Love Suffers

Love Like Jesus Loved

Love Suffers

1 Corinthians 13:7 & Matthew 27:27-44

True love is able to bear many hardships and endure many sufferings

The Suffering Love of Jesus

1. Stripped Jesus – totally exposed

2. Mocked and beaten

• Mocking his claim to be King

• Mocking his claim to be a Prophet

“They also blindfolded him and kept asking him, “Prophesy! Who is it that struck you?”” (Luke 22:64)

• Mocking his Sonship (40)

• Mocking his Saving Power (42)

• Mocking his Faith (43)

These were all reasons for Jesus to be Exalted, not humiliated

3. Spitting – the universal sign of contempt

4. The Crucifixion

• Physical Pain

• Public Humiliation

• Spiritual Separation (46)

 “looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2)

“He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.” (1 Peter 2:22–24)

Responding To The Suffering Love of Jesus

1. Saving Faith

“because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” (Romans 10:9–11)

• Turn

• Trust

2. Profound Gratitude

“But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 15:57)

3. Loving others with a Suffering Love

“And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” (Ephesians 5:2)

“For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.” (1 Peter 2:20–21)

God may give us more than We can bear, but he will never give us more than He can bear

Making It Personal:

• Have your responded to the suffering love of Jesus with a saving faith? Turning from sin and trusting Christ for your past, present and future?

• How can you more regularly express and live out gratitude for the suffering love of Jesus toward you?

• Where in your life is God calling you to live out the suffering love of Jesus toward another? How can you draw on Christ’s love and strength to be able to do this?

• Who can you share these truths with?