From the moment Jesus faced trial before Pilate, he was led away to his execution. Bearing the cross to which he would be affixed, he faltered under its weight, requiring someone else to carry it to the execution site. There, he was fastened with nails through his hands and feet, hoisted up as a naked, bloodied spectacle to all his enemies.
In this dire situation, Jesus endured taunts and mockery, even from the thieves suffering the same fate on either side of him. One might have expected a shred of pity, but his bloodthirsty enemies offered none. Their feigned willingness to alleviate his suffering was nothing more than a blasphemous charade – they handed him “gall and vinegar to drink” (Psalm 69:21).
Yet, the most crushing burden upon Jesus came not from human hands. They came from the hands of his heavenly Father. While man could only harm his body, the wounds inflicted on his soul originated from God Himself. God chose to “bruise Him” and make him suffer for the transgressions of his people. Jesus endured all other sufferings with silent patience, but this profound anguish elicited the heart-wrenching cry, “My God! My God! Why have you forsaken Me!”
The darkness that enveloped the land at noon for three hours was a somber symbol of his condition, suffering in the throes of nature’s demise and God’s righteous wrath. Finally, having drained the very last dregs of the cup of divine wrath placed before him, Jesus bowed his head and died.
With this brief overview of our Redeemer’s sufferings, we must acknowledge that they were substitutionary in nature. The glorious person whose sufferings we have contemplated did not endure them for his sake but for ours. “He was cut off, but not for Himself!” (Daniel 9:26)
Our Redeemer’s sufferings were on behalf of the sins of his people. In all he endured, he acted as our substitute. We had accrued the debt of sin, which he paid off.
“God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God!” (2 Corinthians 5:21)
“He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree!” (1 Peter 2:24)
“For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God!” (1 Peter 3:18)
“Is any suffering like My suffering that was inflicted on Me, that the Lord brought on Me in the day of His fierce anger?” (Lamentations 1:12)
If the contemplation of his substitutionary suffering will not move us to love our Savior, what will? We should be filled with love and gratitude, our souls aflame with devotion. Such immeasurable love should lead us to admire, adore, magnify, and serve Him with all our faculties and abilities. The very stones would cry out against us if we did not continually offer praise to our beloved Redeemer!
-Charles Simeon (updated for today’s reader)
The Fight of Faith 