“Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.”
Isaiah 53:1-5
God’s encouragement…
As we contemplate the upcoming journey through Holy Week, we remember the darkness that covered the world as Jesus hung upon the cross. When we ponder that darkness and why He hung there, we realize how deeply Jesus understands our humanity.
Like us, Jesus knows thirst, hunger and weariness. He knows the grief that comes when a loved one dies. Jesus knows what it is to serve people who do not appreciate it. He knows what it is to be ridiculed. Jesus knows what it is to be labeled by others, including being called insane or demon possessed. He knows what it is to be tempted. Jesus knows how to resist temptation. He knows the weight of expectation placed on Him by others. Jesus knows that He is the only begotten Son of God, but despite this, He is not what the people want. Jesus knows the pain of being rejected for who He is, betrayed by a friend and denied by another. He knows unimaginable physical suffering and pain. Jesus knows what it is to be arrested, lied about, scourged—and crucified—for something He did not do. He knows the emotional suffering of being forsaken by His Father.
Remember always that Jesus knows hell to give us heaven through Himself.
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Image: original pastel and color pencil drawing by Robin Lybeck: He Knows
