Yet it was our weaknesses he carried;
it was our sorrows that weighed him down…
The LORD laid on him the sins of us all.
Isaiah 53:4-6 (NLT)
Yesterday, my son and I were talking about God and suffering. He was telling me his friend doesn’t believe in God. His friend’s logic is that if there was a God, He would do something about all the pain and suffering in this world, He would intervene when children suffer for no apparent reason.
Today’s passage sheds some light on this topic; if God doesn’t care, why would He send His only Son, Jesus, to suffer with us, to endure in His own being all the pain, suffering, infirmities, and sins of the world? If anyone understands pain firsthand, it’s Jesus. If anyone coped with rejection, it’s Jesus (verse 3). If anyone understands sorrow, it’s Jesus (note that Jesus didn’t heal or resurrect his earthly father but endured the grief of losing a loved one). If anyone suffered injustice, it’s Jesus. If anyone understands pain, it’s Jesus.
I suggested to my son that his friend probably does believe in God but doesn’t want any part of Him because he is angry at God. I understand that sentiment, yet God is anything but indifferent, fickle, callous, or cruel. He’s not heartless, nor does He look the other way. On the contrary, God is a loving heavenly Father. He cares so much that He sent His beloved Son to bear the punishment we deserve. And one day, He will bring justice to our broken world.
Are you hurting? Talk to Jesus. He knows exactly what you’re going through because He’s already been there. That, my friends, is what Christmas is about. It’s God, coming down to our sin-riddled world, to take on Himself our sin and our pain. If anyone cares, it’s Jesus.
Thought: “Jesus’ coming is the final and unanswerable proof that God cares.” – William Barclay
For further reading:
- John 3:16
- 1 Peter 2:24
- 1 John 2:2
- 1 Peter 3:18