The Lutheran Hour
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"Jesus Gets It"
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Text: Hebrews 2:14-15
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Christ is risen, He is risen indeed, so trust Him, dear friend, when life gets tough. Amen.
Let me share a bit of common sense wisdom with you today. Here it comes. You ready? Life can be tough even when things are going well. Agree?This bit of common sense caused me to think about Debbie Sterling today. You probably don’t know her yet but soon you might. And Debbie herself may be very nervous this very day. Why? She is the thirty-year old inventor and “Chief Officer of Fun” at GoldieBlox, a company that makes a combined book and construction toy designed to get girls and women into the engineering field. It’s a toy that’s pink, pretty, fun, and crafted to combine girls’ verbal skills with the challenge of building things. Debbie launched the idea just a year and a half ago. But today, Super Bowl Sunday, Debbie’s new company is one of the four finalists in Intuit’s “Small Business Big Game” competition. The winner gets a 30-second Super Bowl commercial! If you watch the game, you’ll see who won.
Debbie was an engineer major at Stanford and while there, she noticed how few women were involved in the program. When she graduated in 2005, Debbie began to feel passionate about getting girls into the engineering, math, and technology fields. She decided to risk everything and start the “GoldieBlox Company.” She plunged into research, walking toy store aisle after aisle, and consulting with neuroscientists about the best way to help young girls take an interest in engineering. Then she launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise money for her idea. Her goal was to raise $150,000. She hit that goal within four days and nearly doubled it when the campaign was finished. Success! GoldieBlox was born!
But even when things are going well, there can be anxiety there too. As you might expect, this kind of risk/reward venture creates some apprehension. For Debbie, such risks created nervousness every step of the way. Worry after worry developed as obstacles popped up. And what if the most amazing development happens? What if 100 million Super Bowl viewers see Debbie’s company on TV and decide that they want a GoldieBlox toy right now?
You see, even when great things happen, life can become challenging and worrisome. It can be messy, and the messes can test you and me.
In fact, for every advertiser and product manufacturer today, there are some major stresses. Like no one wants to end up on the “Five Worst Super Bowl Ads” list. For some companies that might spell their doom. It is a nervous day today!
And think about the people playing in that big game, the Super Bowl. Yes, the Super Bowl is a game. Yes, the players are playing. But along with the festive atmosphere, the professionals on the field are feeling some stress today. Nobody wants to lose. Everybody wants to play well. Careers can be made or broken today.
No matter how you cut it, life can be nerve-wracking. It may be that important job interview that you finally landed. But, what if you don’t get it? It can be the big test that you been studying for, the one that will get you the license, the certification, the degree that you need to start building your life; but what if it doesn’t go well? Life can be hard, even if all those things happen just the way you’d want them too.
Life is hard. Yes, but what if the every year challenges of winter seem to never end too?
Did you know that today is also Groundhog Day? Throngs of people in the United States and around the world wait to see if a furry little creature will see its shadow. If the groundhog emerges during sunshine, the frightened animal signals the dreadful news that winter is destined to last another six long weeks.But what if it’s not just a winter of the body, but one of the heart; one of the soul?
The cold winds of winter can bring some physical struggles to life, can’t they? That insulation might need beefing up, or that roof might finally need repair, or that furnace might finally need to be replaced. Cold, miserable weather has its demands. But what if you’re feeling the cold winds of heartache, heartbreak, loneliness, or pain, what then? Life can be hard even in the day to day things that we face.
So, this might be no surprise. Maybe you already know that life can be hard. But, here’s something that you might not have known. Jesus knows that life is hard too. He tells us very directly, “In this world you will have trouble.”
But, don’t forget what He also said very directly too: “But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33 NIV). As our Savior, He’s not going to leave us alone in all that stress, anxiety, worry, and trouble. No way! In fact, no stress, no worry, no hardship, not even death itself can be a match for the crucified and risen Lord Jesus Christ! The long and hard winter of our lost and broken world has seen the springtime of new life in Jesus Christ. Our lives, full of stresses and trials, they receive the message of certain hope in our Savior who has conquered sin and death and who brings peace to us that the world cannot give. For the most difficult challenges in your life, you have a Savior who is more than a match for every one of them.
You, dear listener, may be facing one of the most difficult times in your life right now. This very moment may be one of your toughest tests. You may be wondering if you’ll be able to make it. You may feel as if God has abandoned you or that even He cannot bring you through the shock, the grief, and the pain that you’re enduring. You may be wondering if anyone is able to stand up under such pressure. Is there any hope? Can anyone make it through the devastating tests of life you face in this world?
Listen to this Word from God, dear friend, and take heart. In Hebrews 2, it says this: Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, Jesus himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to its lifelong slavery (Hebrews 2:14-15).
Did you hear it? Jesus shared in our flesh and blood. He partook of the same things you experience in your life. Does anyone understand what you’re going through? Yes! Jesus gets it! Jesus understands your life and mine. He gets it! He gets it even more than we do! He was born like you. He was a baby. He learned to walk. He learned to talk. He experienced the challenges of growing up. He needed rest. He got thirsty. He walked in the wilderness. He was tempted by the devil. He was pressured by the crowds. He was immersed in a busy schedule. He sought rest. He suffered grief. He cried real tears. He endured real pain and despair. He was crushed by abandonment. He even understands what it is like to walk through the agony of death. Jesus gets it. He really gets it.
That’s important, isn’t it? I’ll never forget visiting with a parent who was grieving the death of her child. I don’t think there is anything that hurts like that. Death may come to all, but it feels even more “wrong” when it comes to our children, doesn’t it? Well, her heart ached as she sobbed. But there was with us another woman, another mom who had also lost a child. She embraced the grieving mother and said to her, “I understand.” What powerful words. It’s so important to know that someone really gets it, someone really understands.
So, if you are hurting today, my friend, please hear the writer of Hebrews letter clearly. He’s saying, “Jesus, Your Savior is that someone in your life. He gets it. He gets your life. He understands.” And unlike our sympathy, He can do something about it!
You see, no matter what you are going through, Jesus has already gotten through it for you. Jesus got through the worst, the toughest tests, and the most agonizing challenges in order to free you from the eternal ramifications of what you might be experiencing today. Whatever you’re up against, it may be real, challenging, but in your eternal life with Christ, it’s only temporary. Jesus gets it and Jesus got through it for you.
You may be asking: “Are you sure, Pastor? Are you sure He did this for me? I can see Jesus doing this for really good people, for church people, for important people, for wealthy people, but me?”
Hear God’s word again: For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham (Hebrews 2:16).
Did you hear that? Not for some special, elite class of people, not even for angels! No. Jesus came to help “the offspring of Abraham, people like you and me.” That means regular people. Jesus came to help us humans, real people. Literally, the word for help means to take hold of. Jesus takes hold of you.
Did anyone ever take hold of you when you felt like you weren’t very holdable? You know what I mean. Your mom will give you a hug even though you just ran five miles and are sweaty. Your wife will give you a kiss even though you ate onions with your dinner–a small kiss, maybe. Jesus takes hold of you even when in your sin and failure, you’re unworthy of being held; even in your anxiety and discombobulation, you aren’t very holdable.
Who does Jesus embrace? Who does He take hold of? The Bible shows Him lifting up the widow who gave her pennies–poor and unknown. The Bible shows Jesus as a Friend of sinners. He reached out to despised tax collectors, contagious lepers, forgotten children, unwanted foreigners, and sinners caught in the act. He made unschooled people into disciples. He confided in the disenfranchised, the lowly, and the scorned. Do you think that you’re too distant and unworthy for a Holy God to care about you or to bless you? Jesus gets it. He came for you. He takes hold of you–your life right now. He knows what it’s like to be in your shoes. He knows your pain–and even more pain than that as He was forsaken by God on the cross. Even though Jesus Himself was without sin, He still knows how your sin feels because it is on the cross of Calvary; that Jesus bore every sin you and I have ever committed!
Jesus gets it, my friend. He gets your life. Your stress? Your pressure? The burdens that weigh heavy on you? Jesus gets it. The writer of Hebrews also says: Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted (Hebrews 2:17-18).
Jesus suffered. The temptation and tests of life were agonizing. Jesus has a deep understanding of your pain. He has a heart of mercy for your hurt.
I remember a man who started a gathering for people who were unemployed. The group met on Monday mornings because this man knew that not many employers were talking to prospective workers on Monday morning. Employers were catching up with phone calls and emails. They were planning their week. So this man invited other unemployed people to meet with him for prayer and Scripture reading. The group gathered for encouragement and for help. They talked about networking and searching for jobs. This man understood what others were going through. He had been there before and he was there again. It helps to have someone who really understands.
I’ve heard of another man who understands. His name is Joshua Hoffman. When he was nineteen years old, he started to work in a nursing home as a caregiver. Soon he moved to providing one-on-one in-home care for seniors. Joshua saw how important it was for an elderly person to have heartfelt, personal care. A few years later he founded Hoffman’s Home Helpers, a company that worked to enhance the quality of life of seniors by providing quality personal assistants in the homes of the elderly. These days the company is called Homewell Senior Care. How could Joshua start such an effective company? Because he started in the trenches. Because he had compassion for the elderly. He was there. He got it.
When people have been there, they have credibility. Those are the people you can talk to about your struggle, your depression, your grief, and your pain. They get it.
That is the kind of Savior you have in Jesus and that’s why He is able to help you. He is able to have mercy on you. He gets it. He became like you in every way. And He was an acceptable sacrifice for your sins. God the Father looks at the crucified and risen Christ and says, “Your sins? Your struggles? Your imperfection? Your failure? Your pain? Jesus got it all. In Him, because of Him, your life is brand new.”The Bible says it this way, “The children share in the flesh and blood, [Jesus] likewise partook of the same…but even more, it says, “Therefore, since we have a great high priest…..Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are-yet did not sin.
Yes, Jesus your Savior gets it. He gets your life. He understands. He was made like you in every way. But He is also totally unlike you.
You heard that word propitiation in the Bible reading. As the Son of God in the Flesh for you and me, Jesus made propitiation for your sins. All that means is He satisfied God’s demands for you and me. You couldn’t do that. I couldn’t do that. We could not live that perfect life. We could not pay off the debt of our sins. But Jesus could–and He did!
Jesus understands you completely, but He also overcomes everything that paralyzes you. He is your hope when life is crumbling. He overcame every barrier, every test, every struggle, every sin and He can bring you into new life with Him forever.
I don’t know if you’ve ever seen the television show “American Ninja Warrior.” It’s a challenging obstacle course competition. The show has obstacles like the “unstable bridge,” “the shin cliffhanger,” “the jumping spider,” “the half-pipe attack,” and “the warped wall.” Sounds hard, doesn’t it? Well, it is. Only the most skilled athletes have any chance in the competition. The grand finale of the show is a finalist showdown at a giant 70-foot obstacle course of all obstacles courses. And get this: “American Ninja Warrior” has been on television for a few years now. Do you know how many people have made it through the massive final obstacle course? No one. No one has ever won.
That would be us in the obstacle course called life if we were on our own. But Jesus made it through. He was tempted in every way. He suffered like you and me. He made it through! He even conquered death!
This changes everything, doesn’t it? In your suffering you have hope. From your suffering you can be a person who understands, who empathizes, and who cares. You are a new creation in Christ. Out of your suffering you can bring Christ’s love. You can share His message of hope. As one who knows a Savior who understands and overcomes all things for you, you can bring that gift of love to people in your life.
So, today, today, even as Debbie Sterling deals with the potential stress of success, or as Super Bowl players face the challenges of their job, or as winter weary people face the potential Groundhog verdict of more winter blahs, or as life overwhelms you and me for the moment, you can know that such stress doesn’t have the last word. For in your tests and trials, your struggle and pain, you know the secret of hope. You know the grace of God in Christ holds you, it molds you, and it moves you forward. Jesus your Savior gets it. And Jesus your Savior gets you through it, by grace, now and forever. Trust Him. Amen.
LUTHERAN HOUR MAILBOX (Questions & Answers) for February 2, 2014
Topic: Why Do People Suffer?ANNOUNCER: We are back once again with Pastor Gregory Seltz. I’m Mark Eischer. Pastor, there is so much pain and suffering in the world. Why do people suffer?
SELTZ: Mark, I can hear the breaking heart behind that question.
ANNOUNCER: Right, it’s more than a theoretical discussion. It’s a very personal issue as people either suffer themselves or they watch as their family members suffer. Where is God in the all of this?
SELTZ: I think it’s important to know at the outset that God cares deeply about us in our trial and pain. The Bible lets us know that. It says that, “The LORD is near to those who are brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit” (Psalms 34:18 ESV). The book of Lamentations tells us: “For men are not cast off by the Lord forever. So great is his unfailing love. For he does not willingly bring affliction or grief to the children of men” (Lamentations 3:31-33 NIV).
ANNOUNCER: That’s an important point; God does not cause the suffering?
SELTZ: He definitely does not cause suffering, Mark. We need to be clear about where suffering began. When human beings rebelled against God, they broke away from Him and brought terrible consequences upon themselves and the world. The Bible even says that all creation is groaning, awaiting restoration. Our sin caused chaos, pain, toil, injustice, and every form of suffering. The world is just out of whack–just like our sin-broken lives.
ANNOUNCER: And why does God then allow this mess to continue? Why can’t He just snap His fingers and fix it all?
SELTZ: Snap fingers; eliminate sinners; and that’s us, so snapping fingers might sound nice, but that’s like saying pollution in our world should be fixed by having world governments just snap their fingers and we know it doesn’t work that way. In order to fix the pollution problem, a price has to be paid for why it’s happened and a breakthrough has to happen in eliminating the source of pollution.
ANNOUNCER: And with sin, God has to see to it that the mess isn’t just “brushed aside,” but the price is paid.
Seltz Exactly, to fix the sin problem, a price had to be paid for justice’s sake and a breakthrough in eliminating the chaos of sin had to happen. And that’s what God did through Jesus. Jesus paid for our sin when He gave His life on the cross. The cleanup was accomplished when Jesus received God’s full punishment for the sin of the world. The breakthrough happened when Jesus rose from the dead. He defeated the power of death once and for all.ANNOUNCER: And then why didn’t the suffering stop after Jesus rose from the dead?
SELTZ: Because God is patiently trying to give that gift of life to everyone possible. He wants all people to be saved; just like Peter says in his second letter, “God is patient, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (3:9).
ANNOUNCER: So God did not stop all suffering immediately because then people would hot have never had the chance to come to repentance and faith which is the way to receive that gift.
SELTZ: Absolutely, and that’s what we can discern from what the Bible says. We can’t completely understand God’s ways or plans, Mark, but He assures us that He cares about us–even if that means letting suffering continue so many can be saved.
ANNOUNCER: All of which sounds challenging, to say the least. It requires faith and trust in God.
SELTZ: It tests us to our core, that’s for sure. Before Jesus comes again and eliminates all suffering once and for all, we are called to believe that He will work good things in all things–even the most difficult.
ANNOUNCER: Would you say that God can use suffering to accomplish His purposes?
SELTZ: We sure can. In fact, that’s what we see in the Bible. He takes the fallen world and He uses it to turn people to Himself. The ultimate use of suffering by God was when His own Son was tortured and nailed to the cross for our salvation. Yes, God may use suffering to accomplish His plan and draw us close to Him.
ANNOUNCER: What are some key ways to cope with suffering?
SELTZ: First, Mark, we need to wrestle with God during suffering–stay close to Him, ask Him the big questions. Second, we need to trust Him. The way to grow in trust is by reading His Word, gathering with His people, and being nourished with His presence in Holy Communion. Seeing His gifts and blessings will help us through the challenge of suffering. Finally, we need to remember that we have an eternity of peace, comfort, and joy waiting for us. Like the Bible says, “For this light momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison” (2 Corinthians 4:17 ESV).
ANNOUNCER: In Christ, the best is surely yet to come.
SELTZ: Absolutely.
ANNOUNCER: Thank you, Pastor Seltz. And we thank you, the listener, for making this program part of your day. This has been a presentation of Lutheran Hour Ministries.
Music Selections for this program:
“A Mighty Fortress” arranged by Chris Bergmann. Used by permission.
“Oh, Marvelous Exchange” arr. Henry Gerike. Used by permission.
“Son of God, Eternal Savior” From The Concordia Organist (© 2009 Concordia Publishing House)
“Lord, Keep Us Steadfast in Your Word” From The Concordia Organist (© 2009 Concordia Publishing House)