The Suffering of Jesus Christ

“The fleetest beast to bear you to perfection is suffering”
― Master Eckhardt (German Theologian)

Jesus understands suffering deeply and does not teach us to avoid or ignore it. Instead, He calls us to maintain our faith in the midst of it. While we may not always prevent hardships, we do have a choice in how we respond to them.

We can approach our struggles with a positive outlook, drawing on divine insight and perspectives. Through faith, we gain the strength to face difficulties not as defeats but as opportunities to grow, trusting that God is with us, even in the darkest moments. This perspective transforms suffering from something meaningless into a pathway for greater faith and resilience.

Five Absolute Truths:

God is Almighty
God is Loving
God is All-wise and all-knowing
God is Eternal
Satan and evil exists

Atheists and sceptics often acknowledge the first two absolute truths about God—that He is omnipotent and loving—and then ask, “If God is all-powerful and loving, why does He allow pain, suffering, and sorrow?” This question can lead some to conclude that because evil and suffering persist, God must not exist. Yet, in making this conclusion, they inadvertently affirm that evil does indeed exist. If evil exists, would it not eventually consume everything if there were no opposing force of good to balance or confront it?

God is not only omnipotent and loving; He is also all-wise and eternal. This means He sees beyond our limited perspective and works on a timeline far greater than we can comprehend. From His all-knowing, eternal perspective, the purpose of suffering may look profoundly different than it does to us. His wisdom implies a depth of understanding beyond our immediate experiences, calling us to trust that His purposes, even in suffering, are ultimately meaningful and redemptive. ^[1]

We Need Pain And Suffering

The inability to experience pain in a broken world is dangerous to our well-being. Physical pain alerts us to harm, protecting us from greater injury or even death. In the same way, emotional pain keeps us connected to our values and moral boundaries; without it, people can become unscrupulous, losing the empathy and conscience that guide ethical behavior.

Pain, though uncomfortable, also strengthens us and builds resilience. This idea is vividly illustrated in the animated film WALL-E, where robots do everything for humanity while people lie passively in chairs, gaining weight and mindlessly watching screens. Devoid of challenges, they become physically weak and emotionally detached. This portrayal captures the essential truth: without discomfort, growth stagnates, and we lose the capacity to thrive and adapt. Pain, when rightly understood, is not an enemy but a teacher.

No One Understands PAIN More Than JESUS

“He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.” (Isa. 53:3)

When we face hardship, it’s easy to start questioning our identity as God’s children, even doubting our standing before Him. Yet, Scripture shows us a different perspective. Jesus Himself, despite being God’s own Son, “learned obedience through suffering” (Heb. 5:8). His struggles didn’t shake His identity—they confirmed it.

Look at Job. Despite everything, he never wavered in his righteousness before God. He didn’t crumble or question his faith; instead, he boldly asked God for fairness and vindication. This isn’t about feeling distant from God in our suffering but understanding that it can clarify and strengthen who we are as His own, pushing us to trust and stand firm in faith.

Hebrews 5:8 tells us, “Though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered.”

Jesus leads the way for us on this path. But does this mean Jesus was full of sin? Absolutely not! Some people suffer as a result of their own sinful choices, but Christ’s suffering wasn’t because of any sin in Him—He was completely without sin (Heb. 4:14; Heb. 7:26; Heb. 9:14). His suffering was part of His obedience and love, showing us that hardship isn’t always punishment; sometimes, it’s the path to growth and purpose. Of all the suffering He faced growing up with sinful, disobedient, rebellious, hypocritical religious people, His ultimate suffering was the innocent punishment for our sins on the cross! He engaged this persecution with enduring faith.

“Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls.” (Heb. 12:2-3)

For faith to endure, it must be tested. Faith or love that’s never been through the fire doesn’t last.

As Mark 4:17 warns, “they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time. Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word’s sake, immediately they stumble.”

When we fall away, we risk forfeiting the eternity and riches that God has prepared for us in Christ.

Suffering Produces “Gold” Within Us

In this process, His perfect love shines through, showing us why we need suffering. It may be hard, but suffering strengthens us.

Psalm 66:12 says it well: “You have caused men to ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water; but You brought us out to rich fulfilment.”

Testing refines and roots us deeper in His promises, making our faith something that truly endures land are as precious as gold.

A powerful scripture on faith being refined like gold is found in 1 Peter 1:6-7:

“In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

The process of refining faith, like refining gold, brings out its true worth and lasting value.

“But He knows the way that I take; when He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold.” (Job 23:10)

Job speaks here to the transformative power of God’s testing, a refining process that brings forth purity and strength in faith.

“I will bring the one-third through the fire, will refine them as silver is refined, and test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘This is My people’; and each one will say, ‘The Lord is my God.” (Zechariah 13:9)

These verses emphasize that, like gold refined in the fire, our faith is purified and strengthened through trials, ultimately making us more resilient and more aligned with God’s purposes.

Suffering makes you a good author

The process of attaining authorship is set forth in the Heb 5:8.

Many people who try their hand at authorship fails, because they share information that has not yet been tested by means of their own experiences. These books have no authority, and weightiness, and have no staying power.

This verse reveals hidden steps we all must take to become perfected in order to author something that is useful for others.

Sound mind
Waiting
Obedience
Perfection
Authorship
Suffering Is Gain

Be Thankful and Rejoice in Spite of Suffering

Let us read and meditate on these following verses on how we need to actually become thankful for suffering, hardships, tests, trials, persecutions, and adversity.

“In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been [a]grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not [seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls.” (1 Pet. 1:6-9)

Paul rejoices in suffering:

“And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance.” (Rom. 5:3)

“And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” (2 Cor. 12:9)

“I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church.” (Col. 1:24)

Paul Boasts in his Suffering

“…so that we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure.” (2 Thes. 1:4)

“Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (Matt. 5:12)

“Yes, and if I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all.” (Phil. 2:17)

“Great is my boldness of speech toward you, great is my boasting on your behalf. I am filled with comfort. I am exceedingly joyful in all our tribulation.” (2 Cor. 7:4)

“…that in a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded in the riches of their liberality.” (2 Cor. 8:2)

“…but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.” (1 Pet. 4:13)

“My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials…” (James 1:2)

“So they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name.” (Acts 5:41)

“…rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer.” (Rom. 12:12)

God Is Sovereign

From a biblical-theological perspective, the sovereignty of God is the bedrock of all reality, encompassing His absolute authority, freedom, and control over creation. Scripture presents God as the ultimate source and sustainer of all things, wielding unchallenged power in the physical world and guiding history and human events. As we see in texts like Daniel 4:35:

“God does according to His will in the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth, and no one can ward off His hand or say to Him, ‘What have You done?”

This sovereignty is not capricious but is bound to His nature, revealing a God who governs with wisdom, justice, and mercy, always directing creation toward His redemptive purposes. The Psalms echo this view, declaring that God “rules over the nations” (Ps. 22:28) and, “works all things according to the counsel of His will” (Eph. 1:11). Yet, God’s sovereignty also involves mystery, as He allows human freedom and suffering to exist within His greater purposes.

The biblical narrative does not depict God as detached but as deeply involved, where His plans are ultimately fulfilled in Christ’s work on the cross, demonstrating His power through sacrificial love and opening the way for His ultimate victory over sin and death. In this way, God’s sovereignty is an assurance of His control over all things and a profound invitation to trust in His unfailing, redemptive purposes.

“I know that You can do everything, and that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You.” (Job 42:2)

“So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy.” (Rom. 9:16)

“…For the world is Mine, and all its fullness.” (Ps. 50:10-12)

God is in control of everything, but He does not control everything:

“‘Now see that I, even I, am He, And there is no God besides Me; I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal; Nor is there any who can deliver from My hand.” (Deut. 32:39)

“The Lord kills and makes alive; He brings down to the grave and brings up. The Lord makes poor and makes rich; He brings low and lifts up. He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the beggar from the ash heap, to set them among princes and make them inherit the throne of glory. “For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s, and He has set the world upon them.” (1 Sam. 2:6-8)

“Whatever the Lord pleases He does, In heaven and in earth, In the seas and in all deep places.” (Ps. 135:6)

“I form the light and create darkness, I make peace and create calamity; I, the Lord, do all these things.” (Isa. 45:7)

“What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? Certainly not! For He says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion.” So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who shows mercy…” (Rom. 9:14-24)

The sovereignty of God is deeply comforting because it assures us that we are not ultimately responsible for the universe’s direction or burdened with understanding every mystery. Acknowledging that we are not God frees us from the impossible task of trying to control or predict life’s outcomes—a relief when we realize that God, in His wisdom and goodness, holds all things together. We see this comfort clearly in passages like Isaiah 55:8-9, where God says,

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways…as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways.”

This distinction between God and humanity allows us to rest in His greater perspective and perfect plans.

Unlike the limitations of human strength and wisdom, God’s sovereignty means that every event, joyful or painful, fits into a larger purpose that we can trust, even when it surpasses our understanding. It also reassures us that our weaknesses and failures are not final because God can fully redeem our lives beyond our efforts.

Psalm 46:10 invites us into this comfort:

“Be still, and know that I am God.”

The sovereignty of God, then, is not about rigid control but about a loving Father guiding His creation, offering peace and strength through life’s uncertainties and reminding us that we are safe in His eternal, unshakable hands.

When Suffering is God’s Provision

Jordan B. Peterson often discusses suffering as an inevitable and even necessary part of the human experience, tied to responsibility, meaning, and redemption. He argues an axiomatic premise found in scripture numerous times, but as an example, both Joseph and Jesus had to endure profound suffering to bring about redemption—not just for themselves, but for others. This reflects a universal principle: meaningful sacrifice in the face of suffering is fundamental to the survival and flourishing of humanity.

Joseph, betrayed and sold by his brothers, endured years of hardship and imprisonment before he could rise to a position that allowed him to save many lives, including his family’s, from famine. His suffering was transformed into something redemptive not only because of his strength and character but also because he accepted his suffering without bitterness, understanding that it had a purpose beyond his personal story. Similarly, Jesus’ suffering on the cross became the ultimate act of sacrificial love, providing a pathway to redemption for all. In both stories, suffering is not merely an unfortunate byproduct of existence but a transformative force—through sacrifice and endurance, what is most deeply meaningful emerges.

This principle speaks to a universal truth: willingly enduring hardship with a sense of purpose and responsibility has the power to redeem not only the individual but also the community and even humanity itself.

“And Joseph said to his brothers, “Please come near to me.” So they came near. Then he said: “I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into Egypt. But now, do not therefore be grieved or angry with yourselves because you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life. For these two years the famine has been in the land, and there are still five years in which there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. And God sent me before you to preserve a posterity for you in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So now it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.” (Gen. 45:4-8)

“”Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know— Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death;” (Acts 2:22-23)

“…For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be done.” (Acts 4:23-30)

Suffering Is Caused By:

My sin (Rom. 3:23),
Someone else’s sin (Jer. 32:19),
The sinfulness and consequent brokenness of mankind and Earth (Rom. 8:20),
Suffering that God directly allows as a discipline (Heb. 12:5-11),
Obedience as a result of Satanic Persecution: Our good deeds are not ours only so that we escape persecution, tribulation, and suffering (Phil. 1:29; 1 Pet. 3:17).

Knowing the cause of my suffering does not remove it; I may just gain more perspective on how to prevent recurrence. Therefore, time must be used to the maximum to find a practical solution in the Lord. “What do you want me to do, Lord?” Hence, the phrase in Heb 5:8 “He learned obedience by the things He suffered.” We do not suffer for suffering sake, we are also not masochistic and love pain, we are purely seeking to redeem suffering for God’s glory.

How To Handle Suffering

Four Apostolic Prayers:

“For I think that God has displayed us, the apostles, last, as men condemned to death; for we have been made a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to men. We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are distinguished, but we are dishonored! To the present hour we both hunger and thirst, and we are poorly clothed, and beaten, and homeless. And we labor, working with our own hands. Being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we endure; being defamed, we entreat. We have been made as the filth of the world, the offscouring of all things until now.” (1 Cor. 4:9-13)

“But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed— always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So then death is working in us, but life in you.” (2 Cor. 4:7-12)

“But in all things we commend ourselves as ministers of God: in much patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses, in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in fastings; by purity, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by sincere love, by the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, by honor and dishonor, by evil report and good report; as deceivers, and yet true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold we live; as chastened, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.” (2 Cor. 6:4-10)

“Are they ministers of Christ?—I speak as a fool—I am more: in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often. From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness— besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches.” (2 Cor. 11:23-28)

Every time I read these four passages of Scripture, self-pity, bitterness, resentment, blame, and excuses vanish in the light of these unshakable pillars of truth. These verses list antidotes, solutions and keys to transcend and overcome suffering and adversary.

ACTIONS the righteous believer can take to redeem hardship, suffering, and adversity, based on these four passages:

Embrace humility in service: Accept being seen as “fools for Christ” and endure dishonor, even when others are esteemed (1 Cor. 4:9-13).
Bless in response to insult: When reviled, choose to bless instead of retaliating (1 Cor. 4:12).
Persevere under persecution: Endure mistreatment and hardship, including hunger, thirst, and homelessness, without losing faith (1 Cor. 4:11-13).
Encourage through suffering: When defamed, respond with encouragement and gentleness (1 Cor. 4:13).
Hold to resilience under pressure: Remain unbroken even when hard-pressed, perplexed, persecuted, or struck down, knowing God’s strength sustains us (2 Cor. 4:8-9).
Reveal Christ’s life through sacrifice: Carry suffering as a testimony, reflecting Christ’s sacrifice so His life may be seen through ours (2 Cor. 4:10-11).
Display patience and steadfastness: Demonstrate patience in trials, including tribulations, needs, distresses, and even imprisonment (2 Cor. 6:4-5).
Live with purity and integrity: Show purity, knowledge, long-suffering, and kindness, empowered by the Holy Spirit and genuine love (2 Cor. 6:6).
Stay rooted in truth and righteousness: Stand firm by the “word of truth” and “armor of righteousness”, whether honored or dishonored, praised or criticized (2 Cor. 6:7-8).
Rejoice amidst sorrow: Even in sorrow, choose joy, and in poverty, enrich others with spiritual wealth (2 Cor. 6:10).
Endure physical and emotional trials: Withstand physical hardships, including beatings, shipwrecks, and dangers of all kinds, alongside daily concern for others’ well-being (2 Cor. 11:23-28).

What Develops In Suffering?

Jesus becomes an author, thus an authority to be able to speak or publish in terms of that which He learned during His obedience (Heb. 5:8-9).

We also see this in life:

Those who continue following Jesus and obey His teachings through suffering carry a spiritual authority that’s almost tangible. You can feel it when they speak; they resonate with a depth that only hardship can produce.

Suffering grounds you, driving your roots deeper and anchoring your character. Jesus’ death and resurrection gave Him the Name above all names (Eph. 1:20-21), but His suffering also forged a spiritual authority that commands reverence. Persevering in faith through adversity imparts the same kind of authority. Like experts in any field, those with spiritual authority have paid a high price—they’ve endured, trusted, and obeyed, often without immediate results.

In life, we wrestle with challenges and search for answers, trying, failing, and persevering. We keep pushing forward, not always seeing the fruit of our labor immediately, but growing in the process. This is how God shapes us. The way up is often the way down: first, the foundation—the hidden, unseen groundwork of character—and then the visible structure. Just like a building relies on its foundation to withstand storms, we need strong roots if we’re to endure life’s tempests.

Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 4:17-18 remind us:

“For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen.”

Hardships shape an eternal foundation in us.

Joseph’s suffering prepared him to lead when the time came. Paul’s struggles gave him the insight and depth to write much of the New Testament. In God’s kingdom, authority and wisdom are forged in the fires of adversity, producing the strength to stand—and the power to speak with depth and conviction.

A Poem

Pain and Suffering

My two companions

The agents of change

God is placing in my life!

I want to allow Him

to do this work in me

through them

Why then is it so tough?

Don’t I trust?

Oh, to submit to the process of God in my life …

to let go of the past

To partake of the new …

To allow the Holy Spirit

To be the interior decorator

of my heart

Why is it so difficult?

What is holding me back?

Fear and pride, they are no friends of mine,

Have come to visit once again

I think I would like to trade them for

humility and meekness …

In them there is a rhythm of grace

Where we will be safe

The cost is high … It’s everything …

denying of self … death to self and my own will …

I consider the cost …

let it be with me according to Your word,

Your will!

~ Chantál Oosthuizen

(2 July 2014 at 21:51)

^[1] Zacharias, R. and Vitale, V. (n.d.). Why suffering?.