He Didn’t Have To, But He Did
“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.” - Hebrews 4:15
When Life Feels Overwhelming
Maybe you’re facing unemployment like my husband is right now. Maybe it’s illness, broken relationships, financial stress, or that deep ache of grief. Whatever struggle you’re walking through, there’s something I want you to know: Jesus gets it.
Not in some distant, theoretical way. He gets it because He’s been there.
The God Who Chose to Understand
Here’s what humbles me and fills me with worship and awe every time I think about it: Jesus didn’t have to come down and experience our pain. He was perfectly justified in His glory with the Father. He could have rescued us from heaven’s throne room without ever knowing what it feels like to have your heart shattered, your stomach twisted with anxiety, or your spirit crushed by rejection.
But He chose to anyway.
More Than We Can Imagine
The beautiful truth of Hebrews 4:15 is that Jesus was “tempted in every respect” that we are. But here’s something I can’t fully comprehend because of my own humanity: He actually experienced temptation and suffering more fully than we do. When we’re tempted, we often give in pretty quickly. But Jesus endured every temptation to its fullest extent without ever giving in. He felt the complete weight of what it means to be human - and then some.
Think about what that means:
He knows what financial anxiety feels like in your gut because He was born into poverty - so poor that when His parents presented Him at the temple, they could only afford the offering of the poor: two turtle doves instead of a lamb (Luke 2:24)
He understands the weight of providing for people you love because He became a carpenter, working with His hands to provide for His mother after Joseph died, supporting her through His trade until He began His ministry
He’s felt the sting of betrayal from close friends and family - not just Judas’ kiss, but Peter’s denials, His own brothers not believing in Him during His ministry (John 7:5), and His disciples abandoning Him when He needed them most
He’s experienced the crushing disappointment of rejection from the very people He gave His life to serve - the religious leaders who should have recognized Him, the crowds who cried “Hosanna” one day and “Crucify Him” the next
He knows what it’s like to grieve deeply - and not just for Lazarus, but weeping over Jerusalem itself, over the city and people who completely rejected Him even as He longed to gather them “as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings” (Matthew 23:37)
Written Into the Foundations
This wasn’t Plan B. God didn’t look down at our mess and say, “Well, I guess I’ll have to come down there and fix this.” No - this was always the plan. From before the foundation of the world, He knew He would come down and be Emmanuel - God with us.
We see glimpses of it throughout the Old Testament:
In Genesis, when God walked with Adam and Eve in the garden
When He appeared to Abraham as a man and ate with him
In every sacrifice and every priest - all pointing forward to the One who would finally bridge the gap completely
Isaiah prophesied about Him centuries before His birth: “He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.” (Isaiah 53:3)
A man of sorrows. Let that sink in. The God of the universe chose to become intimately acquainted with human grief.
What This Changes
Because Jesus understands completely, Hebrews 4:16 gives us this incredible invitation: “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
With confidence. Not tiptoeing in shame or fear that He won’t understand. Not wondering if our problems are too small or too messy for His attention. We can come boldly because our High Priest has walked every step of the path we’re walking.
The Peace That Passes Understanding
This is why I have peace about my husband’s unemployment situation, even when circumstances would normally have me panicking. It’s not because I’m in denial about how serious it is. It’s because I trust the character of the God who chose to understand us completely.
When Jesus wept at Lazarus’ tomb, even though He knew He was about to raise him from the dead, He was showing us something profound: our pain matters to Him. Our struggles move His heart. He doesn’t just fix our problems from a distance - He enters into them with us.
He Gets It
Friend, whatever you’re facing today, know this: Jesus gets it. He chose to get it. He didn’t have to experience hunger, exhaustion, betrayal, or heartbreak. But He did it anyway, so that when you bring your pain to Him, you’re not talking to someone who’s guessing at what you’re going through.
You’re talking to Someone who has been exactly where you are.
And that changes everything.
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What area of struggle do you need to bring to Jesus today, knowing that He truly understands?
Share in the comments below.
