Pain

 Last Wednesday started the season of Lent - a time of preparation and focus on the work of Christ on Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday.  As I reflect on the work of Christ I have been reading the gospels and the records of the crucifixion and the events that lead up to it.  When I read these texts, I am reminded of the immense pain that Jesus went through to save us from our sin and sinfulness.  I want to simply remind us today of some of the pain.

Physical Pain - Jesus endured a whipping that was designed to nearly kill a man.  He was beaten.  He had a robe placed on open wounds and then taken off.  He had a crown of thorns slammed on his head.  He had nails pounded through his hands and feet.  And all of this was just the prelude to the real torture.

Emotional Pain - Jesus correctly predicted that his closest followers would abandon him.  He knew and experienced the betrayal and denial of Peter.  He was weeping over Jerusalem even upon the triumphal entry.  

Spiritual Pain - Jesus experienced total isolation from God His Father.  He was forsaken.  He was punished because of our sins.  He bore the literal weight of all of our sins on the cross.  

The pain of death - Jesus surrendered Himself to die.  He was God incarnate.  God eternal.  Death was not a part of what He should have had to endure, and yet he became one of us and was willing to die as one of us so that we could live.

What a Savior we serve who was willing to go through so much pain.