I’ve been there ∙

I’ve been there ∙

The Lord Jesus Christ is our High Priest. He understands our weaknesses. [He is able to sympathize with us.] For He faced all of the same tests and temptations we do, yet He did not sin. – Hebrews 4:15

Hebrews 2:10-18

 10 God, for whom and through whom everything was made, chose to bring many children into glory. And it was only right that he should make Jesus, through his suffering, a perfect leader, fit to bring them into their salvation.

 11 So now Jesus and the ones he makes holy have the same Father. That is why Jesus is not ashamed to call them his brothers and sisters.

 14 Because God’s children are human beings – made of flesh and blood – the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death.

 15 Only in this way could he set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying.

 17 Therefore, it was necessary for him to be made in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters, so that he could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. Then he could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people.

 18 Since he himself has gone through suffering and testing; he is able to help us when we are being tested.

I’ve been there has become a common English idiom which means that one has experienced the same thing that someone else has experienced.

Hope Coach, David L. Burrier, began I’ve Been There Ministries, founded upon the idea of serving and encouraging others.

A series of life challenges gave birth to a sense of empathy for and sensitivity toward those struggling and in need of a message of hope. Thus, I’ve Been There Ministries was born. His objective is: “My life will be a source of inspiration so that whomever I encounter will walk away with a renewed sense of mission and purpose for their life” (https://ivebeenthereministries.com).

Their service is focused on bringing messages of hope to those who are hurting and to others who may need words of encouragement to live another day.

Often, we go through life experiences that do not seem to make sense to us. Sometimes the stress and trials we face seem to be more than we can bear. But one day, everything will make perfect sense. In the meantime, the Father wants us to trust Him for the journey He is taking us on. He has done something extraordinary that allows Him to encourage us along the way.

“Jesus had to leave heaven and take on human flesh, not only to become our sacrifice but also so He would know experientially exactly what it’s like to be one of us. That’s what makes Him a great advocate” (Stanley).

The Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became truly human. He chose to become a vulnerable and dependent human baby and live out His life as any human would. His experiences were the common, everyday experiences of all humanity.

“While He was here on earth, Jesus was ‘made like unto His brethren’ in that He experienced the sinless infirmities of human nature. He knew what it was to be a helpless baby, a growing child, a maturing adolescent. He knew the experiences of weariness, hunger, and thirst (John 4:6-8). He knew what it was to be despised and rejected, to be lied about and falsely accused. He experienced physical suffering and death” (Wiersbe).

He did so that He might die for sin and set us free from the power of the enemy of our souls. He provided eternal salvation for all who accept Him.

REFLECT & PRAY

You get one life. The time will pass anyway. You can either spend it creating the life you want or spend it living the life you do not want. The choice is yours (anonymous).

Father thank you that the Lord Jesus Christ fully identified with us in our humanity. He chose to identify with us to provide eternal salvation. Before His death on the cross, He suffered and struggled with temptations that are common to all people. Therefore, He can be a source of comfort and encouragement to each of us.

INSIGHT

For all eternity, the Lord Jesus Christ will be able to say, “I’ve been there.” Because He shared everyday human experiences, He truly understands experientially. He is able to help us as we go through trials and difficulties of life. The Lord Jesus Christ chose to become like us so that we might become more like Him.

While the Father uses trials to develop our character and bring us to spiritual maturity, sometimes they are not about us at all, but rather others whom we will be able to encourage. Our sufferings enable us to come alongside, sympathize, and offer encouragement and hope to others who suffer.

Hebrews 2:18 Since he himself has gone through suffering and testing; he is able to help us when we are being tested.

The Greek word translated as help, aid, or succor is boetheo. Boetheo comes from boe – a cry for help and theo – to run. It literally means to run on hearing a cry to assist.

The Lord Jesus Christ does not merely offer superficial, trite, cliché sympathy, which is so common in our culture today: “our thoughts and prayers go out to you.” Because He has felt what we feel, He offers us His empathy: “I know your pain, because I have felt pain just like yours. I have been there.”

The Lord Jesus Christ is our Savior. He is also our gentle Shepherd and comforter in time of need.

The Lord Jesus Christ was called “a man of sorrows” and “acquainted with grief” (Isaiah 53:3). He never gave up but persevered until the end, and His mission was complete. He provides the ultimate example for us. He is our consummate “Hope Coach.” Because He never capitulated or succumbed, neither should we!

Hebrews 12:2-4 

 2 We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne.

 3 Think of all the hostility he endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up.

 4 After all, you have not yet given your lives in your struggle against sin.

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