Welcome to the first of three special Easter devotions focused on “Heavy Things” in the biblical accounts associated with and including the cross.  Today, we consider the “weight of sin” and its place in Jesus’ suffering. 

Christian music and literature are filled with references to the burden of sin Jesus carried.  Hymnwriter John Chapman wrote, “One day they led Him up Calvary’s mountain, One day they nailed Him to die on the tree; Suffering anguish, despised and rejected; Bearing our sins, my Redeemer is He.”  Perhaps you have heard this quote from the late Billy Graham: “The cross is the suffering love of God bearing the guilt of man’s sin, which alone is able to melt the sinner’s heart and bring him to repentance for salvation.”

The belief that Jesus bore our sins is basic to the gospel and one of the truths Christians hold to for their assurance of salvation.  While it may be unnecessary for us to comprehend every detail of what it was like for Jesus to be our sin Substitute, the effort we make to plumb the depth of this topic can be very rewarding.  As we approach our various Easter celebrations, let us consider these heavy things Jesus carried to save us from our sins.  

#1 Grief: As Jesus was approaching Jerusalem during the event we call, “The Triumphal Entry”, He grieved over the spiritual blindness of the nation of Israel.  “And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying, ‘Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes” (Luke 19:41-42). Spiritual blindness can take many forms, including the judgmentalism of the Pharisees who persecuted Jesus and the misguided morals of Herod Antipas who stole his brother’s wife and imprisoned John the Baptist for rebuking him.  One description of spiritual blindness is the inability to discern when our lives are out of sync with God’s heart and will.  The Pharisees did “right” things, but they did them for the wrong reason.  Herod did “wrong” things, and attempted to justify his behavior by eliminating his enemies.  Sin grieves Jesus, whether it is a matter of the heart or the will, and as He neared Jerusalem, the weight of sin’s impact on the human race brought tears to His eyes.  This was the beginning of a tear-stained week, culminating with Jesus’ death and resurrection. 

Sin always grieves Jesus, because it is an affront to His Father, and also because He is in a position to see lives come unraveled under Satan’s influence.  The benefit of recognizing this reality is that it can lead to life when we grieve over our own sins and come to repentance. 

#2 Rejection: I personally find it difficult to comprehend how Jesus felt when He was rejected.  He was human, and I imagine He was hurt by personal attacks.  Yet, He was divine and must have had a perfect sense of identity; the identity we sometimes doubt when we are despised.  Hebrews 4:12 tells us Jesus was tempted in every way as we are, but did not sin.  Perhaps we could say Jesus experienced every emotion we have when we feel rejected, but avoided sinful thoughts, words and actions.  Have you ever wondered how our Savior felt when His own hometown rejected Him (Luke 4:14-30)?  And were some of the spiritual leaders in the room where Jesus stood before the Sanhedrin the same ones who doted over Him as a boy of twelve in the temple (Luke 2:41-52)? Was this also the case with the leaders who mocked Him at Calvary?  And yet, Jesus did not sin.  Instead, He said “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34).  But make no mistake.  This was a heavy burden to bear.  Jesus’ love moved Him to willingly accept rejection for the sake of our salvation.    

Have you ever felt the sting of rejection?  And were the people who rejected you people you loved?  If so, you are not alone.  Parents reject their children.  Children reject their parents.  Good friends turn on one another and members of our armed services sometimes become lightening-rods for those who disagree with our country’s military endeavors.  Knowing Jesus understands how we feel helps us maintain our character, and avoid the trap of allowing our wounded hearts to create a foothold for Satan.  With the Apostle Paul, we proclaim, “But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed” (2 Corinthians 4:7-9).

#3 Pain: The pain inflicted during a Roman crucifixion was horrific, but it is important to note that Jesus’ physical torture began before He scaled the hill to Calvary.  In the Garden of Gethsemane He said, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death” (Matthew 26:38).  While the word “overwhelmed” can be subjective, in Jesus’ case His “sorrow to the point of death” was real.  The weight of the world’s sin was already crushing Jesus’ inner being; his emotions, his mind and his body.  There is a popular book titled, “The Body Keeps the Score” which addresses the physical consequences of trauma.  Jesus’ score was being tallied and the sheet was filling up fast!  Following His prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, He was arrested, tried, mocked, beaten and made to carry His own cross. And all of this, presumably, without sleep or nourishment.  It has often been said that Jesus was half-dead before He was raised up on the cross.  The pain Jesus endured on our behalf was inconceivable.

If you are a follower of Jesus, you have likely been encouraged to consider Jesus’ pain as it relates to your personal sin.  The purpose for this association is to highlight the seriousness of sin and the fact that we are partially responsible for Jesus’ death on the cross.  While this approach needs to be balanced with grace and the truth that we are free from the burden of sin, it does have merit.  However, it is also good to consider the cumulative weight of the world’s sin as it fell on our Savior.  This includes the guilt incurred for transgressing God’s perfect law and the punishment we all deserve.  As some have said, “He got what we deserve (the wrath of God), and we get what He deserved (freedom).” What a heavy weight He bore!  And He did so that we might have our burdens lifted and experience a spiritual rebirth.

#4 Death: Finally, Jesus suffered death, which was the ultimate consequence of sin.  Because Jesus came in human form and His body had been tortured beyond its point of tolerance, He cried out, “Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit” and breathed His last.  Perhaps this moment was on Jesus’ mind when He told His disciples he had “sorrow to the point of death.”  It certainly was a part of the “cup” He prayed for His Father to take from Him, if that was His Father’s will.  Death is the final enemy, and for a time, it appeared it had won.  But, of course, we know death did not have the final say.  The heaviness of death that pressed down on Calvary was lifted three days later when Jesus rose from the tomb.  More on this in a later devotion!

Most of us have experienced the death of someone we love, and we recognize we will face physical death in the future, should Jesus tarry.  Death reminds us of many things, but as we meditate on the cross, it accentuates God’s love for us.  The tears that must have flowed from Mary’s cheeks, and the pain experienced by His disciples as a result of His death, speak to the unfathomable love God has for each of us.  He placed the full weight of sin on His Son, and watched Him suffer that we might escape the penalty of sin and receive salvation.

If you are experiencing the freedom of grace today, thank God for the heavy things Jesus endured.  And if you are being crushed by the burden of life, take heart!  Remember the lyrics to John Moore’s hymn, “Troubled soul, the Savior can see; every heartache and tear. Burdens are lifted At Calvary; Jesus is very near.”