"Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. On reaching the place, he said to them, “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.” He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground." Luke 22:39-44
The coming of the Kingdom of God required Jesus, who was 100% God but also 100% man, to willingly lay down His life. Jesus felt every emotion that we have ever felt. Hebrews 4:15 says that "we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are--yet he did not sin." There are many moments that we get to see Jesus humanness on display, but this is the one that brings me to my knees. He KNEW the agonizing, humiliating, and painful days that lay ahead of Him and in his humanity begged God to spare Him. The cup He asked God to take was the cup of wrath that would make atonement for sin. While Jesus understood that He would experience the physical pain of the crucifixion, the pain that had Him sweating drops of blood was the utter torment of being spiritually separated from His Father. BUT...he ends His prayer with a full of His rights. "Yet not my will, but yours be done." Jesus was willing to drink every last drop of the cup of suffering for you and me if it meant we could experience eternity in Heaven with Him.
There are so many days that I look for a loophole when suffering comes my way. I want a shortcut and I want it yesterday. I want to pray those words like Jesus prayed — not because I feel like praying but because I know and believe in the goodness and sovereignty of the One I'm praying to. I want to give God glory in each and every thing, even when it hurts. I want to seek God’s will above my own, even when I don’t understand it. This life may not be without sorrow, or without question and deep distress at times, but just like Jesus, I can pray for His will to be done with the ultimate hope that is to come!
The coming of the Kingdom of God required Jesus, who was 100% God but also 100% man, to willingly lay down His life. Jesus felt every emotion that we have ever felt. Hebrews 4:15 says that "we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are--yet he did not sin." There are many moments that we get to see Jesus humanness on display, but this is the one that brings me to my knees. He KNEW the agonizing, humiliating, and painful days that lay ahead of Him and in his humanity begged God to spare Him. The cup He asked God to take was the cup of wrath that would make atonement for sin. While Jesus understood that He would experience the physical pain of the crucifixion, the pain that had Him sweating drops of blood was the utter torment of being spiritually separated from His Father. BUT...he ends His prayer with a full of His rights. "Yet not my will, but yours be done." Jesus was willing to drink every last drop of the cup of suffering for you and me if it meant we could experience eternity in Heaven with Him.
There are so many days that I look for a loophole when suffering comes my way. I want a shortcut and I want it yesterday. I want to pray those words like Jesus prayed — not because I feel like praying but because I know and believe in the goodness and sovereignty of the One I'm praying to. I want to give God glory in each and every thing, even when it hurts. I want to seek God’s will above my own, even when I don’t understand it. This life may not be without sorrow, or without question and deep distress at times, but just like Jesus, I can pray for His will to be done with the ultimate hope that is to come!
Comments
Post a Comment