Suffering of the Babe

“Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed.” Isaiah 53:4-5

It is the Christmas season and we rightfully focus on the birth of the Savior. We celebrate this birth with great joy, wonderful music, brilliant lights, and gracious gift giving. All of this is good.

But the birth of Jesus Christ was given by God to redeem a people unto Himself. Because is perfectly just, He chose to punish the Redeemer for the sins committed by His people. Hebrews 9:22 says, “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.” So God’s own Son suffered a physically brutal death on the cross, while also incurring God’s wrath against all of our sins. So by the shedding of His blood, Jesus is able to secure God’s forgiveness for your sins and my sins. Not only did Jesus suffer on the cross but he suffers all of our griefs and sorrows. Every single one of our pains is felt by Jesus with us. He carries our sorrows.

At Christmas, we remember the birth of the Christ-child. But we should also remember that His birth eventually led to His suffering on the cross for our sins. These remembrances should lead us to thanksgiving and praise.