JULY 9 and He came out, and went, as He was wont, to the Mount of Olives; and His Disciples also followed Him (Lk. 22:39). Here in the Passion of Christ is the great lesson of surrender taught. It comes, in essence, in three stages. They are: 1. “The place of surrender”: The Scripture said, “And when He was at the place, He said unto them, Pray that you enter not into temptation” (22:40). Before a Believer can surrender totally to the Lord Jesus Christ, he has to first come to the “place of surrender.” There is a Gethsemane for every Believer. The problem of self-will is acute in the hearts and lives of all, even the best of Christians. There is only one way for self-will to be conquered, and that is for the person to come to the “place” where they understand that the Cross of Christ is the only answer. Jesus died on the Cross, not only to save us from sin, but also to save us from “self.” 2. “The price of surrender”: What is the price? Jesus tells us what it is. He said, “Father, if You be willing, remove this cup from Me: nevertheless not My Will, but Yours, be done” (22:42). The price of surrender is our personal wills being swallowed up in the sweet Will of God. The Cross is the only means by which the will of the individual can properly acquiesce to the Will of God. If the Believer attempts to pay the price himself, instead of looking to the One Who has already paid the price, this will only breed self-righteousness. Making the Cross the Object of one’s Faith, and the Cross alone, will have the effect of us looking to Christ, and only Christ! 3. “The peace of surrender”: Once that surrender was made, “There appeared an Angel unto Him from Heaven, strengthening Him” (22:43). This didn’t mean that the struggle grew less intense, for, in fact, it increased; however, the extra strength provided by the Angel was sufficient. Angels also ministered to Him in the Temptation (Mk. 1:13). All want the “peace of surrender,” which is a peace that passes all understanding, but many do not want to come to the “place” or pay the “price.” There is, however, no other way! (Jn. 14:27).
Posted on: Tue, 09 Jul 2013 10:34:30 +0000
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