The Bible says Jesus became the perfect model of humanity, because of what he suffered. What does that actually mean?

The answer may surprise you. To understand this, we need to ponder Hebrews 2:5-18:

It is not to angels that he has subjected the world to come, about which we are speaking. But there is a place where someone has testified:

“What is mankind that you are mindful of them, a son of man that you care for him?

You made them a little lower than the angels; you crowned them with glory and honor and put everything under their feet.”

In putting everything under them, God left nothing that is not subject to them. Yet at present we do not see everything subject to them. But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.

In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered.

Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters. He says, “I will declare your name to my brothers and sisters; in the assembly I will sing your praises.”

And again, “I will put my trust in him.”

And again he says, “Here am I, and the children God has given me.”

Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil — and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.

For surely it is not angels he helps, but Abraham’s descendants.

For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people.

Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

Hebrews 2:5-18

The author of Hebrews makes the case that, in order to serve as our sinless sacrifice and open the way for union with God, Jesus had to become one of us in every way. He needed to experience all the weaknesses of the human body and soul, the things that make us vulnerable to temptation.

We know Jesus never sinned and never gave into temptation, but Hebrews points out something that brings his humanity home to us: he suffered as he resisted the temptations common to man.

I don’t believe this passage is referring to the terrible suffering Jesus experienced in his arrest and torture through crucifixion. I believe it speaks of the suffering we all experience in this life. Look again at Hebrews 2:17-18:

[Jesus] had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

I confess that in ignorance I once made snarky rebuttals like: Jesus had no idea what it was like to have a baby; Jesus never had to submit to a less-than-perfect husband; nor did he know what it is like to experience the pains and failures of an aging body.

Of course, I later learned I was missing the point!

So how did Jesus suffer like we suffer?

He experienced the same vulnerabilities of body and soul that we do. For instance, and most significantly, He suffered every day through self-denial — having to say “No” to self.

We’re not always good at that.

In fact, the most common temptation we face is saying yes to ourselves; giving in to overwhelming urges, acting to quickly satisfy our appetites and needs.

If you haven’t connected the concept of “suffering” with self-denial, perhaps you haven’t denied yourself very often. If self-denial didn’t threaten to make you to go through some level of suffering, you would do it easily! Our human default is to avoid suffering whenever possible.

Jesus shared in our human suffering every time he said no to His personal desires and needs.

We are unlikely to deny ourselves for anything but the most powerful motivators: lose fifteen pounds before that wedding. Stop eating sweets so that cancer might go away.

Of course, Jesus had the most power motivation of all: he wanted to save us. Not just from death and hell, but from a life of selfishness that thwarts all the best we were created to be.

Jesus knew what it was like to deny himself the comfort of a female companion, or satisfy the sexual urges common to every testosterone-dominated man on earth.

Jesus knew what it was like to submit, if not to a husband, to authorities who had a right to dictate certain things about his life. He bent submissively to those who wronged him. And this from a man who never wronged anyone else!

Jesus knew what it was like to turn down ordinary pleasures of life so he could do the work of the Father, so he could be there for us.

Jesus knew what it was like to miss a meal or few so he could pray more powerfully. He felt the discomfort of hunger pangs and experienced low blood sugar. He had plenty of opportunity to be “hangry.”

Jesus knew what it was like to be mistrusted, disbelieved, shunned, and slandered. Even by his own family members. And, of course, he ultimately knew how it felt to be abandoned by those who swore they would be his unfailingly friends to the end.

Even more incredibly, Jesus knew all this would happen before it did.

He had a preview of the suffering in his path, and still gave his all to his friends, to his father, to you and I.

But not without cost. Throughout all the serving and loving and teaching, his human needs of body and soul exposed him to a continual struggle with self.

Every day of his life, Jesus had before him the same choices:

Serve myself, or serve them?

Love on myself, or say no to myself so I can love them better?

Avenge myself for the wrong they did to me, or forgive them and deny my need for justice?

It’s not all about temptation to sin.

One more thing to remember: some of the things Jesus denied himself, were not sinful in and of themselves. Temptation isn’t always about the law or sinning. It is, more often than not, about the choice between what is merely acceptable and what is best. Or, to say it spiritually, what is righteous. What is the right thing for this time — for me, for God, and for everyone my choice will affect?

Jesus preached a message that demands much of every human who follows him. To live by his teaching is to go beyond mere laws and walk in what is righteous, wise and good in God’s sight.

Yes, you will experience some measure of suffering in self-denial, however fleeting. But Jesus not only saved us from death and hell, he subjected himself to our own experience and triumphed in it — so He can now, by His Spirit living within you, help you do the same. As He sits next to the Father in heaven, he knows exactly what it is like to be you.

How do we face and embrace the suffering that self-denial brings?

How do we consistently make good choices even when it means we’ll suffer a bit?

We learn the answer when we get to Hebrews Chapter Twelve. There, we are told how Jesus endured the worst of it:

…for the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Hebrews 12:2

Beloved, there is always a reward, a joy waiting for us on the other side of suffering for a right choice.

I discovered that vividly when learning to fast years ago.

I love to eat, and I’m as weak about food as they come.

But the first three-day water fast I undertook in obedience to the Lord surprised me greatly. First, I found out that all those hunger pains I thought I couldn’t endure for three solid days — didn’t endure for three solid days!

Yes, they were intense at the first sign of emptiness. But drink a little water, and focus on whatever else you’re doing, and 15 or 20 minutes later, they’re gone, and you’re all comfortable and peaceful again in there for a few hours. I later learned that’s because my body was brilliantly designed by God to switch over to stealing a meal from the extra fat on my hips once it figured out I wasn’t going to feed it!

Soooo, when the next hunger pain came, I wasn’t worried; I knew I could outwait it and it would go away. Another meal off the hips, too! It actually felt so great and relaxing, and I had so much extra energy, that I was amazed!

And the joy: you guessed it: I lost weight. I have always had a metabolism like a slug, and terrible time losing weight. I was rewarded with a lighter me. A more peaceful me. A me who didn’t want so much sugar or bad stuff. My taste buds actually craved really good food at the end of it all. Last, but not least, I lost my fear of fasting and denying self in that way.

Later, when the Lord called me to a much longer fast, I wasn’t afraid to say say yes.

And to my greater amazement, after the first three or four days, the hunger pains stopped coming altogether, and I felt great the whole time. (Still, please don’t ever attempt a long fast without clear direction from the Lord, support of family, and respect for your health issues.)

Of course, the joys don’t always come so quickly, nor are the sufferings so relatively small. Fasting is just a useful example here. But the principles are true, always:

• Jesus has suffered in every way you can possibly face.
• So he can help you when you go through it.
• Suffering for righteousness’ sake is always attended by God’s strength to endure, and a reward of joy.

Want to rack up lots of joy in life? Lose your fear of a little temporary suffering, Beloved.