Is Jesus With Us in Our Struggles?

Is Jesus with us in our struggles? Absolutely. One of the most beautiful and intimate ways Jesus serves us is simply this: He sits with us.

This truth may not seem profound at first glance, but when we understand what it truly means for Jesus to sit with us in our suffering, sin, and sorrow, everything changes. Jesus doesn’t just reign from afar. He doesn’t merely observe our pain. He steps into it with us, fully, compassionately, and intentionally.

The Ministry of Presence
Have you ever had a friend who simply sat with you during a difficult season, no advice, no solutions, just presence? That’s often called the Ministry of Presence. It’s the act of showing up and staying with someone in their pain.

Jesus does that for us.

Philippians 2:7 says, “But he emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.” This verse, often overlooked during the holidays, is actually a Christmas verse. It reminds us that Jesus didn’t remain distant. He came to us, entering into our humanity in the most vulnerable way possible.

Luke 2:7 paints the picture: “And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.” And Matthew 1:23 declares, “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel,” which means God with us.

Philippians 2, Luke 2, and Matthew 1 all testify to this same truth. Jesus came in the likeness of men. He entered our world to be with us.

He Sits With Us in Our Mess
Jesus wasn’t born in a palace behind locked doors. He was born in a manger, in the middle of a messy world, in plain view. He came into our sin, our stress, and our struggles. And he still chooses to sit with us in all of it.

There’s a theological term used in Philippians 2:7—kenosis. It refers to Christ “emptying himself.” This does not mean he ceased to be God. It means he laid down his divine privilege. He didn’t avoid hardship. Instead, he entered into our suffering alongside us.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer once wrote, “Only a suffering God can help us.” And that’s exactly what God did. He chose to suffer. He chose to feel pain. He chose to be present with us in every part of our human experience.

Jesus’ self-emptying places God within human suffering, not above it.

What are you walking through right now? Is there a situation in your life that feels painful, unbearable, or just too much to carry? Here’s what you need to know. Jesus is sitting with you in it right now.

He is not a distant God. He is the servant King who sits with us compassionately, quietly, and faithfully.

He Sits Over Every Situation
But Jesus doesn’t just sit with us. He also sits over every situation.

This truth is beautifully captured in the Old Testament prophecies about the coming Messiah. Micah 5:2, 4 declares, “From you [Bethlehem] shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel… And he shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord… and they shall dwell secure.”

Jesus is our ruler and shepherd. Because of his rule, we dwell securely.

Isaiah 9:6-7 tells us, “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder… Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end… to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from this time forth and forevermore.”

And Luke 1:32-33 proclaims, “He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David… and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

All of these Scriptures say the same thing. Jesus reigns. Not only is he present in our pain, but he is also sovereign over it.

There is no political, economic, or personal situation that will ever catch him off guard. There is no chaos in the world, or in your life, that can ever surpass his authority or derail his rule.

Jesus is seated on his throne. He is not pacing in panic. He is not scrambling to find a solution. He is seated in power, reigning in perfect wisdom and peace.

And that is good news.

The Servant King
So how does Jesus serve us?

He sits with us in our darkest moments. And he sits over every moment as the ruling King.
He has emptied himself to be near us. He has positioned himself in our suffering. And he has not surrendered his authority in the process.

This is what makes him the Servant King, compassionate in presence and supreme in power.

Jesus sits with us. Jesus rules over us. Jesus serves us perfectly.


This blog is based on the message shared by Campus Pastor Chris DeArman at our CityRise Bellaire campus on Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025. Check out the full message below!