His pain is greater than ours.
Let us try to exploring just how much greater it is.
Think of a time when you were really physically hurt. A broken arm, cancer, migraine, stomache ache, being punched in the face and losing teeth, kidney stones, being stabbed. Your most painful experiences.
1) This is physical pain.
Think of an instance of sin in your life. Something recent, with the feelings of guilt still fresh in your mind. Now think of a sin that still tortures you when you are reminded of it. Something that you did that you KNOW you are forgiven for, but the fact that you DID it makes you question your own human decency. Something so shameful that you wish no-one on earth will ever UNEARTH.
2) This is guilt, and shame.
Think of all the times you were betrayed. Now focus specifically on the ones when you were betrayed by the ones you love. The people that you thought were your "people," your "family." Perhaps they were not there for you when needed. Perhaps they turned their backs on you when you were suffering. Or worse, they were the ones who INTENTIONALLY inflicted pain, emotionally and physically, on you.
3) This is betrayal.
Think of the moments of your innocence, and then someone comes and puts the blame on you. What anger and confusion and frustration when they thought you were guilty of things you did not commit! The situation may differ if you were the one volunteering to take the blame. Or does it? Have you ever taken the blame for something willingly? And not only the blame, but the consequences that followed?
4) This is stolen innocence.
There's more, but let's use what we have.
Add up points 1 through 4. Imagine you had all 4 at the same time.
Let's call this sum,
"HELL."
You think you got the idea?
You don't. We'll never get the full idea. And it's only the idea we're talking about.
Now think of the population of Jerusalem, back in Jesus' time.
Add that to the population of the world, back in Jesus' time.
Add that to the population of the world, before AND after Jesus.
If that's too much, just try to comprehend every single human that has ever existed and is existing and will be existant, and their "HELL."
Think about the times when you think God's not with you. The emptiness from the thought of being away from God, and the devastation from the thought of God being away from you. The fact is, we can only THINK that God's not with us, or THINK that God's not there for us. As Christians, we know of the promise that is Jesus.
Unlike us, Jesus was IN Hell....not "HELL," as we defined it, but the very definition of Hell: Godlessness. God cannot look upon evil, and His son had just become the vesicle for ALL evil.
The Father turned His face from His own son.
The Son took our "HELL," and it took Him to Hell.
His pain was greater than ours.
His Hell was greater than ours.
