I think most of you would agree with me that The Lord Jesus reveals God as the source of all joy, happiness, love and peace! I personally believe that the time the disciples spent with Jesus was one of unparalleled inner joy. We have somehow gotten the idea that holiness is solemn and unhappy with a sour disposition that is constantly worried, that somewhere, someone is having fun! What a lie of the devil to make you think only sin is enjoyable!

One of my favorite drawings of Jesus is Him sitting on the ground laughing, surrounded by little children! Sorry if that clashes with your stereotype! He was full of joy because He ALWAYS did those things that were pleasing to His Father! So how does this incredible verse ” A Man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering”, creep into the narrative? Friends, it’s because no one ever suffered like Jesus! The amazing thing is He CHOSE to suffer like that! Not because He wanted to, but because for our benefit He needed to! I recall Paul Sapp, a former pastor, saying that because He was God, he felt things MORE deeply than us, not less, because He had no sin in Him. He felt it all! Every type of suffering you can think of He chose to go through as our Great High Priest so He could “sympathize with our weaknesses–yet was without sin” Hebrews 4.

I just heard the story again of Joni Eareckson Tada, a young woman of 17 who dived into a pool one day and was paralyzed from the neck down permanently. She was a Christian! How could this happen? Many Christian friends came by to see her. They offered many comforting words but what could anyone say? They seemed to fall short. She was depressed. Then one day, a friend came over and climbed into bed next to her. She began to softly sing an old hymn, ” Man of Sorrows, what a Name, for the Son of God who came, ruined sinners to reclaim, Hallelujah, what a Savior! Bearing shame and scoffing rude, IN MY PLACE condemned He stood, sealed my pardon with His blood; hallelujah, what a Savior!

Oh friends, to know that Jesus suffered for our sins, chose to identify with us, in effect laid down on our bed of suffering WITH us, can there be anything greater than that? Joni has now been paralyzed 50 years. She is a mouth painter, has an incredible ministry to wounded people, is a writer and regardless of her so-called handicaps has had a fruitful life…certainly one of pain, challenges and frustrations. But because the Man of Sorrows has been with her all the way, it has been filled with love, joy, peace, fruit and every fruit of the Holy Spirit.

The cancer I have is in my spine. Can you imagine my fear? Now, however, I KNOW that Jesus is the Man of Sorrows and He will be with me all the way. What a privilege to be able to in a very small way share in His suffering as the Man of Sorrows! WOW!!!

Terry