We left Cabo Wednesday and arrived in Tahoe, CA for a few more days of R&R. This is a pic of my study spot for the next few days.

He Gave More 

Isaiah 53, post #8 

Suffering goes way beyond physical pain. 

I have often wondered why Jesus had to suffer so much. Couldn’t He had just died for our sins? What we usually say is ‘I’m saved because Jesus died for me.’ Yes, He died for us but why all the suffering? The physical suffering was unfathomable and to add to that, His emotional suffering was so significant as well. 

So His appearance was marred more than any man and His form more than the sons of men. 

He was despised and forsaken of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and like one from whom men hide their face. 

But the Lord was pleased to crush Him, putting Him to grief. 

…He poured out Himself to death. 

We can divide His suffering into 3 categories: 

Pain of personal rejection 

1. Despised and forsaken, v 3 
2. People couldn’t look at Him. He was appalling to look at, v 3 
3. Despised and un-esteemed, v 3 
4. Condemned by oppression and judgement, v 8 
5. Considered a transgressor and criminal, v 8 

Emotional and spiritual suffering 

1. Filled with sorrow and grief, v 3 
2. He bore our griefs and sorrows 
3. He endured the anguish of His soul, v 11 
4. He bore the penalty of others
5. Smitten of God and afflicted, v 4

Physical suffering 

1. His appearance so marred He was unrecognizable, v 52:13 
2. He was so beaten that people hid their eyes from Him, v 3 
3.  He was cut off from the course of life, v 8
4. Pierce through, v 5 
5. Crushed, v 5 
6. Chastened, v 5 
7. Scrourged, v 5 
8. Endured the stroke (a blow or punishment) not deserved, but due to others, v 8 

Another consideration to ponder is the reality of how much Jesus suffered in the garden before He was even arrested and physically abused. Jesus was so emotionally distraught about the fierceness of His suffering and the weight of the sin of the world upon Him that He sweat drops of blood. Apparently, this is a medical possibility that is real but is obviously very rare. We have all endured stress. Some of us, extreme stress that debilitates our bodies. But to be so emotionally distraught as to sweat blood??? 

By the time of His arrest, late at night, the sweat drops of blood indicate He had suffered immense internal distress already. He must have been horrible to look at and physically exhausted, to say the least. In this state of mental anguish and physical exhaustion, He was arrested, beaten and abused throughout the night followed by a morning of trials, bloodthirsty calls for His death, and scrouging that takes one to the point of death. All this happened before being nailed to the cross. My words don’t even begin to describe the 20-hour experience of horror. 

Once again, I ask why? Why all the suffering? Why all the pain, physically, emotionally and spiritually, leading up to His last breath? More on this next time. 

Father, we are humbled to the core of our being. ‘Thank you’ doesn’t seem enough. But in our hearts, we know we can never do or say enough to deserve what You did for us. But you give and give and give and all we can do is accept it. And we do, with grateful and humble hearts. Amen!