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Good morning my “Walking with Jesus” friends,
This week we’re considering how powerful it is for us to know that no matter what human experience we have, no matter the discouraging circumstances in which we find ourselves, Jesus understands, because of what He experienced during His earthly life. For that reason we can find great comfort in the EMPATHY of Jesus, as we begin to follow God’s pathway OUT of dark and desperate times.
The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John of course give us the story of Jesus’ incarnation, His earthly life, His family and friendships, His ministry and especially His passion week suffering and death, His resurrection, His appearances after His resurrection, and His ascension back to heaven. As we read those Gospel accounts we find Jesus that experienced every human emotion and all the physical experiences we can have, with the exception of sin. Therefore no matter what experience we have, no matter what emotions may be powerfully at work within us, even to the extreme of very powerful spiritual warfare with Satan and his demonic forces, we may be confident Jesus can empathize with us, for HE too experienced it all! He can lead us through the battles, He can comfort us, He can empower us, He can protect us in it. . .because He understands it even better than we do!
Two powerful Scriptures in Hebrews help us understand this.
First, in Hebrews 2:14-18 we see “Since the children (mankind) have flesh and blood, He (Jesus) too shared in their humanity so that by His death He might destroy him who holds the power of death – that is the devil – and free those who all their lives were held in slavary by their fear of death. For this reason He had to be made like His brothers (humans) in every way, in order that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that He might make atonement for the sins of the people.“
First, in Hebrews 2:14-18 we see “Since the children (mankind) have flesh and blood, He (Jesus) too shared in their humanity so that by His death He might destroy him who holds the power of death – that is the devil – and free those who all their lives were held in slavary by their fear of death. For this reason He had to be made like His brothers (humans) in every way, in order that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that He might make atonement for the sins of the people.“
The miracle of Jesus, the Son of God, incarnating into the human race is almost beyond our comprehension, but it is essential IF Jesus was going to defeat Satan, through paying the full ransom price for humanity’s salvation. Because the wages of sin is death, Jesus had to die for each and all of us, to pay our sin debt! God’s promise of eternal life in heaven with Him for any person who fully trusts in Jesus defeats our fear of death, defeats Satan’s eternal enslavement of us, for after we are redeemed, death is no longer ‘perish’, it becomes ‘departure’ and we head directly into God’s presence at the moment our bodies cease to function. (Phil. 1:20-23)
“Because He (Jesus) Himself suffered when He was tempted, He is able to help those who are being tempted.” (Hebrews 2:18) Do you see the power of this my friends? No matter what temptation we face, Jesus faced it also, and He never succumbed to the temptation. He was victorious every-time. That is why 1 Corinthians 10:13 is so powerful for us in times of temptation: “No temptation has seized you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful, He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way of escape, so that you can stand up under it.”
Do you see Jesus’ promise that He will always be there with us, ready to lead us safely out of any situation in which we find ourselves tempted to think, say or do something that is not God honoring! Jesus can empathize with our battles, for He too was tempted many times by Satan, thus in His victory over Satan, Jesus can lead us to victory!
And, in Hebrews 4:14-16 we find this promise: “Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weakness, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are – yet He was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”
My friends, after Jesus’s resurrection and 40 days of multiple appearances and more teaching, He ascended back to heaven in full view of many people (Acts 1). Several Scriptures tell us Jesus returned to the presence of His Father, Almighty God, and Jesus sat down in authority at the right hand of the Majesty, because His Redemption mission was fully accomplished (Heb. 1:3). There Jesus intercedes for us (Romans 8:34) and Jesus also is saving completely those who are calling upon Him (Hebrews 7:25).
We can be confident in every situation we find ourselves, Jesus fully understands, Jesus is interceding for us, Jesus stands ready to comfort and empower us, because He can empathize with us. In every way except sin, Jesus has experienced our human journey! We can never say… “God doesn’t understand what I’m going through or what I’m feeling.” This my friends should be very comforting, and very helpful in moving beyond our despair. This is one of the secrets which enabled Paul to write “I have learned the secret of being content in each and every situation…” (Phil. 4:12) It’s because he knew Jesus could empathize with him. When Paul was being beaten, Paul knew Jesus understood that! When Paul was imprisoned and abandoned and rejected by those who should have received what he brought them, Paul knew that Jesus understood.
I wonder what you are going through today my friends, which Jesus knows all about, and would like to discuss with you? Is it time to bring it to HIM, with your Bible and notebook open, and be prepared to hear what Jesus has to say about it?
Oh Lord Jesus, I am so glad you understand everything about our human journey. I’m listening Lord…, what would you like to say to me, about the things you and I both know are going on in my life, my family, my ministries?
Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
Click to read today’s chapter: Hebrews 2:14-18; Hebrews 4:14-16. (At the top you can choose a different translation.)
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson 262.441.8785
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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