Jesus was a man who knew sorrow. You don’t need to look further than the bible to know this is true. The Old Testament Hebrew word that is used here is “makob”. This obviously, means sorrow but can also mean pain. Therefore, this verse can be read as “a man of sorrows” or a man of pain; either physical or mental pain. Next with regard to the word grief, the Old Testament word is “holi”. It's interesting to know that in the KJV this word is used to mean sickness twelve times and grief only four times in the Old Testament. The New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition goes further and says that the Suffering Servant is “ a man of suffering and acquainted with infirmity”. So we get a picture of the Suffering Servant that can be a man of sorrows familiar with grief and a man of pain familiar with sickness. Both readings are valid. It's the same picture used in 1 Chron 4: 9 and 10, with the prayer of Jabez; “Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez, saying, “I gave birth to him in pain.” Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, “Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.” And God granted his request.” If you look at the KJV you will see the word sorrow has been used, not pain. The Oxford English language dictionary defines sorrow as a feeling of deep distress caused by loss, disappointment, or other misfortune. The Oxford English language dictionary defines pain as a highly unpleasant physical sensation caused by illness or injury.
Today, I will concentrate only on Jesus being a man of sorrows or a man of pain. Jesus was a man of sorrow, and the most obvious example of where Jesus was in deep sorrow was at the Garden of Gethsemane. It was Preparation Day, the day before the Day of Passover, and Jesus and His disciples had just finished their meal in the upper room. During the meal, Jesus spoke to Judas Iscariot and told him to go. You see, Judas had previously agreed with the religious leaders of the day that he would betray Jesus and so Judas left the room to go and get Roman soldiers to arrest Jesus. With the meal finished, Jesus and the disciples left the room and went to the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus took Peter James, and John and went to pray, but the 3 disciples were tired and fell asleep. Jesus had already predicted three times that he would be handed over to the Romans who would mock him, insult him, and spit on him. He made these predictions calmly as these were going to be fulfilments of various Old Testament prophesies. But now the day had arrived, it was going to happen now, and being fully human his instinctive self-preservation started to kick in. Jesus said to his closest disciples, ‘My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.’ Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, ‘My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.’ Jesus wanted to do His Father’s will but his deep desire was to live. Could these two competing wills combine and have the same outcome? The question could only be rhetorical as Judas and the Roman troops came and arrested Jesus. There would be no turning back from the cross and his death, and Jesus willingly submitted to His Father’s will.
Jesus was a man who knew pain, just as Job referred to, we read that in Job 33: 19; “Or someone may be chastened on a bed of pain with constant distress in their bones.” The obvious example of pain that Jesus went through was at his crucifixion. But at his trial, Jesus was also slapped by an official. We read, “I have spoken openly to the world,’ Jesus replied. ‘I always taught in synagogues or at the temple, where all the Jews come together. I said nothing in secret. Why question me? Ask those who heard me. Surely they know what I said.’ When Jesus said this, one of the officials near by slapped him in the face. ‘Is this the way you answer the high priest?’ he demanded.” This slap was just the beginning of the physical pain that he would suffer.
After he had been condemned the Roman soldiers took control of the situation and they were barbaric. They; “twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on his head.”, then they; “took the staff and struck him on the head again and again.”. The pain of the thorns digging into the flesh would have been unbearable. But much worse was to come.
In three of the Gospels, the Bible records that Jesus was flogged. The account by Mark says, “Wanting to satisfy the crowd, Pilate released Barabbas to them. He had Jesus flogged and handed him over to be crucified.” The Roman soldiers flogged Jesus. This simple statement hides the horror of the event. Jesus would have been whipped by the Roman soldiers using a scourge, or a flagrum, which was a short whip made of three or more leather strips connected to a handle. The leather strips were knotted with a weight at the end, and in the weight were either nails or bone shards. Scourging would quickly remove the flesh, and this would expose a bloody mass of bone and muscle. Jews had people whipped thirty-nine times so that they would not break God’s law, but the Romans had no restrictions. What was important to them was that the person was whipped nearly to the point of death. The whipping would result in the removal of flesh all around his body from the legs, arms chest, back even up his neck and onto his face.
Lastly, so tired that he could not carry his cross, he managed to get up the hill to Golgotha where he was crucified. Nails were hammered into Jesus’ hands and feet. When the cross was lifted, his whole body would want to fall to earth and the full weight of his body would pull against the nails in his hands. This would be excruciating.
What does this mean for us today? Jesus as the Son of Man, the fully human Son of God, born of a virgin girl, experienced deep sorrow and really violent pain. He has experienced the worst that the world could throw at him. Now that same Jesus Christ, who died on that cross is with Father God in heaven. Death could not hold him, and he rose from the dead 3 days later. And he then ascended into heaven 40 days after that. The man who suffered terribly at the hands of men is now in Father God’s presence interceding for you and me.
Because he knew great sorrow he understands what you and I are going through. Because he suffered great pain he understands when we are going through great pain. When we pray to our Heavenly Father because of the sorrow and pain, Jesus Christ is there on our side.
But that is not the end of it, there is more good news. Because we have a Saviour in Jesus Christ, we know we will be with him. When the trumpets blow and Jesus Christ returns to the earth, he will take us home to be with him. God promised that he; “shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain; for the former things are passed away” (KJ21). Isn’t that fantastic no more sorrow and no more pain!!!
