People who are suffering often hear others say things like, “Jesus understands.” It sounds cliche and it is easy to see why hurting people may wonder if He really does. This can be particularly true in areas like sexual abuse. However, you may be surprised at how well He actually does understand. Read on and find out why…

Running Rampant

Sexual abuse is one of the most heinous crimes one person can commit against another. It is invasive, demeaning, exploitative, and cold-hearted. Sadly, this form of abuse is running rampant in every strata of our society.

Victims of sexual abuse often feel alone. Trapped in a world of shame and silence, they often wonder if anyone cares or understands. The good news is that King Jesus understands all too well the horrors of sexual abuse because of His own personal experience.

An Overlooked Fact

¹⁷ I can count all my bones;
 people look and stare at me.
 ¹⁸ They divided my garments among themselves,
 and they cast lots for my clothing.  Psalm 22:17 – 18 CSB

Something that is often overlooked in our discussions of the crucifixion is that Jesus Christ hung on the cross naked. This was one further step the Romans took in shaming the victims being executed. Artists from early to recent days have depicted the Lord as wearing some sort of loincloth. This was done to protect the modesty of our King and the modesty of those viewing the art, which is completely appropriate. However, the truth is that all of His clothing was removed from Him and used for sport by the Roman soldiers standing guard. People stared at Him in His nakedness as the Scripture above indicates.

In light of this fact, let’s consider the following:

His clothing was stripped off of Him by people who had no right to do so.

While the Roman soldiers had the legal right to strip Him of His clothes due to enforcing the rule of Rome, they certainly had no moral right to do so.  Those with the moral right to do so would be our parents who assist us with our clothing at bed or bath time during our formative years, or our spouses within the context of a covenant relationship. Sexual predators violate this boundary regardless of who they are. The Lord Jesus understands this violation.

His privacy was exposed before the eyes of people who never should have seen.

They are called “private parts” for a reason. These parts of our bodies are not meant to be put on display or handled in ways that would humiliate us or entertain others. They were created to perform specific functions within specific contexts. Anything else is an invasion of privacy. Jesus understands the humiliation of this invasion.

He was powerless to do anything about it.

Jesus’ clothes were taken from Him by armed Roman soldiers.  It would have been pointless for Him to attempt any form of resistance. He stood helpless before His abusers, much like a child standing helpless before an adult, or a rape victim with a gun to their head or a knife to their throat. The Lord fully identifies with those who feel hopelessly helpless in their situations.

He did nothing to deserve this treatment.

Jesus was not stripped naked and hung on a cross because of a crime He had committed. He was innocent in every way. He was a victim of the cruelty of men. Victims of sexual abuse are often told that they deserve to be victimized because of how they act, how they dress, etc. Nothing could be further from the truth. The perpetrators are the only ones at fault. The Lord Jesus completely understands victimization.

Not Alone

If you have been a victim of sexual abuse, you are not alone. The Lord Jesus has walked in your shoes. You can bring your heartache to Him and He will completely understand and provide healing for your pain. Having a King who identifies with us in our brokenness is one of the great comforts of living in the Reign.

M