He Can Relate

READ: JOHN 1:1-4, 9-14; 2 CORINTHIANS 1:3-5; HEBREWS 4:14-16

Have you been rejected by your family? Jesus can relate. His own brothers didn’t believe in Him (John 7:5).

Have you been rejected by your friends? One of Jesus’s best friends denied that he even knew Him three times (John 18:13-27).

Do you feel alone in your hometown? Jesus was driven out of His (Luke 4:14-30).

Have you been kind to someone who showed no gratitude in return? Jesus healed ten men with leprosy, and only one came back to thank Him (Luke 17:11-19).

Have you been criticized for doing the right thing? Jesus was constantly chastised by the Pharisees for healing on the Sabbath (Matthew 12:9-14) and for hanging out with people they considered to be the worst of sinners (Luke 5:27-31).

Have you been bullied? Jesus was mocked by His own people (Matthew 27:41-42), brutally tortured by the Romans (John 19:1-6), and taunted and tempted by the devil himself (Matthew 4:1-11).

Have you lost someone close to you? Jesus wept when His friend Lazarus died (John 11:1-44).

Just because Jesus is the Son of God and the Savior of the world doesn’t mean He can’t relate to us. He is fully human. He faced the full range of human experiences and emotions, which gave Him a profound understanding of human rejection, sadness, suffering, and pain—He even endured the deepest of suffering by dying on the cross for our sins. That means He can fully empathize with us in whatever we’re facing right now. He did all of this for us. He is with us. He will never leave us (Hebrews 13:5).

What’s more, Jesus is also fully God. That means He can comfort us in a way no one else can. He offers us the peace that comes from resting in His love— and looking forward to the day He will return and make all things new. Let’s turn to Him for comfort today. • Sarah Elizabeth Child

• What kinds of hurts have you experienced lately—whether physical, emotional, mental, relational, or spiritual? Can you think of any times Jesus experienced something similar? If nothing comes to mind, who is a trusted Christian in your life who could help you find Bible passages that reveal just how much Jesus gets what you’re going through?

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort. 2 Corinthians 1:3 (WEB)