Soul sufferings?

Is this thought even Biblical?

Let me show you some vocabulary words that will help us answer that important question.

We are going to John chapter 10, a critical Body of Information on Jesus’ Life and Death.

There in verse 10 (of John 10) Jesus claims one of His great Titles. “I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.” Of course He here has the Cross at Calvary on His Mind. But let me share with you the word, the noun, Jesus used for His “LIFE.” It is the Greek word “psuche.” It is pronounced psoo-khay’ and is found 105 times in the New Testament. What does it mean? Over half of those occurrences “psuche” is translated (in our King James Bibles) “soul!”

Yes, He gave His Life for us old sinners. But here the primary emphasis is His SOUL. Now granted, “psuche” can also be translated “life” and indeed is a total of 40 times in Scripture. It is also rendered “mind” 3 times and “heart” 1 time.

The same Truth is presented in John 10:15 … “As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life (psuche) for the sheep.”

Need more examples? “Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life (psuche), that I might take it again.” John 10:17

No one (among Christians anyway) is doubting the Fact Jesus DIED on the Cross, gave His Body, His Life in that sense. I am just going further, deeper, and saying He suffered in His “soul” as well.That may be the area where His greatest Sufferings occurred!

(Frankly, I suspect on the Cross Jesus suffered in His soul, in His spirit, the equivalent of all my anguish and pain I would have faced in an eternal Hell. Had I not been saved! In other words, He paid my sin debt! Add to that the sufferings for all the lost world for whom Jesus died! Which I believe is everyone! Surely, we can never even imagine the tonnage of such weight on our dear Saviour. Soul sufferings indescribable.)

Likely, and I will return to this again and again in this series of lessons, the apex of Jesus’ soul sufferings occurred as He uttered these Words: “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” Matthew 27:46 and Mark 15:34, quoting Psalm 22:1.

Let’s ponder these verses a couple of days. Then we will meet again and I’ll write more. There’s a lot to learn here. In fact, these Sufferings of our Lord are neglected today by too many believers.

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

.