He Strengthens Our Hearts

October 5

We can hardly begin to imagine the suffering that Christ endured. Yes, physical suffering has beset countless people through the millennia of man’s existence. Many have endured torture as Jesus did, many besides Him have been scourged and even crucified. But His suffering was far beyond the physical.

Jesus, the sinless Second Person of the Triune Godhead suffered in a way none of us ever can. He suffered from the weight of the sin of all mankind pressed upon His sinless person. Because He bore our sin, He could not sense the presence of the Father, the part of Himself that existed together with Him from eternity.

But there was a grand purpose to all He endured. He did not simply determine from the upper echelon of Heaven that He wanted to experience the worst the enemy could hurl at Him through the attack he would launch against a man who set about to live the pure life God had desired from the beginning for His finest creation.

No, “Because Christ Himself suffered when He was tempted, He is able to help succor those who are being tempted.” Paul’s words in Hebrews 2:18 resonate to us. We know we are tempted to sin, we may even be tempted to abandon our faith. But because Jesus understands, He is able to strengthen our hearts at the point of our greatest temptation.