How comforting to know that Jesus feels the sufferings and the pains of the African people. He does not only feel their pains and sufferings, He actively participates in their sufferings. Jesus has solidarity with Africans in their sufferings. This is because He experienced the greatest suffering of all – the agony of death. Jesus’ experiences of temptation, pain, and suffering enable Him to empathize with the African people. He feels the pains of humanity. Hebrews 2:18 states: “Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted” (Heb. 2:18).

It’s so amazing to know that when we suffer, He suffers with us (Acts 9:4). The lives of the African people are precious in His sight and He will never trivialize their pains and sufferings. Therefore, He can easily identify with the struggles of the African people. Paul Little explains it clearly:

𝙄𝙣 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙥𝙖𝙞𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙪𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜, 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙞𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙥𝙝𝙮𝙨𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙡 𝙤𝙧 𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙡, 𝙖𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙢𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙗𝙚 𝙠𝙚𝙥𝙩 𝙞𝙣 𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙙. 𝙂𝙤𝙙 𝙞𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙖 𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙩, 𝙖𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙛, 𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙞𝙤𝙪𝙨 𝙥𝙤𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙩𝙚, 𝙛𝙖𝙧 𝙧𝙚𝙢𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙙 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙨𝙪𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨. 𝙃𝙚 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙤𝙣𝙡𝙮 𝙞𝙨 𝙖𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙨𝙪𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 ⸺𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙡𝙨 𝙞𝙩. 𝙉𝙤 𝙥𝙖𝙞𝙣 𝙤𝙧 𝙨𝙪𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙝𝙖𝙨 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙪𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩 𝙥𝙖𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙂𝙤𝙙. 𝙃𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙜𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙡𝙮 𝙬𝙚 𝙢𝙖𝙮 𝙨𝙪𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙧, 𝙞𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙬𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙤 𝙧𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙢𝙗𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙂𝙤𝙙 𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙜𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩 𝙨𝙪𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙧. 

John Stott, in his amazing playlet entitled 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙇𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝙎𝙞𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚, dramatically explained another profound aspect of Jesus’ solidarity with suffering humanity: At the end of time, billions of people were scattered on a great plain before God’s throne. Most shrank back from the brilliant light before them. But some groups near the front talked heatedly – not with cringing shame, but with belligerence.

‘Can God judge us? How can he know about suffering?’ snapped a pert young brunette. She ripped open a sleeve to reveal a tattooed number from a Nazi concentration camp. ‘We endured terror…beatings…torture…death!’

In another group [an African- American boy] lowered his collar. ‘What about this?’ he demanded, showing an ugly rope burn. ‘Lynched . . . for no crime but being black!’ In another crowd, a pregnant schoolgirl with sullen eyes. ‘Why should I suffer?’ she murmured. ‘It wasn’t my fault.’ Far out across the plain, there were hundreds of such groups. Each had a complaint against God for the evil and suffering he permitted in this world. How lucky God was to live in heaven where all is sweetness and light, where there is no weeping or fear, no hunger or hatred. What did God know of all that man had been forced to endure in this world? For God leads a pretty sheltered life, they said.

So each of these groups sent forth their leader, chosen because he had suffered the most. A Jew, a Negro, a person from Hiroshima, a horribly deformed arthritic, a thalidomide child. At last, they were ready to present their case. It was rather clever. Before God could be qualified to be their judge, he must endure what they endured.

Their decision was that God should be sentenced to live on earth – as a man! ‘Let him be born a Jew. Let the legitimacy of his birth be doubted. Give him a work so difficult that even his family will think him out of his mind when he tries to do it. Let him be betrayed by his closest friends. Let him face false charges, be tried by a prejudiced jury, and be convicted by a cowardly judge. Let him be tortured. ‘At the last, let him see what it means to be terribly alone. Then let him die. Let him die so that there can be no doubt that he died. Let there be a great host of witnesses to verify it.’

As each leader announced his portion of the sentence, loud murmurs of approval went up from the throng of people assembled. And when the last had finished pronouncing the sentence, there was a long silence. No one uttered another word. No one moved. For suddenly all knew that God had already served his sentence.

Jesus’ empathy and shared suffering provide hope and comfort to Africans, reassuring them they are not alone in their struggles. Jesus’ suffering allows Him to understand and share in human pain. His experiences on earth, including betrayal, torture, and loneliness, demonstrate His solidarity with humanity. He is not a distant, aloof, impervious potentate like Paul Little describes. He identifies with us in all our struggles, and we find great comfort in this.

The African continent has been ravaged by political, social and economic instabilities, which have resulted in injustice, corruption, hostility, oppression, terrorism, and the destruction of lives and properties. In all of these, Jesus beckons on the continent of Africa to come to His light, to come to the fountain of life, draw water from the well of salvation, and find help in times of need. Jesus is to Africa the Savior, the emancipator, the redeemer, the healer, the judge, the reconciler, the mediator, the restorer, the protector, her burden-bearer and ultimately her King.

Interestingly, Jesus’ solidarity with the African people also has theological implications and implications for practical ministry.

Theological Implications

1. Incarnational Theology: Jesus’ solidarity with human suffering underscores the significance of the Incarnation (John 1:14). God becoming human demonstrates His willingness to engage with humanity’s struggles.
2. Empathetic God: The article highlights God’s capacity for empathy, challenging the notion of a distant, uninvolved deity (Hebrews 4:15).
3. Suffering and Redemption: Jesus’ suffering serves as a paradigm for human suffering, illustrating God’s redemptive plan (Romans 5:3-5).
4. Contextual Theology: The article’s focus on African contexts emphasizes the importance of contextualizing theology, ensuring relevance to specific cultural and social realities.
5. Divine Immanence: Jesus’ participation in human suffering affirms divine immanence, God’s presence within human experiences (Isaiah 57:15).

Implications for Practical Ministry

1. Empathy and Compassion: Christians should cultivate empathy and compassion, recognizing Jesus’ solidarity with suffering individuals. In a situation of suffering, Christian Hospice Care should be encouraged.
2. Contextualized Ministry: Christian ministries must address specific African contexts, concerns, and experiences.
3. Hope and Resilience: Emphasize Jesus’ presence in suffering, offering hope and resilience to those struggling.
4. Liberative Ministry: Ministries should advocate for justice, equality, and liberation, informed by Jesus’ identification with the oppressed.
5. Holistic Support: Provide holistic support (spiritual, emotional, physical) for those suffering, mirroring Jesus’ comprehensive engagement with humanity.
6. Community-Based Ministry: Foster community and relationships, acknowledging Jesus’ presence in the midst of suffering people.

In conclusion, Jesus’ solidarity with suffering offers hope and resilience to Africans facing various challenges. It assures us of God’s indiscriminate love for humanity and most importantly, Jesus will someday put an absolute end to all sufferings and usher us into His glorious Kingdom of peace.

Ebenezer Afolabi

Ebenezer Afolabi is a Pastor, worship leader, Christian educator, author, conference speaker and apologist. He is the founder of AfriCore Apologetics, a ministry that exists to equip African Christians with biblical, reasonable, and culturally relevant apologetics, empowering them to defend their faith and transform their communities. Afolabi has authored many insightful books including, Doing Apologetics with an African Mindset. For more information about how you can partner with and support AfriCore Apologetics, contact Ebenezer Afolabi.

Email: ebenezerafolabi54@gmail.com  WhatsApp: +2348160525695