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’ brothers didn’t believe in Him (John 7:5).

Have you been rejected by your friends? One of Jesus’ best friends denied that he 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 “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 does not mean He cannot relate to you. He is also a human. He faced a full range of human emotions and experiences in His lifetime—even experiencing the deepest of suffering by dying on the cross for our sins—which gave Him a profound understanding of human rejection, sadness, suffering, and pain. That means He can fully empathize with you in whatever you are facing right now. He is with you and will never leave you (Hebrews 13:8).

What’s more, He is also fully God. That means He can comfort you in a way no one else can. Turn to Him for comfort today. • Sarah Elizabeth Child

• Which one of Jesus’ experiences can you relate to the most?

• Does it comfort you to know that Jesus has experienced hurts just like ours?

• When you see others struggling, how can you comfort them with the comfort Jesus has given you?

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)