Late on the Thursday evening of Passover week. Jesus was with His disciples at one of His favorite spots—the Garden of Gethsemane. With great emotion, He asked the disciples to pray for strength to remain loyal to Him. He removed Himself a short distance from them and prayed, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done” (Luke 22:42). The “cup” that Jesus asked to be delivered from was not death. He came to die for us. I think the cup represents the fearful separation from His Father that would lead to His words on the cross: “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:46). In the garden, He must have been anticipating that time when His Father would turn His back on Him. The coming of the angel assured Him that He was not alone. Yet the reality of the Father’s withdrawal from Him was foremost in His thoughts. He would be taking our sin on Himself and enduring the awesome aloneness of the cross. This realization drove Jesus to pray with so much intensity that “His sweat became like great drops of blood” (Luke 22:44). Whats even more amazing is that Jesus endured this suffering for you and me. So take some time today in your spot and reflect on Jesus suffering just before His crucifixion. The more we think on His suffering the more we realize His deep love for us. You Are Loved, Dan
Posted on: Thu, 17 Apr 2014 13:27:35 +0000
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