Any truly intimate relationship requires that both parties
understand and identify with each other. Some of the most fulfilling
and satisfying friends we will ever have are those with whom similar
backgrounds and experiences have created a bonding almost beyond
belief.
Take just a moment to write on the line below the name of anyone
with whom you've had the experience of being able to understand
each other due to similar backgrounds or experiences:
This principle of intimacy has as much influence in our relationship
with Jesus Christ as in any other. In order for a complete bonding
to take place, He must understand us, and we must be able to identify
with Him.
The fact that He can identify with us is stated with great clarity
in the following verse from the Bible:
Although the fact of His identifying with us is an overwhelming
truth, it is not sufficient to assure intimacy. There must be
mutual identification. We must be able to feel with Him as well.
The Apostle Paul refers to this process in the following verse
when he writes:
Contained within the phrase "the fellowship of sharing
in His sufferings" Paul tells us his realization that he
would never know Christ intimately without also experiencing His
sufferings. Identification would be impossible without those experiences.
In spite of his knowing that suffering would be part of the process,
Paul says that there is nothing that he desires more than to be
intimate with this central Person of the entire universe.
As one reflects on His life, so much of Christ's sufferings came
as a direct result of His being born into a fallen world. He did
nothing to bring suffering upon Himself and still He suffered.
He felt hurt.
That last statement is very important before proceeding further.
Too often, Jesus can be viewed as an emotionless Person. His handling
of His grief and hurt was so mature that we are tempted to say,
"The only possible way that He could have responded the way
He did was for Him to have been emotionless." We lose so
much when we think in that manner. The emotion of hurt and pain
is AMORAL. It is not IMMORAL. Nowhere in the Bible does God ever
command "Thou shalt not hurt!" Hurting is part of our
humanity and our existence in a fallen world.
In contrast to our often faulty thinking, Isaiah 53:3 (pg. 625)
refers to Jesus as "a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering."
What would it take for you to label someone as "a man of
sorrows?" Jesus met all the qualifications! Too often we
have limited His humanity to feeling thirsty and tired. This study
desires to expand our understanding to hurting as well.
"How was Jesus feeling?" is the central question of
discussion within this presentation. This question is difficult
to answer if the reader has not yet experienced the pain referred
to in a given passage of Scripture. Nevertheless, as life proceeds
to bring us in contact with the death of a friend, the rejection
of our affections, or the pain of being the focal point of malicious
gossip, "the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings"
will have its desired effect.
We now read many verses from the Bible differently. We can feel
with Him in more and more situations. There is a bonding that
is occurring, and an intimacy that is developing.
For many of us, we longed for this closeness with Christ. We had
no idea what a painful process it would take in order for us to
arrive at that goal.
Yet along with Paul we realize that one day in heaven when all
suffering has ceased, there will only be one question that matters:
Paul knew that the intimacy he was gaining on earth through
pain could never be taken from him. Instead, that intimacy would
only continue its growth throughout eternity.
The following study has been designed to aid you in seeing your
own pain as building blocks for closeness in your relationship
with Christ. The bold print lists the pain-producing experiences
from the life of Christ. Below the listing are the verses from
the Bible containing the accounts of those experiences. Then there
are some blank lines for you to record your understanding of how
Jesus must have felt during that painful experience.
Since no reader has experienced all pain to this point in his/her life, some of the situations will be more difficult in seeking to understand and feel with Christ. Consequently, begin with those you have already experienced or are currently experiencing in your life. If you live long enough, you'll probably be able to relate to others later.
Luke 2:41-52 (pg. 866) ____________________________________________________
Mark 3:13-35 (pg. 846) ____________________________________________________
Mark 8:13-39 (pg. 851) ____________________________________________________
Luke 22:14-38 (pg. 890) ____________________________________________________
Luke 4:14-30 (pg. 867) First Rejection _________________________________________
Matthew 13:53-58 (pg. 826) Second Rejection ___________________________________
Mark 3:1-6 (pg. 845) _______________________________________________________
John 6:63-66 (pg. 902) _____________________________________________________
Matthew 26:55,56 (pg. 840) __________________________________________________
Matthew 14:1-14 (pg. 826) ___________________________________________________
John 11:1-44 (pg. 907) ______________________________________________________
Luke 14:1-6,16-24 (pg. 882) __________________________________________________
Matthew 23:37-39 (pg. 836) __________________________________________________
Matthew 14:1-14 (pg. 826) ___________________________________________________
John 9:30-41 (pg. 906) ______________________________________________________
Matthew 9:36,37 (pg. 821) ___________________________________________________
Mark 5:35-43 (pg. 848) ______________________________________________________
Luke 22:39-46 (pg. 891) _____________________________________________________
Luke 22:54-62 (pg. 891) _____________________________________________________
Luke 22:47,48 (pg. 891) _____________________________________________________
Luke 23:13-25 (pg. 892) _____________________________________________________
Matthew 16:21-23 (pg. 829) __________________________________________________
Matthew 26:6-13 (pg. 839) ___________________________________________________
Matthew 26:52-54 (pg. 840) __________________________________________________
Mark 14:32-42 (pg. 859) _____________________________________________________
Psalm 22:6-18 (pg. 467) _____________________________________________________
Matthew 27:39-44 (pg. 842) __________________________________________________
Matthew 26:27-31 (pg. 839) __________________________________________________
May God continue to bring each of us closer to the maturity showed
by the Apostle Paul when he said