In the garden of Gethsemane Jesus experienced such deep darkness of anguish and pain that we cannot fathom or truly appreciate what He encountered just for us. In fact, our struggles, our pain, and our trials are in no comparison what Jesus experienced.
But in no way does the Lord want us to down play our sufferings. In fact, He wants us to understand He suffers with us!
"God with us in trials. God with us in disappointments. God with us in tribulations. God with us in trouble. God with us in weakness. God with us in sorrow. God with us in pain. God with us in sickness. God with us in temptation. God with us in adversity. God with us in suffering. God with us in death. Wherever you are, He's God with us. You can't wander too far. You cannot fall too low...
He's so close to us that in the original language it's not "God with us." It is the "with-us God." Too close to be separated by a preposition, He's God with us.
Emmanuel is God with us, making Himself available, inserting Himself into the situation, making possible the impossible, opening doors that are closed and making a way out of "no way."God came on our side so He could take us on His side. God got into the battle so He could fight our battles for us. God took on our enemy so He could defeat the enemy that had defeated us."1
He loves you with everlasting love. He is with you; never to forsake you. He suffered so that He can understand humanity's suffering.
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1 Jonathan A. Thompson was pastor of the Dupont Park Seventh-day Adventist Church in Washington, D.C., when he delivered this message.
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