Jesus as a child and early adult was not known as prophet and not known as Son of the Supreme God. He must have seen demon possession, disease, direst human states of distressing disability, and deaths. Yet he was not working miracles in those years. He must have watched the sufferings in a state of normal human weakness: it was to the extent his brothers did not know him as different from others. Look too at the great apostles taught by Jesus, who at times raised the dead in the name of Jesus, but then in later years grew old and saw believers die, and later died themselves in weakness too. It is in weakness that Jesus is strong: His own weakness for a time, then his followers’ weakness too. His righteous life and love towards his heavenly God and Father kept Jesus in submission even in death. So the Father gave him life and immortality by resurrection from the dead. Yet he still had to keep on seeing weakness in his followers, even when he was immortally strong and with the Father. He has since then always been on the receiving end of persecutions because he feels what he sees done to his disciples as being done to himself. Yet even in this kind of weakness he is strong because it is in such weakness that there is grace. When the believer has only suffering to endure, it is grace that emerges strong. On the cross, Jesus saw that dying thief beside him refusing to mock Jesus, confessing guilt and expressing faith in Jesus, but from Jesus came belief that the Father would let this believing thief be with Jesus in Paradise after death, and Jesus received grace from the Father to give such assurance to the dying man. Grace is left when strength is gone for the believer. This tells all around that grace is the essential to eternal life and salvation, not strength. Weakness combined with grace is stronger to save than strength. Grace suffices, even in weakness: nay, especially in weakness.
