Published by

In other words, Christianity may be alone in admitting that the reality and centrality of
pain is grounded in its central Gospel message of the death Jesus’ died. As a result, its existence
cannot be ignored, set aside, or explained away as unreal. Rather, these notions must be
embraced, without allowing it to be explained by metaphor, illusion, or delusion. Since Jesus’
crucifixion is at the very center of the Gospel facts, affirming evil and suffering is a literal fact
and this requires its stark reality. Further, this type of suffering and pain is both physical as well
as existential. It goes without saying that physical pain is a given in Roman crucifixion. After
all, it may well be the most painful death to undergo.
Regarding the existential element, how are we to understand deeply the Son of God
surprisingly crying out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Mk. 15:34). In spite
of hearing the words of that terribly-anguished cry, it is impossible for us to understand all that is
involved there between the Father and the Son. Then, seemingly to make matters worse, God
did not even remove his Son from the cross!
Can it get still get more difficult? How are we to understand the teaching in Hebrews
5:8: “Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered” (ESV)? Moreover,
in Hebrews 2:10, we are told that it was fitting that Jesus be made “perfect through suffering.”
What is going on in these verses? Some believers no doubt struggle with the idea that Jesus had
to learn anything, though we often lose sight of the crucial truth that Jesus was fully human, too
(see Lk. 2:52, for instance).
41