Did Jesus Suffer?

How Did Jesus Suffer For Us?

I’ve heard teachings that Jesus suffered by being separated from His Father for our sin because GOD could not look on Him. I’ve heard teachings that Jesus suffered in hell even some who said that He was tormented by demons.

When I was a young Christian and not familiar with the Bible I believed what I was taught by others, as I’ve grown and read and studied the Bible over the years I’ve seen that there are things that are taught that are not supported by the Bible. The two statements above fall into that category I have not found any scripture support for either. If you have some please share.

The standard statement is that Jesus suffered by being separated from the Father for the first and only time because of our sins, that’s why He cried out, “My GOD, My GOD, why have you forsaken Me?” First the Bible teaches that Jesus Christ is the full embodiment of the GOD Head; Father, Son Holy Spirit (John 1:1-18; Hebrews 1:1-4; Colossians 2:1-10). He was never separated from Himself because He could not be He is the one true GOD (John 17:3). This is one of the tricky lessons about GOD that trip so many up, the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit are not entities of GOD they are the one true GOD. (Deuteronomy 6:4-5; Mark 12:28-31) Forsaken as used by Jesus is from the Greek word enkataleipo “to forsake, abandon, leave in straits, or helpless,” said by or of, Christ, Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34; Acts 2:27, 31.¹ So we know that the Father could not abandon Himself so He must have left Himself in straits or helpless; on the cross in His humanity Christ was helpless and in dire straits as His life ebbed.

The part about GOD not being able to look on Jesus because of our sin does not make since because GOD looks on sinners, the Bible teaches that His eyes search throughout the whole earth (Psalm 11; Jeremiah 16:17; Zechariah 4:10).

Many support this separation theory with the events of the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus asks the Father to “let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless not as I will, but as You will.” Jesus did suffer but not by being separated from His Father, nor was He tormented in hell. The Bible teaches that GOD delivered up Jesus for our sin, He who knew no sin became sin for us. (2 Corinthians 5:21) Hebrews chapters 7 thru 10 teach about Jesus’ priesthood compared to the Aaronic priesthood, how Jesus is both the priest and the sacrifice, also study Romans 8:31-39.

So did Jesus suffer? Yes He did! He suffered agony in His body from the scourging and crucifixion! He suffered agony in His soul from the rejection by humanity, especially the Jews! He suffered agony in His Spirit as He bore the weight of our sin! But He did not suffer in hell (Psalm 16:8-10) where He ministered to those waiting for salvation leading the captives to freedom (Isaiah 14:8-9; Luke 4:17-20; Matthew 27:45-56); where He defeated death and hell and took the keys of their dominions (Revelation 1:18).

Jesus’ physical death fulfilled the just requirements of the Law and initiated the New Covenant (Testament). His time in hell (study Luke 16:19-31) began the eternal judgment of those who reject Him and the eternal reward of those who believe in Him. His resurrection established Him as Savior of all who believe in the Father’s provision of and Christ’s completed work of salvation and as LORD of all.

¹ Vine’s Concise Dictionary of the Bible, Thomas Nelson, Inc., 2005