The Crucifixion and the Suffering of Jesus

The idea of purposeful suffering was not unheard of in the ancient world. With the death of Jesus, however, this changed. The crucifixion and the suffering became the foundational narrative about Jesus. So too the suffering of his followers came to be recast as an expected part of the Christian experience. It is difficult to know if righteous sufferers or dying heroes even experience suffering given their impassable stance towards pain.