This article is part of an extended series. Upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed. - Isaiah 53:5 [He]  healed all who were sick.  This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah:  “He took our illnesses and bore our diseases.” - Matthew 8:16-17 Christ suffered and died so...

This article is part of an extended series. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. - Revelation 1:5-6 Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood. - Hebrews 13:12 Our...

This article is part of an extended series. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. - John 3:16 In our happiest times we do not want to die. The wish for death rises only when our suffering seems unbearable.  What we really want in those times is not death,...

This article is part of an extended series. In this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus . . . both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place. - Acts 4:27-28 The most profound thing we can say about suffering...

Of all the types of suffering we see in the world, the most difficult to understand is the suffering of the innocent—in particular, innocent children. When the devastating tsunami of 2004 took scores of thousands of lives, it was hard to comprehend the magnitude of such an enormous loss.After a while, the images blurred together, leaving many of...

Questions of faith Picture the scene. You’re discussing your faith with a coworker or neighbor, perhaps over lunch or coffee. You explain your beliefs but your friend has questions: How could a loving God allow evil and suffering? The Bible is full of contradictions. What about people who’ve never heard of Jesus? How do you feel about...

In the wake of the horror and suffering of the recent terrorist attacks on Manhattan and the Pentagon, and recently the attacks on London, it has been heartwarming to see so many acts of heroism, beginning with the men and women who met a hellish death as they raced up the stairs of the World Trade Center to save lives. Thousands of volunteers, lavish...