We read the bible but miss the message more often than we know. Of course we all know of the abuse, torture and death that Jesus suffered. But He suffered in different ways all of His life here on earth that we are not totally aware of. Starting as a baby born in a manger which is as close to be born in a barn as one can be. Then when Jesus was a young boy His parents treated Him as a normal child not the Son of God.

Luke 2:41-40 41His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. 42 And when He was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem according to the custom of the feast. 43 When they had finished the days, as they returned, the Boy Jesus lingered behind in Jerusalem. And Joseph and His mother did not know it; 44 but supposing Him to have been in the company, they went a day’s journey, and sought Him among their relatives and acquaintances. 45 So when they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem, seeking Him. 46 Now so it was that after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions. 47 And all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers. 48 So when they saw Him, they were amazed; and His mother said to Him, “Son, why have You done this to us? Look, Your father and I have sought You anxiously.” 49 And He said to them, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?” 50 But they did not understand the statement which He spoke to them.

As normal parents they were panicked having searched for three days and not finding Him. So for them to be upset with Him when they finally found Him was a normal response, but not a Holy one! From the time of Jesus’ birth Jesus was never alone. He had angels around Him night and day. Besides the warrior/guardian angels Jesus had a continuous stream of ministering angels coming and going. Regardless where Jesus traveled even as a child there was no possible way that any harm would come to Him! If His parents would’ve remembered who Jesus was then they would have started searching for Him at the temple first. So His parents worried about Him needlessly!

Even His disciples who lived, ate, traveled with Jesus and witnessed miracles and signs that He performed did not treat Him as the Son of God. Luke 8:22-28 22One day Jesus said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side of the lake.” So they got into a boat and set out. 23 As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger. 24 The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!” He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. 25 “Where is your faith?” he asked his disciples. In fear and amazement they asked one another, “Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him.”

In Mark chapter 6 Jesus fed 5000 families with five loaves and two fish. Later in chapter 8 there was 4000 families in the same situation. Not one of His disciples suggested to Jesus about feeding them as He had done before. Instead they only offered a suggestion of sending them away to fend for themselves. They again didn’t treat Jesus as the Son of God.

Matthew 16:13-16 13When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” 14 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Out of the twelve only Peter answered correctly.

One of the worst sufferings that Jesus went through was when Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane. Many preachers have taught that Jesus was so distraught about what He was going to go through physically that He sweated drops of blood. The truth isn’t anywhere close to that lie. Jesus feared nothing and no one. Jesus told His disciples three times of His upcoming death on a cross and that He would be raised back to like on the third day. He knew what was going to happen and when it would happen.

When Jesus sweated drops of blood, His concerns DID NOT have to do with all of the physical punishment, torture, humiliation, being falsely accused or even death. All of that had been prophesied. What was the revealing part had to do with the relationship between Jesus and God the Father. Since before time they had ALWAYS been together. Being part of the Trinity is a closeness that we can't even imagine. Jesus had NEVER been separated from Father God. Even when Jesus walked on the earth the Father was always with Him. The mere thought of that separation was more than Jesus wanted to suffer. That separation is as close to what Hell is because those in Hell are forever separated from God’s presence and love. That’s what caused Jesus to sweat big drops of blood that night in the garden!

When Jesus was on the cross the time had come when all of the sins of the world were placed on Him. Because Father God cannot look upon sin Father God had for the first and last time turn His gaze away from His One and only Son. That is when Jesus said… “My God, My God why have you forsaken me?” It is the only time Jesus ever referred to Father God as just God.

John 16:32 “A time is coming and in fact has come when you will be scattered, each to your own home. You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me.” All of Jesus’ disciples abandoned Him that night and hid themselves for fear of being caught.

Jesus had told His disciples three times that He would die but be raised on the third day. When Jesus was in the tomb for three days not one of the disciples came to watch for His resurrection. Even when Mary Magdalene had seen the stone rolled away on the third day she ran over to where the disciples were and told them but they didn’t believe her. Peter and John finally got up and ran to the tomb to see for themselves. The tomb was empty!

There are many more examples of the different sufferings that Jesus endured. The sad part is that His suffering hasn’t ended yet. Man hasn’t changed much in over two thousand years. For there are those who choose to ignore the miracles that God does every day. For the same reasons as their forefathers, they don’t want to be accountable to a higher being, they would rather live their lives deep in their sin rather than accept God’s salvation plan, they have believed the lies of the Devil so long that they refuse to SEE! The world is so desperate for God that they’ll believe everything else but the “God’s honest TRUTH”. But God knows what it takes to touch their unbelieving hearts. Their only hope is Jesus! “For they shall know the TRUTH and the TRUTH shall set them FREE!”