Biblical Answer

The Teaching of Jesus on Suffering

Jesus taught that suffering is a normal part of life, but it can also be a teacher if we fix our eyes on Him. He suffered, and His suffering was not a charade, but a real experience that He endured for our salvation. Jesus' listeners assumed that human suffering was a punishment for sin, but He taught that sin alone had not caused disasters, and that suffering can be a means of our salvation. The author of Hebrews writes that Jesus' suffering was a means of our salvation (Heb. 2:9, 10, 18; 5:8; 9:26; 13:12) and a pattern for Christians to follow (Heb. 12:2-3; 13:13).

The Purpose of Suffering

The author of Hebrews writes that suffering provides fertile soil for the cultivation of a righteous life, responsive to the will of God (Heb. 5:11-14). Jesus suffered, and His suffering was a means of our salvation. He bore the penalty for our sin and died in our place. Scripture teaches us that there were four different aspects of the pain that Jesus experienced: the pain of the cross, the pain of hell, the pain of being forsaken by God, and the pain of being crushed by the weight of our sin. Jesus' suffering was a real experience, and it is a reminder that He knows our suffering and can empathize with us.

The Benefits of Suffering

Suffering can be a teacher, but it only truly teaches us as we fix our eyes on Jesus. If we avoid Him in the midst of pain, we can become embittered by it. But if we know the circumstances of Jesus' sufferings, we can learn from Him and be comforted by His presence. Scripture teaches us that God is good and generous, and that He uses suffering to discipline us for our good (Heb. 12:5-11). We can be assured by Romans 8:28 that God works all things together for our good, and that He will use our suffering to bring us closer to Him. Jesus suffered, and His suffering was a means of our salvation. We can trust that God is working all things together for our good, even in the midst of suffering.