Christianity offers us something no other world religion does: A God who understands suffering because he experienced it. In Jesus, God embodied human suffering; there is nothing about it he does not understand. When it comes to human suffering, Jesus gets it. He was persecuted by religious authorities. Abandoned by friends. Misunderstood, even by members of his own family. Bereaved by loss. He was hunted, arrested, falsely accused and executed as a common criminal.

Tim Keller has written, “In Christ, God took on flesh and bone and lived among a hurting humankind. In doing so, he showed a willingness to identify with human frailty and even die a humiliating, painful death, enduring not just immense physical pain, but the spiritual pain of utter separation from the Father as he absorbed hell itself (that is, separation from God) for humanity’s sake.  It is a comfort to know that God is not distant or indifferent, but present with us and able to identify with us in our suffering; however, this does not alleviate the frustration or fear that our suffering might be in vain, without any kind of purpose.”

Jesus denied himself the privileges that were his as God to fully embrace what it means to be human—and not just the best parts of humanity. According to the writer of Hebrews, “It was necessary for him to be made in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters, so that he could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. Then he could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people. Since he himself has gone through suffering and testing, he is able to help us when we are being tested.

• Hebrews 4:14-16 NLT “So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.”

When we suffer, we long for someone who understands and is able to comfort us. For the Christian, that is exactly what we have in Jesus.  He is the “man of sorrows, acquainted with grief,”[1] and he has promised to never leave us, nor forsake us,[2] and we are assured that nothing can separate us from his love.[3]

Rebecca McLaughlin reminds us, “it is an extraordinary thing to know that the God of all creation can be with us in our darkest moments. We are not alone in our pain. When we suffer, he suffers with us.”

[1] Isaiah 53:3

[2] Hebrews 13:5

[3] Romans 8:35-39