³ For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Let’s consider Christ, as the passage suggests. How did He suffer? We could look as early as the forty day fast and temptation in the wilderness (Matthew 4), the physical struggle being Spirit imposed, and temptation Satan initiated. Our verse for today, however, focuses more on the human element (notwithstanding there being spiritual conflict involved in every human persecution). Jesus of course was constantly harassed with many attempts to kill Him, the hostility growing over the three plus years of His ministry.

The suffering traditionally is seen as beginning in the garden of Gethsemane, although, of course, the seeds of it were laid earlier. Before anyone even laid a hand on Christ, the spiritual battle took a turn for the worse, as it were: “And being in agony He was praying very fervently; and His sweat became like drops of blood, falling down upon the ground” (Luke 22:44). The battle for eternity was engaged! He told His disciples, “My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death; remain here and keep watch with Me” (Matt 26:38).

He prayed three times, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will” (Matt 26:39). This is what we read earlier in Hebrews, “In the days of His flesh, He offered up both prayers and supplications with loud crying and tears to the One able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His piety” (Heb 5:7).

The details of the events leading up to His death are well rehearsed. They tortured Him unmercifully. “His appearance was marred more than any man and His form more than the sons of men” (Isaiah 52:14). He was beaten beyond all recognition. “He was despised and forsaken of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him” (Isaiah 53:3). “He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth; like a lamb that is led to slaughter, and like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, so He did not open His mouth” (Isaiah 53:7). He was mocked, lacerated, shamelessly put on display on a Roman gibbet, a wooden cross. He was betrayed by one of His followers, denied by another, and abandoned by almost all.

The cross has become emblematic in Christian history. It represents the suffering and death of Christ, and because it is now empty, it represents the resurrection of Christ. We have hope because Christ conquered suffering and death, and therefore we can endure, because He endured.

Lord, in my current suffering I resolve to keep “considering” You!