Devotional on Suffering

Yeshua had to Suffer to fulfill His Role

Hebrews 5:7–9 “7 In the days of His life on earth, Yeshua offered up both prayers and pleas, with loud crying and tears, to the One able to save Him from death; and He was heard because of His reverence. 8 Though He was a Son, He learned obedience from what He suffered. 9 And once made perfect, He became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey Him—”

Does this passage say anything that’s surprising to anyone?

Even as the very begotten Son of God, Messiah Yeshua had been perfected through suffering.

How is that possible? Was He not already perfect?

The perfection referred to here doesn’t mean He was imperfect before, but rather that His perfect faith and obedience were untested. Once the trial is passed the perfect faith is completed, or made perfect. This is the same concept Jacob(James) is referring to in being tested by trials.

James 1:2–4 “2 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 And let endurance have its perfect work, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”

Jacob is not telling us that by being tested we will be perfect as Messiah is, rather that our faith is perfected through testing by trials. It is easy to fall into self pity and doubt and complaining when you are going through trials, when you let them take your eyes off Messiah and on yourself. You start to fool yourself into thinking you deserve anything other than pain and suffering. That you somehow deserve a life of comfort and luxury.

Remember that Messiah suffered first and that it was necessary for Him to do so. So also it is necessary for you to suffer!

Hebrews 2:10 “10 For it was fitting for God—for whom and through whom all things exist—in leading many sons to glory, to perfect through sufferings the initiator of their salvation.”

It is indeed within His character to do so. Some proclaim that suffering isn’t necessary or isn’t ever from the Lord. You might convince that yourself. But His plan needed Yeshua to suffer. Therefore, it cannot be outside of your life to suffer.

Hebrews 9:22 “22 And nearly everything is purified in blood according to the Torah, and apart from the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”

Psalm 34:19 “19(18) Adonai is close to the brokenhearted, and saves those crushed in spirit.”

Matthew 11:28–30 “28 Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and ‘you will find rest for your souls.’ 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.””

We Identify with Him

Romans 8:16–18 “16 The Ruach Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God. 17 And if children, also heirs—heirs of God and joint-heirs with Messiah—if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him. 18 For I consider the sufferings of this present time not worthy to be compared with the coming glory to be revealed to us.”

So our faith in Yeshua is made perfect through suffering. But more than that, suffering allows us to identify with Messiah and the suffering He endured. Which allows to participate in His coming glory when He returns.

1 Peter 4:12–14 “12 Loved ones, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal taking place among you to test you—as though something strange were happening to you. 13 Instead, rejoice insofar as you share in the sufferings of

Messiah, so that at the revelation of His glory you may also rejoice and be glad. 14 If you are insulted for the name of Messiah, you are fortunate, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.”

Responding to Suffering

Hebrews 5:7–9 “7 In the days of His life on earth, Yeshua offered up both prayers and pleas, with loud crying and tears, to the One able to save Him from death; and He was heard because of His reverence. 8 Though He was a Son, He learned obedience from what He suffered. 9 And once made perfect, He became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey Him—”

Yeshua modeled for us how we should conduct ourselves during suffering. With prayer and obedience.

Hebrews 12:2–4 “2 focusing on Yeshua, the initiator and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before Him, He endured the cross, disregarding its shame; and He has taken His seat at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you may not grow weary in your souls and lose heart. 4 In struggling against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of bloodshed.”

His obedience in suffering give us hope. Hope during what? During a beautiful warm day of swimming? No, when we suffer. We know that Messiah suffered for our salvation. He has learned on His on flesh our own suffering as well. There isn’t a moment of pain that He cannot identify with.

When suffering:

Unite with Messiah: Remember that Yeshua was perfected through suffering and that our own trials can bring us closer to Him and His redemptive work.

Pray with Submission: Follow Yeshua's example of fervent prayer and submission, trusting that God hears us and is with us in our pain.

Fix Our Eyes on Yeshua: Keep our focus on Yeshua, the initiator and perfecter of our faith. Draw strength from His endurance and the joy set before Him, knowing that our suffering is not in vain.

Remember: Any suffering that leads you closer to God, is better than any comfort that leads you away from Him.