jesus trusted the father
I’ve been fascinated lately with one particular aspect of the gospel of Jesus. It’s almost all I’ve been thinking about these past few weeks. It’s this idea that Jesus trusted the Father — even in wrath.
That’s a wild thing to sit with.
Jesus knew there was a price to be paid.
He knew there had to be death in order for life to come.
He knew there had to be suffering for hope to reach the world.
And yet, He trusted the Father with it all.
Scripture tells us: “For the joy that was set before him, he endured the cross, despising the shame.” (Hebrews 12:2) Jesus loved the Father so deeply — was so connected to Him — that He entrusted himself to the pain that would be poured out on Him for us.
That doesn’t mean Jesus was passive.
He wasn’t fragile or distant.
We see Him confronting Pharisees, flipping tables, and casting out demons.
He was bold. And at the same time, He was surrendered, strong and submissive.
John Stott once wrote: “Before we can begin to see the cross as something done for us, we have to see it as something done by us.”
Jesus willingly stepped into what we could not carry ourselves.
Why This Matters
All of us struggle.
All of us suffer.
All of us face moments that don’t make sense.
And it’s hard not to ask: Why?
If God really cares, why am I going through this?
Scripture makes room for that question.
The Psalms are full of it.
Job lives inside it.
Even Jesus cries out from the cross:
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46)
Faith isn’t pretending everything is fine.
Faith is bringing our questions into God’s presence.
But something has shifted for me lately.
Instead of only looking to the Father, I’ve been looking to Jesus.
Because Jesus must know something we don’t.
He knows the depths of the Father’s heart.
He knows what it means to trust God when everything feels dark.
He knows what it means to walk straight into suffering and still believe in goodness on the other side.
“When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.” (1 Peter 2:23)
Jesus didn’t just teach trust. He lived it.
Maybe Jesus is the answer to suffering.
Maybe Jesus is the example we follow in our darkest moments.
Maybe we can trust the Father in what’s happening around us — because Jesus did.
Tim Keller once said: “Our hope in suffering is not optimism. It’s resurrection.”
Not Easy — But Faithful
I’m not saying suffering is easy.
I’m not saying it’s “just part of life.”
I’m saying Jesus entered into suffering Himself.
That’s the gospel.
“Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows.” (Isaiah 53:4)
Jesus went through betrayal, loss, pain, abandonment, and death — and He trusted the Father all the way through it. Whether I’m in green pastures beside still waters or walking through the valley of the shadow of death…
Jesus trusted. and maybe, by His grace, I can too.
Eugene Peterson reminds us: “God does not save us by removing us from suffering, but by entering into it with us.”
A Final Thought. Wherever you are today — whether things feel calm or chaotic — Jesus understands.He has been there. He invites us to trust the Father, just as He did.
That’s a wild thing to sit with.
Jesus knew there was a price to be paid.
He knew there had to be death in order for life to come.
He knew there had to be suffering for hope to reach the world.
And yet, He trusted the Father with it all.
Scripture tells us: “For the joy that was set before him, he endured the cross, despising the shame.” (Hebrews 12:2) Jesus loved the Father so deeply — was so connected to Him — that He entrusted himself to the pain that would be poured out on Him for us.
That doesn’t mean Jesus was passive.
He wasn’t fragile or distant.
We see Him confronting Pharisees, flipping tables, and casting out demons.
He was bold. And at the same time, He was surrendered, strong and submissive.
John Stott once wrote: “Before we can begin to see the cross as something done for us, we have to see it as something done by us.”
Jesus willingly stepped into what we could not carry ourselves.
Why This Matters
All of us struggle.
All of us suffer.
All of us face moments that don’t make sense.
And it’s hard not to ask: Why?
If God really cares, why am I going through this?
Scripture makes room for that question.
The Psalms are full of it.
Job lives inside it.
Even Jesus cries out from the cross:
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46)
Faith isn’t pretending everything is fine.
Faith is bringing our questions into God’s presence.
But something has shifted for me lately.
Instead of only looking to the Father, I’ve been looking to Jesus.
Because Jesus must know something we don’t.
He knows the depths of the Father’s heart.
He knows what it means to trust God when everything feels dark.
He knows what it means to walk straight into suffering and still believe in goodness on the other side.
“When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.” (1 Peter 2:23)
Jesus didn’t just teach trust. He lived it.
Maybe Jesus is the answer to suffering.
Maybe Jesus is the example we follow in our darkest moments.
Maybe we can trust the Father in what’s happening around us — because Jesus did.
Tim Keller once said: “Our hope in suffering is not optimism. It’s resurrection.”
Not Easy — But Faithful
I’m not saying suffering is easy.
I’m not saying it’s “just part of life.”
I’m saying Jesus entered into suffering Himself.
That’s the gospel.
“Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows.” (Isaiah 53:4)
Jesus went through betrayal, loss, pain, abandonment, and death — and He trusted the Father all the way through it. Whether I’m in green pastures beside still waters or walking through the valley of the shadow of death…
Jesus trusted. and maybe, by His grace, I can too.
Eugene Peterson reminds us: “God does not save us by removing us from suffering, but by entering into it with us.”
A Final Thought. Wherever you are today — whether things feel calm or chaotic — Jesus understands.He has been there. He invites us to trust the Father, just as He did.
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