When He Saw the Multitudes He Was Moved
Christ's sympathy with our infirmities is a source of unceasing consolation and boldness for believers.
A.B. Simpson emphasizes the deep connection between Christ and our suffering, illustrating that Jesus is not just sympathetic but is profoundly affected by our afflictions. He highlights that our troubles are shared by Christ, who experiences our pain as His own, providing a source of comfort and strength for weary hearts. This understanding of Christ's empathy is foundational to His role as our High Priest, encouraging believers to approach Him boldly with their burdens. Simpson draws parallels between a mother's love for her child and Christ's love for us, reminding us that our sorrows resonate deeply with Him. Ultimately, he calls us to recognize our unity with Christ and to seek solace in His compassionate heart.
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He is able to be touched with the feeling of our infirmities (Hebrews 4:15). The word "touched" is very expressive. It means that our troubles are His troubles, and that in all our afflictions He is afflicted. It is not a sympathy of sentiment, but a sympathy of suffering. There is in this thought abundant help for the tired heart. It is the foundation of Christ's Priesthood, and God meant that it should be to us a source of unceasing consolation.
Let us realize more fully our oneness with our Great High Priest, and cast all our burdens on His great heart of love. if we know what it is to ache in every nerve with the responsive pain of our suffering child, we can form some idea of how our sorrows touch the heart of Christ.
As the mother feels her baby's pain, as the heart of friendship echoes every cry from another's anguish, so in heaven our exalted Savior, even in the raptures of that happy world, is suffering in His spirit and even in His flesh with all that His children bear. Seeing then that we have a great high priest, . . . let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace (Hebrews 4:14,16) and let us come to our Great High Priest.
Sermon Outline
- Christ's Sympathy with Our Infirmities
- The Foundation of Christ's Priesthood
- Our Oneness with Christ
- Realize our connection with the Great High Priest
- Cast all burdens on His heart of love
Key Quotes
“He is able to be touched with the feeling of our infirmities” — A.B. Simpson
“It is not a sympathy of sentiment, but a sympathy of suffering” — A.B. Simpson
“As the mother feels her baby's pain, as the heart of friendship echoes every cry from another's anguish, so in heaven our exalted Savior, even in the raptures of that happy world, is suffering in His spirit and even in His flesh with all that His children bear.” — A.B. Simpson
Application Points
- We can find comfort in knowing that Christ sympathizes with our infirmities and is afflicted with our suffering.
- We can come boldly to the throne of grace, knowing that we have a great high priest who understands our pain.
- We can cast all our burdens on Christ's heart of love and find peace in His presence.