Our Suffering Savior (Mark 14:32-52)

What comes to mind when I mention salvation? What comes to mind when I mention the cross? Most likely like me, you have some sanitized thought that comes to mind. We sing upbeat songs with joy about the fact that Jesus died. And we ought to sing with joy. But often, we miss the heinous nature of the cross. We don’t see our sin for what it is. As a result, we don’t truly understand the suffering that Jesus faced. To compound matters, if we don’t understand the suffering that Jesus faced, we will not be able to rightly face suffering ourselves. All of this results in fear. 

After through the last supper and on the way out of Jerusalem afterwards, Jesus was preparing the disciples for the suffering that they would face in the coming hours, days, and years. Yet they still didn’t understand. They insisted that they would die with Jesus. Further, the reality of the cross began to weigh heavily on Jesus. So our Suffering Savior faced suffering for us and showed us how to face suffering ourselves.