Jesus Christ in human suffering : a theology of suffering interpreted through the incarnation

Abstract

The created order expressed the perfect goodness of God. By doubting the identity of God man unaccountably granted existence to evil. In the midst of his fears and uncertainties his experiences became excruciatingly painful.Many persons were led to believe that God's gracious restraints experienced as suffering, fully expressed His nature. Job discovered that God is far greater in grace than the impersonal arbiter of justice which some men believed Him to be.God's covenant people, Israel, mistook His free election as some sort of inflexible privilege. The most severe suffering could not induce them to repent of their evil. Perceptive spiritual men came to see that God x^ould have to act in a new way to reveal His identity and bind His people to Him. They also came to understand how intense suffering experienced by a righteous person or people could redound to the benefit of others.Israelites in exile discovered new dimensions of God's grace when even in the midst of exilic suffering He visited them in His Glory.Israel suffered because God refused to let them go. In and through Israel's suffering the radical nature of man's sin is revealed. But God's identity is also revealed as the One who loves so much that He will not be deflected from His purpose of effecting reconciliation with man.The humanity of Jesus Christ as well as His solidarity with Israel are both evident from the circumstances of His birth and parentage. His will to solidarity with sinful mankind is clear in His baptism. His identity as Son of God is revealed in His acceptance of filial obedience.Jesus Christ gives evidence of His sinlessness in the temptation in that He refuses to entertain doubt as to the identity of God. It is likewise evident that His way to ultimate victory will be along the path of suffering on which He will make no use of the usual resources associated with kingship and power. On the cross He refuses to renounce His dependence on His Father and experiences the true forsakenness due to sinful men. But being Son of God He reveals once and for all the full dimensions of God's identity; demonstrating that God's gracious love for man is so unconditional that He Himself wills to assume the burden of punishment and suffering due to man. In His resurrection the permanence of His work is guaranteed.Reflecting on the person and work of its Lord the Church felt obliged to assert the unity and the distinction between Jesus Christ and God the Father. Theologians persistently refused to allow any expression which would reduce the unity of God to polytheism or which would deny the reality of Jesus' manhood.Jesus' suffering made it difficult for Christologians to state the mode of the existence of the divine and human in the one person of Jesus Christ; a truth which they knew it was essential to maintain. Room had to be left in statements describing the presence of divinity and humanity in Christ, so that neither was obscured or denied.God the Father does not suffer as God the Son because He is not incarnate. But since He is a personal being He feels grief and vexation at man's sin and this "pain" of His is reflected in the sending of His Son and that Son's willingness to suffer in full expiation of man's sin. In this way Jesus Christ reveals the true nature of Godhead.Jesus Christ has truly revealed the nature of the gracious God. With all of his doubt removed, man can now face life with new power. In solidarity with all men Jesus Christ has claimed human agony as His own. The Christian, the Jew and the unbeliever suffer after lhis determinative agony and whether they know it or not bear witness to Him and His salutary work.Any theology of suffering must of necessity be centred in the person and work of Jesus Christ.