When we are in the throes of despair,

When we think that all hope is gone,

When our hearts feel empty and hopeless,

That is when Jesus is the closest to us.

He knows how we feel.

He endured emotional and physical pain too.

He lost dear friends to death.

As a child, He scraped His knees a few times or had blistered hands from working as a carpenter.

He suffered a painful death and humiliation on the cross.

He was human, just like the rest of us, and also had to endure death.  His death had a purpose that none other could possibly attain.  His purpose was to carry the sin of the world on His shoulders, to the cross and finally to the grave.

That’s a hard concept for us to understand, but also reassuring. His humanity is proof that He was a man of sorrows.  He experienced the same things we do. He knows the weight of sin and the aloneness of being separated from God, His Father.  He felt the darkness of hell, abandonment and suffering.  Had he not died and been buried, we would never know the joy of His resurrection from death and our coming resurrection to heaven.

He understands our problems and has compassion for them. Though He was God, He came to earth as a man so that He could be one with us. Because of that, we can go to Him anytime with our cares and worries. He is the best friend we can ever hope to have.

This is one of the mysteries of God.  He is three separate entities, yet one God.  Each of the persons of the Godhead is for our benefit.  The Father created us out of love.  He placed us in a perfect environment and wants only what is best for us.  The Son departed His throne in heaven to become one of us – to live with us – to bear our afflictions.  The Holy Spirit is the Comforter, the inspirer, the peace that surpasses all understanding.  Through these three separate parts, united in one being, we have the God of all ages.

With Him, we can do great things.