Friday, April 18, 2025

A Man Of Sorrows (Good Friday Message)

                                                             A MAN OF SORROWS

If you live long enough, you will suffer; all you have to do is live long enough. You may get through much of life relatively scot-free, but eventually, the machinery wears out; you start losing your teeth, your hair will turn gray, and you may lose it, memory declines, etc. If you live long enough, you'll experience bereavement. You may lose your siblings, spouse, children, and friends. However long we may live, we will experience some form of sorrow and pain.

The General Social Survey asks people to rate their level of happiness. Between 1990 and 2018, the share of Americans who placed themselves in the lowest happiness category increased by more than 50 percent, before the pandemic. Gallup surveys roughly 150,000 people in over 140 countries yearly about their emotional lives. Experiences of negative emotions related to stress, sadness, anger, worry, and physical pain hit a record high in 2021.[1]

The CDC's bi-annual Youth Risk Behavior Survey (2023) showed that most teen girls (57%) now say that they experience persistent sadness or hopelessness (up from 36% in 2011), and 30% of teen girls now say that they have seriously considered suicide (up from 19% in 2011). The boys are doing badly, too. What are the causes behind this concerning trend? It's complex, but in a thorough overview of hundreds of studies, researcher Jon Haidt summarizes the data: There is one giant, obvious, international, and gendered cause: Social media.[2]

That is the assessment of the World regarding sorrow and unhappiness. What does the Bible have to say about human suffering? When we hear about these rising teen suicide deaths, what hope do we have? Who could turn our sadness into joy and permanently wipe away all our tears? The answers are found in A Man Of Sorrows, in the prophecy in Isaiah 53:1-12.

The sixth-century B.C prophecy in Isaiah 53 helps us understand some gory events during the Crucifixion. It also gives us the proper perspective on human suffering. Anyone who reads and understands the prophecy knows it is about Jesus, the Messiah. Many Jewish people don't read it, let alone understand it. "Long ago, the rabbis used to read Isaiah 53 in synagogues, but after the chapter caused arguments and great confusion, the rabbis decided that the simplest thing would be to just take that prophecy out of the Haftarah readings in synagogues."[3]

Another tragic reason why Jews didn't understand it is that the prophet Isaiah prophesied that the future messiah would not come as a military commander. Instead, he would come as a suffering servant. Let's see how this suffering servant will accomplish his mission.

I. Why did Jesus have to suffer and die on the Cross?

Before examining Christ's suffering on the Cross, let's first understand why Jesus had to suffer and die on it. As we look back into the Garden of Eden through the disobedience of Adam and Eve, sin entered the World, and along with that also came suffering, pain, fear, and physical death. God planned to redeem and restore humanity, offering them eternal life through His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, and His sacrificial death.

Romans 5:6-8, "You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person, someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." According to the Law, the high priest offers yearly animal sacrifices for his and the people's sins.

In contrast, Christ became the perfect, sinless sacrificial lamb by offering Himself on the Cross once and for all people. The blood he shed on the Cross two thousand years ago is still powerful enough to cleanse us from all our sins.

II. A Man Of Sorrows, Acquainted With Grief.

            If we read the whole chapter, we will see that it talks about the birth, work, death, resurrection, and future coming of Jesus Christ. It has the salvation message in it. Whoever believes it will be saved. For that reason, the devil would not want people to understand it.

Vs. 3, "He was despised and rejected a man of sorrows, (pains NASB) acquainted with grief (sickness)." In NIV, it reads "familiar" with pain. The Hebrew word used here is yada, which has a much deeper meaning than mere familiarity. In this context, the Man of Sorrows, Jesus, had a firsthand and intimate experience with pain and grief. He was not just taking note of our pain and suffering. God, in Christ, actually experienced our pain.

            The Good News is that whatever pain and grief we go through in this life, Christ has tasted it before while on earth. He understands our pain and comes to our aid to ease it and alleviate our suffering through the power of His Holy Spirit. On several occasions when Jesus experienced human pain, suffering, and grief, he moved into action and relieved the afflicted out of compassion.

            On three occasions, he moved with compassion and fed the hungry crowds (Mark 6:34; Mark 8:2; Matthew 15:32). Out of compassion, he reached out to a leper and healed him. (Mk 1:41). When he saw a grieving widow in a village called Nain, his heart overflowed with compassion, and he told the woman, "Don't cry, then raised the dead young Man to life. Lk 7:14.

            Before being crucified, he went to the home of his dear friends, Martha and Mary. Seeing their grief of losing their brother Lazarus, his dear friend Jesus wept. Then, he performed one of the greatest miracles by raising Lazarus, who had been dead and buried for four days. John 11

            Jesus knew what it was to endure emotional and mental abuse. His own people rejected him. He was called derogatory names such as drunkard, glutton, deceiver, and demon-possessed. His own family did not believe in him and thought he was crazy. The leaders hated his courage.

            The crowds he healed, delivered from demons, and fed turned against him and tried to stone him to death. One of his friends betrayed him and handed him over to the authorities to be crucified. One of his closest friends denied him three times, and all his disciples abandoned him when he needed them the most. Only a few faithful women stood by him until the end.

            Add to this emotional and mental agony, Isaiah graphically describes the physical torture this Man of Sorrow endured in Isaiah 53. Here is a list of his painful suffering: He was despised, rejected, pierced, weighed down with grief, crushed, whipped, beaten, oppressed, treated harshly, struck down, buried like a criminal, etc. The Gospel writers recorded the following torture:

Jesus was stripped, a crown of thorns was placed on his head, and the guards mocked him, pulled his beard, spat upon him, and repeatedly hit him on the head with a stick. His hands and feet were nailed to the Cross. A spear was thrust into his side to determine whether he was dead or still alive. This Man of Sorrows, acquainted with grief, understands our suffering and comes to our aid to alleviate our pain. What should be our response then to pain and suffering?

III. How should we approach human suffering?

            We need a fresh understanding of the theology of suffering. Some Christians have a false sense of suffering. They think if you follow Christ, you should never get sick, suffer, or experience any pain. God wants you to be healed and be prosperous. We have several examples in the Bible where the righteous people suffered. We have examples of God-fearing people among us who are going through physical, emotional, and mental agony, yet they still love God.

God bless these suffering saints. In our suffering, remember that we have a high priest who 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 find grace to help us when we need it most." Heb 4:15-16. May this Man of Sorrows be your source of comfort.