Journal: Southern Baptist Journal of Theology
Volume: SBJT 29:2 (Summer 2025)
Article: Suffering And The Humanity Of Christ
Author: Chandler E. Dearth

Suffering And The Humanity Of Christ

Chandler E. Dearth

Chandler E. Dearth is pursuing a PhD in Biblical Counseling and Practical Theology at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, Kentucky. She earned her MA in Biblical Counseling and Practical Theology from Southern Seminary. She is a certified biblical counselor and serves as a deacon and the Director of Women’s Ministry at Holy City Church in Charleston, South Carolina where she lives with her husband Mike.

Since the Fall, human existence has been marked by suffering. In his incarnate life, Jesus entered into this condition, living in perfect faith and obedience, ultimately giving his life as a substitute for sinners, accomplishing their redemption from sin through his death, resurrection, and ascension. As one who assumed true humanity within a fallen world, Christ’s earthly life was characterized by profound suffering. According to Scripture, Jesus suffered not only physically in his crucifixion, but as the prophesied “suffering servant” (Isa 52:13–53:12), he also endured the betrayal and loss of close companions (Matt 26:14–16; John 6:66), rejection (John 1:11), abandonment (Matt 26:69–75), misunderstanding (John 12:16), false accusations (Mark 14:55–56), physical abuse (John 19:1), mockery (Matt 27:27–31), and public humiliation (Luke 23:35–39) that culminated in his death on the cross (Matt 27:45–54).

As theologians consider the suffering of Christ, two common errors tend to emerge: (1) theologians assert that God himself experienced the suffering of Christ, denying the impassibility of God, while (2) others maintain that Christ utilized divine resources, such as the beatific vision, which enabled him to endure suffering in a manner inaccessible to believers today.1 These errors carry significant implications, not only for our understanding of the nature of God and the person of the Son, but also for how believers find hope amid present suffering.

SBJT 29:2 (Summer 2025) 133

This article will examine the suffering of God the Son incarnate and seek to answer the questions: in what sense did the incarnate Son suffer as a man, and what are the implications of his suffering for believer...