What Jesus' Death Means for the Chronically Ill

I've been thinking this week in preparation for Good Friday and Easter Sunday about what Jesus' death on the cross means especially for those of us who suffer from chronic illness/pain.  With Adam and Eve's disobedience to God, sin entered the world and so did physical suffering and sickness.  But Jesus bore our sufferings and sin on the cross so one day they will be no more.

"Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.  But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed." Isaiah 53:4-5

Without Jesus' death our physical suffering would last forever and be far worse than what we experience now, in hell.  Physical healing may not come on this earth, but for those who love God and trust in Jesus' death and resurrection to save them from their sins, God promises eternal life that will be free from pain.

"He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away." Revelation 21:4

Jesus came to give us peace so that we can "rejoice in our sufferings".  If you don't know that you have eternal life through Jesus and don't have this hope despite your circumstances, please email me or click on the link to the right "How you can have Hope". 

"Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.  Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.  More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person--though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die--but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:1-8