The passion of the Christ refers to the physical and emotional suffering that Jesus Christ endured from the time he was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane through his crucifixion. To the Christian, the one who believes in Jesus as his or her Savior, the suffering that Jesus went through has a real impact on his or her daily life. The prophet Isaiah foretold the suffering and death of Jesus, and that passage can help believers understand and benefit from the passion. Isaiah 53:5 says, "But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed." Understanding this passage brings comfort and victory to the believer, and it helps the believer forgive those who have wronged him or her.
The passion brings comfort because we realize that there is no agony, sorrow, or grief that we go through in this life that Jesus has not already felt and borne. Thus, when we are sorrowing because a friend has betrayed us, or because we are lonely, or because we are in physical pain, we go to Jesus in prayer. We know that He sympathizes with us because he has experienced the same emotions and sensations. We cast our burdens on Him because He already bore all that for us during His passion. We feel His heart of love and compassion for us, and our emotional burdens are lifted by His love.
Second, Christ's passion brings us victory over sin. We realize that Jesus paid the entire price of all our transgression. When we confess our sin, He forgives us, because He Himself bore all our sins during his passion. When we feel guilt and get angry at ourselves, we go to Jesus in prayer and confess and believe that His righteousness and sacrifice have taken all our sins away, so we can be confident, knowing we have been forgiven.
Finally, Christ's passion enables us to forgive when we feel unable to. When someone has deeply wronged and hurt us, it is hard to find the strength to forgive. By understanding Christ's passion, we realize that all the sins of everyone who has ever lived--past, present, or future--were placed on Jesus during His passion. Jesus has already made a way for the person to be forgiven--whether that person chooses to accept Christ's forgiveness or not. If we continue not forgiving that person, it is like saying that Jesus' sacrifice was not sufficient to blot that sin out. It's like we are requiring greater payment than the suffering and death of Jesus. Of course, there could be no greater payment. When we realize that Jesus suffered for the sin of the person who has wronged us, it allows us to let go of our need for retribution. The greatest price has already been paid, by Christ, and we have no reason to hold on to our judgment against that person. We can give it to Jesus, and let Him be the one to deal with the person who offended us.
So the passion of Christ is valuable for the Christian each day--for comfort, for victory, and to help us forgive others.
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