04 Sep Did Jesus Know about Trauma?
Most people have been through things that are traumatic. Some are severe, like serving in war, or a childbirth that goes wrong, or being raised by abusive parents, or being bullied at school. Sometimes Christians are persecuted for their faith. Others are born at the wrong place, or the wrong time, or have bad health, or find themselves a victim or things they had no control over.
The Lord also went through traumatic things:
- He grew up under the shadow of being an illegitimate child. (Matt 1:24-25)
- His own family didn’t support him. (Mark 3:21)
- He was accused of being demon possessed. (John 8:48)
- Followers deserted him. (John 6:66-67)
- His close friend betrayed him with a kiss. (Luke 22:48)
- He faced death threats multiple times. (John 8:59, Luke 4:28-30, Matthew 2:13-15)
- He was painfully executed. (Matthew 27:31)
- Jesus experienced extreme anxiety. (Matthew 26:38)
- Even his closest disciples abandoned him. (Mark 14:50)
There is a reason why the prophet Isaiah labelled Christ a ‘man of sorrows’ and ‘acquainted with grief.’ Jesus was familiar with pain, suffering and difficulty, and yet somehow kept his heart pure, free of bitterness, full of love and forgiveness. Its miraculous.
The writer of the Hebrews had this to say.
‘For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.’ Hebrews 4:15
Jesus knew about things we today call trauma. It’s time to go to him, and take your pain with you. Lay it at the foot of the cross, because:
‘Surely he took up our pain
and bore our suffering,
yet we considered him punished by God,
stricken by him, and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
and by his wounds we are healed.’ Isaiah 53:4-5
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