Our Suffering Savior

Our Suffering Sa= vior Isaiah 53:= 3-7; John 19: 14-19

Isaiah 53:3-7 (= KJV) ^{3He
is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grie=
f:
and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed =
him
not. ⁴Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our
sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. &nb=
sp;⁵But
he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: t=
he
chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.=}

⁶All= we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and t= he LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. ⁷He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought= as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.

John 19:14-19 (NIV)&= nbsp; ¹⁴It was the day of Preparation of Passover Week, about the sixth hour. "Here is your king," Pilate said to the Jews. ¹⁵= But they shouted, "Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!" "Shall I crucify your king?" Pilate asked. &quo= t;We have no king but Caesar," the chief priests answered. ^{16Finally
Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified.}

So = the soldiers took charge of Jesus. ¹⁷Carrying his own cross, he went= out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha). ¹⁸Here they crucified him, and with him two others— one on each side and Jesus in the middle. <= /span> ¹⁹Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS. _________________

On this Palm Sunday, = the last Lord’s Day before Easter, a day when our children help us celebr= ate Jesus’ royal entry into Jerusalem, we’re also remembering that before that Holy Week ended, Jesus was crucified. At the heart of the Christian faith, there stands a cross—a painful reminder that while Jesus is our risen Lord and King, He is also “Our Suffering Savior.”

Yea= rs ago, a group of Christian missionaries had an audience with Gandhi. They met with him to explain the w= ork they were doing in India<= /st1:place>. As the meeting drew to a close, Ga= ndhi asked them to sing for him. He specifically requested that they sing the hymn that best expressed what they believed.

They chose to sing this hymn: "When I survey the wondrous cross, on wh= ich the Prince of Glory died, my richest gain I count but loss, and pour contem= pt on all my pride." <= /o:p>

I i= nvite you to listen as our wonderful choir sings this poignant and powerful hymn.= Allow its message to grab hold of = your heart and to fill you with gratitude for what Christ suffered for you and m= e.

ANTHEM: WHEN I SURVEY THE WOND= ROUS CROSS

The= re are many who consider that to be the greatest hymn ever written. When we understand that God’= s Son, Jesus, because of His great love for us, chose to suffer the cross, we real= ize that He truly does deserve ‘our souls, our lives, our all.’

Ear= lier we read a passage from the prophet Isaiah.&nb= sp; Hundreds of years before Jesus came, Isaiah said this Savior that Go= d was going to send would have to suffer.

Lis= ten again to how Isaiah describes this suffering: “…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 53:5)

God= did not send His Son to be born into a royal family and a life of ease. Instead, He chose for His Only Beg= otten to learn what it’s like to be poor, and to spend long hours working as a carpenter; to know the hurt of being treated unfairly—having bad thin= gs happen to Him that He didn’t deserve—being arrested for and convicted of crimes He didn’t commit.

Con= demned to a cross, He felt pain and suffering beyond anything that we will ever kn= ow. As Isaac Watts expressed in words t= hat can bring tears to our eyes--as the blood flowed from Jesus’ body, “sorrow and love flow mingled down”--which reminds us that, str= ange as it seems, love and suffering often flow together and are actually insepa= rable.

Hav= e you ever heard anyone say, "God must not love me or I wouldn’t be going through this…if God really loved us, He wouldn’t let us suffer = like this?" Sure, you’ve heard that.

But then we look at the cross and discover there that the opposite is true. Love and suffering do go together. In fact, the more w= e love, the more likely we are to suffer. Many times, loving leads directly to suffering. I’ll try to explain.
If you love your wife or your husband, your sister or brother, or a close friend, you’ll likely suffer with them through some painful experienc= es. If you bring children into the worl= d, you’ll suffer with them, too. Because you love them and care abou= t what happens in their lives, you’ll suffer some whenever they encounter hu= rts and rejections and failures. =

I c= annot begin to tell you how many times I’ve heard a distraught mother or fa= ther say, “I would do anything to take the place of my suffering child—to take the hurt off of them and put it on myself.” And every time I hear it, I envisi= on God nodding in complete sympathy--in total understanding. He knows where that parent is comi= ng from. He’s been there&#= 8230;done that!

The Bible says, "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and o= nly Son." (John 3:16) Later = it says, "This is love; not that we loved God, but that He loved us and s= ent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins." (1 John 4:10)

The= greater the love, the greater the suffering. And the greatest love of all, and t= hus the deepest suffering of all, is God’s.

Dor= othy Sayers, reflecting on the problem of suffering in our world, observed that = at least God plays fair in the game of life. For whatever reason God chose to ma= ke man with these limitations and to subject him to suffering and sorrow and death, God also had the courage to take His own medicine, and play by His own rule= s.

He&= #8217;s fair. "Fair" is one of those w= ords we often hear when good people are suffering. We hear, "That’s not fai= r! It’s not fair that he or she = has gone through this--that their family has had to endure such a tragic loss&#= 8230;. It’s not fair.”

True enough--just as it’s not fair that Jesus Christ should come into this world He created, and have the very people to whom He gave the gift of life laugh at Him, mock Him, spit upon Him, and brutally beat him and nail Him t= o a cross. Christ endured the ult= imate unfairness when He suffered and died for our sin.

Som= eone asked C.S. Lewis, “Why do the righteous suffer?” “Why not?” he replied.= “They’re the ones who c= an take it!” The reason the righteous can take it is they have confidence that God knows them, that He = loves them, and that His grace is sufficient for their needs—even when life= is unfair.”

Som= etimes the things that seem most unfair happen to people who live the best and love the most—like Jesus. An= d like some people who follow Jesus no matter what it costs them. Mother Teresa, for example, spent = most of her life working in the streets of Calcutta, one of the most desperately impoverished places on earth.

She= was well into her eighties and could have been back home enjoying the rest and = comfort she deserved. Yet she chose to remain in Calcutta= serving the poor until she died. When asked about it, she explained = it like this: "I am just a tiny pencil in the hand of God as He writes His love letter to the world."

God= has written many love letters to us through the care and sacrifices of others. Jesus is the greatest example of this. “Our Suffering Savior” is God’s best love letter of all. Take a look with me now at Jesus&#= 8217; suffering as we spend a moment ‘surveying His wondrous cross’ a= nd hearing His message to us from that cross.

1. = Picture, if you will, Jesus hanging there in agony.= He’s praying, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." (Luke 23:34)

Som= etimes people caught up in the pain and problems of life become bitter. They get angry at the world, or at = God, maybe at the church, or their pastor. They may lash out at family members or others.

But Jesus shows us how to let go of any bitterness we harbor over the tragic things that happen to us in life. When you and I choose to let go of the anger, we know where our stre= ngth comes from, don’t we? It comes from Jesus, who said in the midst of His suffering, “Father, forgive them.”

2. = Then Jesus turned to the thief on the cross beside Him and said, "Today you will = be with me in Paradise." (Luke 23:43)<= span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'>

One= of the greatest temptations in suffering is to become so self-centered that we can only think of our own needs. = Yet, Jesus teaches us to be sensitive to those who are around us, even when we’r= e having to deal with personal pain.

Hav= e you ever gone to minister to someone, and they ministered to you? You wanted to make them feel bette= r, but instead, you were the one whose spirit felt lifted. Sometimes we get so self-absorbed = over even the smallest of problems; but when we refuse to allow our stuff to get= in the way of our concern for others—that, friends, is one of the ways t= hat we can be like Jesus!

3. Next, to His mother, Mary, and to John, Jesus said from the cross, “‘Dear woman, here is your son,’ and to His disciple, ‘Here is your mother.’" (John 19:26-27)

Eve= n as Jesus was dying, He did not forget His family. He remembered His mother--the care= she would need in the future. I think this says that = Christ offers us the strength to focus on our families and on other important peop= le in our lives—even when we may be already hurting and feeling over-bur= dened.

4. = Let’s continue. Jesus said, "M= y God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Mark 15:34)

Now= , those are hard words. I’m tha= nkful, though, that Jesus didn’t sugar-coat what he was going through. He was wonderfully kind and focuse= d on those around Him, but He was also honest about what He was experiencing.

Whe= n we suffer, when we’re sick or we lose somebody we love, there may be times of loneliness—feelings of alienation from God or others. We may also feel forsaken, as Jesus= did, or get angry. We may hurt so = bad that we wonder if we can stand it. <= /span>

In = those awful moments, be honest about what you’re feeling. Always tell God—He already k= nows, but tell Him anyway. And tell= a trusted friend as well. Nobody needs to keep all that hurt inside. It’s going to find a way to come out! You might as well share it.

5. Jesus’ fifth statement from the cross is, "I am thirsty."= ; (John 19:28) One of the hardest thi= ngs to accept when we’re suffering is our inability to care for ourselves. <= span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> It is often my privilege to witness= an outpouring of caring when people in this congregation are hurting—pra= yers, expressions of concern, meals for the family, and more!

But= we’re not perfect in our ministries of caring.&n= bsp; It’s entirely possible for us to miss your need or overlook yo= ur pain, so please don’t be afraid to tell us--to state your need clearl= y—to let us know when you’re “thirsty.”

6. = "It is finished," Jesus said. (John 19:30) His suffering on the cross was just= about over now. Death was near.

You= know, one day our sufferings will be over too. Thank God, the pain doesn’t l= ast forever. The apostle Paul wrote, "I consider that our present sufferings are no= t worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us" (Romans 8:18).

For= now, it may take patience and long-suffering, combined with lots of prayer and encouragement and talking it all through with a trusted friend…in ord= er for our pain to finally end.

But= God also promises that one day “He will wipe every tear from our eyes. There will be no more death or mou= rning or crying or pain, for the old order of things is passed away.” (Revelation 21:4) One day, our suffering will be…finished!

7. = So here’s the final word “Our Suffering Savior” speaks from the cross: &q= uot;Father, into your hands I commit my spirit" (Luke 23:46). If our lives are in the FatherR= 17;s hands, if we’ve placed our faith in Him and in what He has done for us through His Son, Jesus Christ, then we know that death is not the last word= .

Sur= e, when it strikes in a way that seems unfair and untimely, we question it, and we = fight against it. It’s still = “the enemy,” the very last enemy we’ll ever have to face! But if our lives are in Christ, th= ey’re secure; and we know death doesn’t have to be feared.

In = fact, for Christians, death is when love wins its final victory over suffering. It’s when our hopes are fulf= illed and faith becomes sight. It&#= 8217;s when our Lord comes to take us home.

No = more battles to fight, hurts to endure, or crosses to bear. Then we can say along with the Apo= stle Paul: “I = have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the cr= own of righteousness…” (II Tim. 4:7-8a)

Lov= e and suffering often go together here. But not forever, friends. Love’s victory over death is assured when we, by faith, commit= our spirits to God: “Into your hands, I commit my spirit.”

And= this is what it means to commit our spirits to God:
1) We accept by faith that when Christ died, it was so that our sins would = be forgiven and our death penalty be removed.
2) It means that we trust Him fully as our Savior and follow Him as the Lor= d in Whom we have found abundant and eternal life.

Is = Christ your Lord and Savior today? W= ill you trust Him now?