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A man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief.

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“Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered.”
(Hebrews 5:8 KJV)

It is always consoling to us to behold the footsteps of our Lord. When we see him tried, we cheerfully submit to the like trial. When we perceive that in this case an exception to the rule of chastening might have been expected, and yet none was made, we are encouraged to bear our sufferings patiently.

When we see the great Elder Brother put to more rather than less of trial, we are fully drawn to obey the will of God by submission.

Remember:

I. Sonship does not exempt from suffering.

  1. Not even Jesus, as a Son, escaped suffering.
    He was the Son, peculiarly, and above all others.
    He was the honoured and beloved first-born.
    He was the faithful and sinless Son.
    He was soon to be the glorified Son in an eminent sense.
  2. No honour put upon sons of God will exempt them from suffering.
  3. No holiness of character, nor completeness of obedience, can exempt the children of God from the school of suffering.
  4. No prayer of God’s sons, however earnest will remove every thorn in the flesh from them.
  5. No love in God’s child, however fervent, will prevent his being tried.

The love and wisdom of God ensure the discipline of the house for all the heirs of heaven without a single exception.

II. Suffering does not mar sonship.

The case of our Lord is set forth as a model for all the sons of God.

  1. His poverty did not disprove his Sonship. Luke 2:12
  2. His temptations did not shake his Sonship. Matthew 4:3
  3. His endurance of slander did not jeopardize it. John 10:36
  4. His fear and sorrow did not put it in dispute. Matthew 26:39
  5. His desertion by men did not invalidate it. John 16:32
  6. His being forsaken of God did not alter it. Luke 23:46
  7. His death cast no doubt thereon. Mark 15:39
    He rose again, and thus proved his Father’s pleasure in him. John 20:17

Never was there a truer, or lovelier, or more beloved Son than the chief of all sufferers. “A man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief.”

Comments

    • This is so powerful. It reminds me of how petty my complaints are and that as a citizen of the United States of America I do not have the remotest idea of what true suffering is. I say this regarding my personal life. Thank you Spurgeon and Blue letter Bible for reminding me that even though I do have trials in my life God is sufficient and to always remember the blessings that God has provided.

    • My brother,
      I agree with you! Please pray this for me as I will pray this for you. “Lord, grant us glad hearts even through the pains and judgements of this world. Please bless my brother in such a way that he knows he is in the center of Your will and joy. Please reach people through Him so as to cause them to hunger after the sweetness and beauty of your precious Word. Matthew 5:6 May God touch your life with lasting encouragement this week for His glory”

  2. It would be wrong of me to say I have suffered in any capacity comparable to my Lord. By His grace I have only had to endure small difficulties.

    • What i appreciate most about suffering in Christ, is that “His grace is sufficient.” I am so thankful that while i am suffering He continues giving me graces; unmerited favors in all situations, circumstances and concerns, that i should not nor deserve to receive, so much so that i can’t develop an agrument to complain. Chief among his graces is the peace i have while suffering.

  3. I believe any minor amount of suffering we may go through in order to be a child of God is nothing in regard to what Jesus suffered for us. He did not have to do it. Could we possibly even imagine to be able to love people we have never known or met enough to give our life for them? Especially when most of these people despise you anyway.
    I am part of a group that sings gospel music. We are constantly rideculed, and pushed aside because of it. If we sang worldly music we would be rich by now. But because we choose to sing for Christ even a lot of churches don’t want you to sing for them. We don’t charge anything to sing anywhere, just ask for love offering and have been blessed greatly for it. We have a motto; He died for us, we sing for Him. He didn’t charge us to die for our sins, so we shouldn’t charge to sing and be witness for Him. Ther is no amount of money that could buy salvation.
    So, whatever I may suffer for Him I will gladly endure to be an overcomer.

  4. Thank you, Jesus, for being so faithful to get me through my little periods of upheaval in my little life. Thank you for helping me overcome my tiny trials that have the power to knock me over. I am grateful for this electronic source of information that reminds me of the Lord every day and in every way.

  6. This message of suffering like our Savior is what all true believers in America really need. We have been taught to be consumers by our culture and promised fulfillment for our sacrifices (of money and labor). But where our treasures of time and money are – that is where our heart is. When we really begin to identify with Christ’s sufferings and love those He loves…even our enemies…then we will see His resurrection power in the Church of America. (I’m preaching to myself too!)

  8. Thanks for this post. Refreshing to read this. There seems to be a “wind of doctrine” sweeping through my neck of the woods that says that all sickness is of the devil and is not God’s will. An examination at the life of Jesus and his subsequent followers certainly dispels that notion!

    • Is sickness then the will of God? Is sickness of Satan? Is it both?

      Is “sickness is evil or from Satan” a “wind of doctrine” or Biblical teaching? Is sickness a part of Biblical suffering for Christ? If sickness is of God or part of His will, why did Jesus a perfect manifestation of the will of the Father spend so much of His ministry healing people of their physical ailments? Why do we see God’s people with physical problems?

      These are all questions I have heard asked. How do I teach God’s word, which contains so much about natural healing, that it may be His will for them to bear a disease?

      Anyone have the answers?

      • Rob, I can’t answer this from a doctrinal standpoint. But I can make an observation from scripture. Jesus did only what His father told him to do. He himself said “I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.” John 5:30. When Jesus healed the man at the pool Bethesda, He did not heal all of the sick by the pool. (John 5:2-8) However, another time, when He healed Peter’s mother-in-law of her sickness, scripture says that later that evening many sick people were brought to Him, and He healed them all. (Mat 8:16) Jesus did only what the father said, and healed only when and where His Father told Him to heal. It wasn’t that Jesus didn’t have power over these things. Through Him, all things are possible. But, often it wasn’t the right time for healing. Paul tells us of an infirmity that the Father refused to lift despite Paul’s begging, and reports, “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” (2Cr 12:9) I think it all rests in first knowing the Lord’s will and timing. In order to do that, you must know His living voice, which always lines up with His living word. Then the power of Christ will rest upon whatever the circumstances bring.

      • Jesus indicates that illness is from Satan during a time when He was healing people through the power of the Holy Spirit. The people were praising Jesus for the healing and because of that, the jealous leaders of the Temple said that Jesus healed by the power of Beelzebub which was a false god and often used as another name for Satan. Then Jesus went into His famous teaching where He said that if Satan heals Satan then his house is divided, and that a house divided itself can not stand. This would indicate that at least the sicknesses that were healed then were caused by Satan.

        However, in the beginning of the book of Job it indicates that Satan wanted to hurt Job but he couldn’t without God’s permission. For Job, his sufferings were a test to see if He still would praise God and not blame God for his sufferings.

        The first scriptures I want to call your attention to are Revelation 3:19 to 3:21.(Jesus says), Those whom I love, I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. Here I am. I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him and he with Me. To whom who overcomes I will give the right to sit with me on My Throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on His Throne. He who has an ear let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

        In these scriptures, Jesus says our sufferings are due to our sins and that they are, in fact, Jesus both disciplining us and knocking on our door. “To hear his voice”, means to recognize that our sufferings are from Jesus to discipline us and “knocking on our door” We open the door to Jesus when we recognize this, is to look within our self and also what we are doing and to stop doing sin and start doing good.

        When we do that, we open up our self to have a closer relationship with Jesus and with His Father. He who overcomes is he who recognizes the process, repents of his sins and has this closer than close relationship with Jesus. “To him who has hears to hear let him hear what the Spirit says (right at this minute and always).

        One of the problems with telling people that their sufferings are a blessing from God is this terrible idea of permissive parenting that has become the fad.They think that a loving Father would never spank a child or send him to his room. They believe that a loving Father would never give negative consequences for a child’s negative behavior.

        I must admit, I don’t know the why of all suffering but I do know that God never allows anything to happen to us that is not in our long term best interest. I hope that something I have written has helped. God bless you for doing a difficult but important job.

      • ROB:

        The answer to questions that you ask are all in the book of Job. The 3 friends present numerous reasons why Job was suffering. Their arguments are compelling and differ subtly from each other as each friend explores another angle of the theology of suffering.

        There is a great deal of theology in Job, and most of it is human-based and wrong. In the end, Job is justified, but his answer from God is very sobering. You may not like it, but, there it is.

      • It is not God’s will for anyone to be ill. 3John 1:2 – I wish above all things that you prosper and be in HEALth, as your soul prospereth.

        Note that is says “as your soul prospereth”. Your soul is you mind, interlect and emotions. Once you can line these up with God’s word (the TRUTH), by meditating on the Word day and night (Joshua 1:8) , and believing in Luke 10:19, no sickness can hold on to you IF YOU SPEAK HEALTH over your body.

        Bear in mind that there are time that God would allow the enemy to inflict you in order to display his healing power to a non-believer.

        The enemy is always the looser.

  9. I do not believe that Jesus’s Father, Yahweh,ever forsook Jesus.When He was on the Cross, Jesus said, Eli,Eli, lama sabachthani, which means, “My God, My God, why has thou forsaken me?”, in Hebrew; He need not have been complaining to God about anything or felt forsaken. He probably was stating the first sentence of Psalm 22, which starts, “Eli, Eli lama sabachthani.” In Jesus day, there were no chapter headings or even the names of the books of the Bible. When 2 Jewish people were talking about the bible and wanted to say the name of the book he wanted to talk about, he would say the first sentence of the book. So what Jesus was really saying was, “Psalm 22, Psalm 22” Psalm 22 is a prophesy written about the Crucifixion of Jesus. Jesus wanted the people who spoke Hebrew to look and realize that Psalm 22 was being fulfilled in their midst.

  10. “When we see the great Elder Brother put to more rather than less of trial, we are fully drawn to obey the will of God by submission.”

    I really tend to want to run in the opposite direction when the pain and suffering of trials threatens or occurs. Submission in this context seems equivalent to confusing good and evil. It is a very desolate walk to fully trust during suffering, and indeed many humans suffer intolerably without relief, Christian or not. I am NOT wanting to compare carrying the sins of humankind with one individual soul’s anguish and pain, but “to be fully drawn to obey the will of God by submission” would require we be able to receive supernatural strength in some cases of individual suffering. Or else talk a good talk without having a life experience to put flesh on dry bones.

  11. The “school of suffering” has taught me the grace of God and to rest in His faithfulness. In those times I have found a deeper knowing of Christ. “Deep calls unto deep”.

  13. Praise God for your eternal perspectives! Is sickness from God or Satan? Is it a punishment for sin? Is it am affliction given to us from a loving father? Biblically I think we can say “all of the above”. We see all of these instances in the scriptures from Genesis to Revelation.

    Is saying “all sickness is from Satan” a “wind of doctrine?” Yes, I would say so because it’s partially true and partially false from a biblical standpoint. That statement does not accuratley portray our God and at the same time it presumes upon His will.

    Rob asked, “How do I teach God’s word, which contains so much about natural healing, that it may be His will for them to bear a disease?” Rob I don’t think that we are called to teach as if we have this all figured out, but rahter that we see all of these things in scripture (healing, no healing, sickness as a result of sin, sickness from Satan, sickness for no apparent reason) and that even in all these things we fall back on what we do know about God…that He is good, He is just and right in all He does, and that He intends to use these infirmities to somehow bring Glory to His name.

  14. I really appreciate the dialog and everyone’s answer to my questions.

    There are a number of things to comment on and add further questions. So let me summarize the answers that I have received so far to see if everyone is on the same page.

    A couple have pointed to Job. Are we to understand that God was working with the devil to teach Job a lesson? Or why did God allow the devil to work in Job’s life? Previously Job had a hedge of protection around him? Then it appears, to be without cause to some, that the hedge of protection is removed? Why?

    Paul’s “thorn in the flesh” was also mentioned. This was a messenger of Satan…right? Are we to understand that this is a literal thorn, a sickness? Is it possible that this messenger of Satan was a “pain in his side”? Paul had people following him around to cause him trouble everywhere he went. Is it possible this is what the Scripture talks about?

    I think the suggestion that the Lord is using sickness and disease to chastise us for our benefit is problematic. The passage from Revelations mentioned above says nothing about sickness…just rebuke and discipline. God is our Healer (one of His names from the OT) and places sickness on us to teach us a lesson? This reminds me of “a house divided”.

    Another good point brought up was related to times where one person was healed and others all people were healed during Jesus’ ministry. Is there any time where a person came to be healed and Jesus turned them away or told them it was not time for them to be healed? I cannot think of any.

    I think this is a subject that does not get enough teaching. Therefore leaving us (the Church) with many questions. I do not understand why, including in my church, this subject is not covered. We do point to James 5 as a way for a believer to receive healing but the lack of teaching leaves us unprepared to satisfactorily answer questions.

    God Bless you all in your study of God’s Word. Glorify God in all we do and all we say!

    • Satan not only mil-lined God, he was accusing mankind of being wicked and hopeless, stopping at nothing to survive(Job 2:4).

      I don’t think lessons are only for the sufferer, but for all the observers. A healing should always bring glory to the LORD and His sovereign will/plan. John 9:3, 11:4, 11:40, 14:11-13. (Matthew 11 is interesting.)

      Remember the healing of the incarnate body of Christ was through glorified resurrection.

      There is a temporary hope of healing in this mortal state, but an eternal hope of a seen fellowship in our unseen state (talk about your oxymoron.) That is so funny; we cannot put a face on our eternal selves until we finally get to see for ourselves, the face of Christ. What a glorious moment.

    • Rob,

      Sickness is a result of the fall of man into sin and the decaying effects it has on all of creation, man, time, space, nature – everything.

      Sometimes God in his manifold wisdom uses sickness and Satan as a means to effect changes in our lives. However sometimes being sick is just the way it goes.

      Even those healed of sickness one day get sick or die again anyway. Don’t focus on it too much, focus on Christ and then the sickness takes a back seat to growing in your walk with Him.

      Peace,
      Victor

    • God removed the hegde of protection around Job to demonstrate to us that Satan has no access to us (the born again believer) unless god removes the cover. The ultimate power and authority comes from God.

      Just think of the many persons who have come to understand the power of God by reading Job.

  15. Romans 3:23 says the wages of sin is death. Proverbs mentions death and life in the power of the tongue and we receive the “fruit” of both. I do not believe that we can begin to know the full extent of why we suffer, or why we are sick, but i point to the garden of eden before sin entered. i know in revelation 22 the Lord declares He will heal the nations. Jesus declared to many, your faith has made you whole. Faith is believing God’s word and acting on it. It’s how Abraham obtained the blessings of God. It’s how we receive it in Christ. I believe it is God’s will for us to be healed and we command authority over sickness according to Mark 16:18. If you simply do not believe it is God’s will to heal you, you will not receive it. Jesus is the High Priest of our Profession. Psalm 34:19 declares many are the afflictions of the righteous but the Lord delivers him from them all! We are righteous by believing and confessing. Romans 10:9-10 Just some thoughts and scriptures on the subject. God Bless you all, and love abundant to you my brothers and sisters in Christ. If we keep hungering and thirsting we will be filled!

    • also if we don’t know if God is the blesser or the damner, how can we know if it is his will to bless or damn us. I know he’s the blesser! We can’t receive anything from him if we are doubleminded about these things. (James 1) Jesus brought us life and that more abundant. i just don’t believe the scriptures are divided on this issue. why would an all knowing and discerning God test or try us with sufferings if he already knows where we stand on these things. satan is the one who doesn’t know. we need to know where we stand. it can be seen in what we say and do. out of the abundance…

  16. “Ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom satan has bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from her bond on the Sabbath day?” (Luke 13:16)

    The above from The Lord Jesus own mouth after healing the woman hunched-over for 18 years leaves no doubt that Satan is the culprit of her illness!

  17. We suffer reproach because we trust in the living God:
    1Timothy 4:10

    We can have fellowship in His sufferings:
    Philippians 3:10

    Our present sufferings are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us: Romans 8:17-18

    We can endure suffering for the consolation and salvation of others:
    2 Corinthians 1:6

    We are to be thankful to follow in His footsteps of patient suffering:
    1 Peter 2:17-25

    In our sufferings, the power of Christ strengthens us:
    2 Corinthians 12:9-10

    Partaking in His sufferings will bring us exceeding joy:
    1 Peter 4:13

    Because we persevere through obedience we will be spared from the temptation, which shall come upon all those on earth. Revelation: 3:10

    If we suffer, we shall also reign with him:
    2 Timothy 2:12

    We suffer all things, so we don’t hinder the gospel of Christ:
    1 Corinthians 9:12

  18. What a blessing! it is rare to read something that is both uplifting and convicting at the same time. May God continue to bless Chuck and the entire staff as you all continue to respond to the promptings of Holy Spirit.

  19. Thank you Brandon and small slot for your responses.

    Small slot, all your quotations mention suffering but nothing about sickness and disease. Is sickness included in the sufferings mentioned in Scripture as glorifying God? Or us being obedient or patient in suffering to get the Gospel out to the world? I mean it this way, do we assume because we may be suffering with sickness, that this is a suffering that glorifies the Lord Jesus? Does that mean that all those that suffer from illness are glorifying God? Or is it just the Christians that suffer with sickness that glorify God?

    Are we to assume that suffering = sickness in part? Is it because when people are sick they suffer? When the apostles are talking about their sufferings I do not see sickness mentioned. I see persecution for preaching the Gospel. Beatings, imprisonments..etc.

    Thanks again to all for your feedback.

    • i think as long as we keep the understanding that suffering is come into the world because of sin and satan’s deception we can have a great perspective about suffering, realizing that it has been dealt with by Christ when he suffered in our place. how blessed we are to be forgiven and justified. Christ’s victory over sin and death makes suffering sweet because we know that it no longer can truly affect us now that we are born of incorruptible seed, which is the sonship that spurgeon was talking about. all suffering had to come upon him so that it would be fully abolished. He triumphed over death in a glorious ressurection and we have that resurrection working within us as we walk out our salvation in reverance and awe of our gracious and wonderful father! But we are still in this corrupted world and corrupted flesh. that’s why we can have victory and not reap corruption when we walk in the spirit not fulfilling the lust of the flesh which leads us to sin. for if we sow to the desires of the flesh we will reap corruption. In Christ we can walk in the fulfillment of the promise of God, being totally indwelled by the Holy Spirit, who helps us in our infirmaties and weaknesses, cause really when it is all said in done, they can’t touch us eternally or even now that we are the temple’s of the Living God. i bring up the idea that suffering is only a carnal mindset and thus easily overcome when we put on the mind of Christ!

      • but i don’t know about all of you but walking in the spirit at all times has been a challenge for me. lol. but never the less i have hope in God. He will complete in me what he has started! amen! I’m getting excited just typing about it!!!!

  20. Rob, yes some of the verses mentioned in the above post do contain sickness; please enjoy reading them in their complete context.

    2 Corinthians chapter 4, with for you, an emphasis in verse 8a my friend.

    Grace and Peace for this life and looking forward to the next.

  21. [We are] troubled 2346 on 1722 every side 3956, yet 235 not 3756 distressed 4729 ; [we are] perplexed 639 , but 235 not 3756 in despair 1820 ;

    Small Slot,
    Do I have the right verse because I do not see what you are referring to?

    I think your first quote speaks to the suffering we are to expect in this life and why.

    “We suffer reproach because we trust in the living God:” (1 Tim 4:10)

    In context, all of these quotes refer to persecution of believers because they teach the Gospel. Jesus was mocked, beaten and crucified for His teaching of the Gospel. Paul, Peter, James, John and many others were persecuted in some or all of these ways as well for preaching the Gospel.

  22. Rob,

    I commend you for taking a thorough look at this subject. Keep digging brother. I don’t pretend to have all this figured out…I don’t think anyone can claim that they do! Again, I think that we need to fall back onto what we do know…that sometimes it is God’s will for his children to suffer (in various forms, including sickness) and sometimes it is not. Why? Dunno! Further, I know that we can trust Him with all of this and watch Him work to His glory. Those are things that we do know for sure from His word. God bless you brother!

  23. sitting here reading the word viewing the site, I know the LORD had this message for me to read. Me and my husband are really going through trying times. A teen thats rebellious, finances, and unemployed, ect. I really needed to read this message. It allowed the Lord to bring back to my remembrance that we will suffer. Just because your a child of GOD does not exclude you from suffering. We tend to forget that JESUS suffered first. For my sisters and brothers in Christ, here are some scriptures that I have come to meditate on. Romans 8:37 Isa. 43:4 and 10. Sometimes I think we tend to take our eyes of of the Lord and forget that we are victorious through CHRIST JESUS our Lord. With suffer living for the LORD its worth it!!! We know he will take care of us!

  24. It is during those times that we are most obedient that we become vulnerable to believing that our service will somehow exempt us from suffering. However, even the Perfect One, of whom I am far from, suffered more than I ever will. Thank you for helping me to see that this morning.

    God bless you for such an effective blog and website!

    • This is such a true statement, and above everything my suffering has humbled me.
      God Bless you pastors!

  25. i agree that the Lord allows us to suffer, just as he allows us to do whatever it is that we will. I know that He is not the author of this suffering however. I do not accept that a loving and holy God that doesn’t change would put us through suffering. He is the I am, not the I am in some and not in other situations. I believe he simply remains with us in the midst of it. Just as he remained with Christ, the one anointed to carry the suffering. He told Paul that grace was sufficient because grace is more than just unmerited favor, it’s the power of God to save and deliver us from all things that this world and the “prince of the power of the air” can hurl at us. WE are saved by grace, trough faith. We learn through suffering that when it is done, He still remains. He doesn’t move, that’s why we can say that he is our Rock!