This question is remarkably interesting. It is at the core of the salvation Jesus perfected for the world before the cross, on the cross and after the cross. If he bore our sins and paid for our sins, then he must have felt it as a man. Anything else would be a sham. And so, he did. Jesus as the lamb that takes away our sins (John 1:29) felt our pain more than we can ever imagine and the following scriptures should help.
Isaiah prophesied this and Matthew used this verse in describing the passion of Christ. “But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our guilt and iniquities; the chastisement [needful to obtain] peace and well-being for us was upon Him, and with the stripes [that wounded] Him we are healed and made whole” (Isaiah 53:5 AMPC, Matthew 8:17-18 AMPC). And thus, he fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah, He Himself took [to carry away] our weaknesses and infirmities and bore away our diseases.
Furthermore, a detailed study of Roman excruciating process of crucifixion and the Jewish subject of atonement/sin sacrifice (Leviticus 16:22 and Leviticus 17) will throw more light on how painful this process must have been. Let me outline the Roman crucifixion process:
• Flogging with a barbed whip and worn a crown of thorns (in the case of Jesus).
• The excruciating walk with a large cross while the crowd insult and taunt the victim.
• The victim is stripped of their clothing.
• The victim eventually gets hung with large nails holding them up on the cross.
• The victim dies from asphyxiation and exhaustion which lasts for days. In the case of Jesus, He commanded his own death and the centurion pierced Him just to be sure.
Importantly, Jesus went through all this to bear all the pain, shame, punishment, insult, condemnation, and separation from God for sinful men. He did this so that all who believe in him no longer must pay themselves because he has already paid.
Our salvation in Christ was costly and following excerpts from the book « Being born again: called to inherit a blessing » may also help through more light on the distinct stages and the inherent benefits.
Four Important Stages of our Salvation
I used the four stages to explain salvation that we have received, and by no means do I submit that our salvation was in phases, even though careful study reveals the benefit of each act performed by Jesus from the cross to His sitting on the throne.
BEFORE THE CROSS
• All hope for salvation seems lost. All men had the sin nature. But Salvation was already promised.
• The blood of goats, sheep, and bulls only atoned (to cover or make restitution for sin) for sin and never paid for it.
• The Holy Spirit came upon men but never stayed permanently in them because the vessel was not yet ready for habitation.
• The law was given as a schoolmaster to prepare Jews for grace in Jesus, but the law could not be kept.
• No man could be born again because Jesus had not physically paid the price for all sin; neither had his resurrection been perfected. The old saints received only a promissory note and ‘cashed’ it when Jesus resurrected. He suffered the punishment of a condemned criminal even though He was innocent. Note also that He laid down His life Himself.
• The old covenant was still in place.
ON THE CROSS
• When Jesus hung on the cross and died, He took our place as a sinner (2 Corinthians 5:21) – Substitution.
• Every sinner was legally crucified in Christ – died.
• The sin of the world (past, present and future) was laid on Him, and the words of Caiaphas sealed it when he said that it was better for one to die for all. His words as the high priest sanctified Jesus as the sin offering for all.
IN DEATH
• Jesus fulfilled the law, put it away, and a new covenant became active.
• In His death, all sinners (past, present and future) were buried with him in sin because He was made sin for the sake of sinners. He took the place of sinners in death: the physical and spiritual death all men were supposed to receive as punishment for their sins. When He died, as far as God and the spiritual laws were concerned, all sinners died in Him (1 Corinthians 5:17-19).
• In His death, He went to hell, triumphed over the devil, and disarmed him. In hell, because He was guiltless and the true representative of man, He defeated the devil, spoiled, and made a public show of him in Hell (Colossians 2:15). He then set the captives (those in Abraham’s bosom) free. In Abraham’s bosom were those who had received the promise of their redemption as a promissory note while waiting for Jesus to pay the price (remember the story of Lazarus and the rich man). In three days, God raised Him from the dead, and He became the first to be born again from death. Many will follow. He did not stop there. He dispossessed the devil of the keys (control and power over) of hell and death.
• He preached the gospel of salvation to Spirits in prison. (1 Peter 3:19)
• In His death, all sinners were redeemed because Jesus ransomed sinners with his death. Note that sinners were not redeemed from the devil but from the curse of the law.
• He led the captives free. I believe they were saints of old who were held there until the Redeemer came. Recall the parable about Abraham’s bosom.
• Proclaimed victory over satan and fallen angels.
IN HIS RESURRECTION
• By His resurrection, He became the first to be born again (one who had died and resurrected. A new class of men). A new creation resurrected in Christ. This new man had no past. Those who believe in His death and resurrection are resurrected with Him— born anew. We were justified in Him as new creations—a new type of man in Christ.
• Jesus became the first to be born again- reborn from death (Revelations 1:4). When we believe in Jesus according to Romans 10:9, we become born again. If He had died and not resurrected, our sins would have been paid for, but we could not be reborn. However, thank God He did.
• We are now the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus.
• God has called us out of darkness to show forth the praises of Him who called us out of darkness. 1 Peter 2:9
• We are now joint heirs with Jesus. Romans 8:17
• The Holy Spirit (God Himself) now lives in us.
NOW AND IN THE AGES TO COME
“To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne” (Revelation 3:21)
“In the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:7)
God did all this so that:
• We may be born of the Word and the Spirit.
• We may have fellowship with God (1 John 1:3-4).
• Man may walk in the fullness of Christ, with the full, controlling presence and influence of the Holy Spirit (John 1:16, Ephesians 4:13).
• We may bring spiritual realities from God to the natural world so that men can see and act on them.
• He may grant us kingly authority over His creation.
If you are in pain from loss, sickness, or issues of life be comforted that Jesus bore my pain and your pain. He understands what we feel because he is the God that came down to live among his creation. Because he felt it, we can be rest assured that he dealt with its root (sin and the devil) on the cross. He will someday soon judge the world and bring all who believe into a world without sin, pain, or death even as through the power of the Holy Spirit comforts and heals all who are in pain now.
