The sufferings of the Lord Jesus

In the Gospel of Mark, Mark's Gospel, chapter 2, I've actually got to read three passages in Mark and three in John, but I want to read this one first. Mark's Gospel, chapter 2, verse 6, There were certain of the scribes sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, Why doth this man speak blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God only? And immediately, when Jesus perceived in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, he said unto them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts? I think verse 10 is the most important statement in the Bible, that ye may know that the Son of Man hath power, that is, he has authority on earth to forgive sins. The subject I have before me tonight, I have only heard spoken on once in my life, and I won't tell you how many years ago that was, but I want to speak to you about the man, Christ Jesus, who was truly a man and had a body.

We are told in Hebrews 2 and 14 that it was a body like ours. He also had a spirit, I mean a human spirit, and he had a soul. Now, I don't think we hear that very often, but he could not have been truly a man, he could not have been truly human if he wasn't a man in body, spirit, and soul.

What we have read in Mark, chapter 2, is that his spirit was so perceptive that he was able to understand what these men reasoned in their hearts. I have often gone over this passage in Mark 2, and I have to confess that it's easy to read familiar passages and miss what they say. I think I have sometimes said that these men said, Who can forgive sins but God only? They didn't say it, they reasoned it in their hearts.

And he perceived by his spirit, in his spirit, he perceived what these men were reasoning in their hearts. I think we all will admit that the sufferings of Christ in his body have become a greater subject with millions of people than perhaps they have been before. I think we should use that.

A leading medical professional today in Jackson asked me questions about the sufferings of Christ. I know it was because he had gone to see the Passion. I think we should use what we can of that kind of thing to tell people why Christ truly suffered.

I have read a number of reviews of the movie, and I would have to say that what I have read so far from people who I think would be intelligent scripturally, spiritually, they have said that it is quite true to Matthew, Mark, Luke and the Gospel of Luke. Thank God for that. But the Lord Jesus didn't only suffer in his body.

Now, he did suffer in his body. We need to be very careful that we don't belittle the sufferings that he endured physically in his body, because when he took the bread and he gave thanks for it in Luke 22, he said to the disciples, ìThis is my body which is given for you.î How could there be a greater sacrifice? And we know the language of 1 Peter 2 and 24 is very precious to us. ìWhose own self bear our sins in his own body on the tree.î Yes, he suffered physically.

He suffered in his body, perhaps more than any of us could ever take in, because of his holiness, because of his righteousness, because of his purity, because of his hatred of sin. He suffered as no mere man could ever suffer. Physically, he suffered.

But he suffered more than that. That's why I want to read these scriptures tonight. We read in Mark 2 that he perceives what people reason in their hearts.

I think that's very solemn. He still perceives all that is in our hearts. He knows us through and through.

In fact, it says in John 2, ìHe needed not that any should testify of man, for he knew what was in man.î So he knows what's in us, and yet he loves us. That, to me, is an amazing fact. The one who knows you best loves you best of all.

Let me read in Mark 8. Mark 8 and verse 12. ìAnd he sighed deeply in his spirit and said, ìWhy did this generation seek after a sign?î ìAs the Lord Jesus moved among men, his spirit was often grieved.î In fact, Mark 14 and verse 34 tells us that in Gethsemane that his soul was exceeding sorrowful, even unto death. In the first two passages in Mark, it is the spirit of the Lord Jesus that is being spoken of.

You're holy, but I believe it is the personal spirit of the man Christ Jesus. Do I understand that? No. Do I believe it? Yes.

That he was perfectly God, absolutely God, and yet truly human. He was here. And his spirit was deeply grieved.

He sighed deeply in his spirit. Mark 14 says, ìMy soul is exceeding sorrowful.î The sorrow and grief of his spirit and soul were far greater than the sufferings of his body. I think Edward Venney grasped this perhaps better than most hymn writers have.

We often sing that hymn to Calvary, Lord and Spirit, now our weary souls repair. I've been deeply impressed with the third verse of that hymn. ìThere, through thine hour of deepest woe, thy suffering spirit passed.

Grace, there its wondrous victory gained, and love endured its last.î How can I take in what the Lord Jesus suffered in his soul and in his spirit on my account? I know he was wounded. I know he was bruised. I know he was battered by wicked men.

And if I understand the prophecy of Micah correctly, they even struck him with rods. His visage was so marred, more than any man in his form, more than the sons of men. Were his sufferings deeper than that? Yes, they were.

He suffered in his soul. He suffered in his spirit. Let me read in the Gospel of John with you, if you will, please.

John 11. This is a familiar passage to us, and I think it's most touching. I'll read just a verse because we know it.

Verse 33, ìWhen Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her.î This is Mary, the sister of Lazarus. ìHe groaned in the spirit.î And that expression, ìwas troubled,î is much deeper than our English conveys. It means a trouble within that could never be measured from without.

ìHe groaned in the spirit.î He was troubled within. How can we measure that? What was he troubled about? He was going to raise Lazarus from the dead. But sin had such a cost.

Sin had brought death. And every tragedy ever known to mankind, the Lord Jesus was stirred so that he groaned in his spirit and was deeply troubled. Interesting that Larry Williams from Ohio mentioned this verse to me when he was here.

He said, ìI was just reading how the Lord Jesus groaned in his spirit.î I said, ìI'm glad you're reading. He did truly. He groaned in his spirit.î Look at chapter 12, seeing it's so close.

Chapter 12 and verse 27. ìNow is my soul troubled, and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour. For this cause came I unto this hour.

Father, glorify thy name.î I think that's most significant. This hour, this cause, and his soul was troubled. One more passage, please, in chapter 13.

Chapter 13, verse 21. ìWhen Jesus had thus said, he was troubled in spirit, and testified and said, ìVerily, verily, I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me.î The Lord Jesus knew suffering within far deeper, far greater than the sufferings without. I think perhaps we're so much beyond our depth that we seldom hear this spoken about.

But he suffered in his holy soul. He suffered in his spirit. He suffered underneath the divine wrath of a holy God, in a sense that is far beyond what we can measure.

How much we owe him. What a debt we cost him so much. One of the last times I heard Mr. George Chivas pray, he said, ìWe thank thee, Lord, for giving so much to save so little.î It cost him everything.

We cost him the sufferings of his holy soul. ìThere through thine hour of deepest woe, thy suffering spirit passed. Grace there its wondrous victory gained, and love.î