousness was credited onto us. As a result, we became righteous in union with Christ. We are righteous in the sight of God not because of our works or our merits. It is through the union with Christ that God has declared us righteous! Through the death of Christ, he brought us peace so that we could be reconciled back to God and have fellowship with him.

What a selfless sacrifice did Christ make on the cross for each one of us? We were justified by the finished work of Jesus Christ through faith alone. Therefore we have been redeemed from the penalty of sin. Christ gained victory over the powers of sin and darkness. This is what exactly the law could not do but through Christ, we are more than conquerors. So what is the imperative or application for us from the suffering of Christ? This is the question we will come to in our final post.