The sun began slipping away behind the hills as Jesus and His disciples walked out of the beautiful city of Jerusalem towards the Garden of Gethsemane, His favorite place to commune with His Father. Though His disciples were largely ignorant of what was about to transpire, Christ knew that this night would be exceedingly difficult for Himself.
As they arrived at the garden, Jesus bid the rest of His disciples remain at the gate while He took His three closest earthly companions, Peter, James, and John, upward with Him towards the heart of the garden. Suddenly, Jesus began walking slower and slower, struggling more with each step into the garden. When they reached the secluded area, He told them, “My soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death,” and bid them tarry and pray.
At this point, unbeknownst to the observing three, the weight of the sins of the world had begun to lay heavily on the Redeemer, resting weightier every moment. The thought of being responsible for all the multitude of sins through history filled the face of Christ with terrible anguish, unnatural for the one that had been always turned in tender pity towards the sinner. The iniquities of the world unyieldingly forced their way between the inseparable Father and Son, and terror filled the heart of the Son of God.
Yet in this moment, He did not neglect to pray. Moving a stone’s throw away from the disciples, He fell onto the ground and begged His Father to take away the trial filled with pain and sorrow that He was about to experience. “Abba, Father, all things are possible unto Thee,” He prayed, hoping against hope that His Father could devise an easier plan, but then added, “Nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt.”
In this moment of greatest trial, Christ did not lose His faith in the Father. He believed that God was all powerful and that He could devise a different plan if He felt it necessary, but Jesus rested His case in the hands of God, and in faith believed that everything would turn out alright, even if He never would see life after His crucifixion. His humanity shrunk from the consequences of sin, but His faith, though threatening to fail, did not waver.
Three times, He prayed this prayer. Three times, He begged God to take away the cup He was about to drink. Three times, He surrendered His will to the will of the Father. Realizing that this was the only way to redeem man from his iniquities, He took the cup of the wrath of God and willingly would drink it to the last dregs.
What a different attitude is then displayed in the words of Jesus, “It is enough, the hour is come; behold, the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise up, let us go; lo, he that betrayeth me is at hand.” It is almost like He was cheerful at the prospect. In essence He said, it is enough, I have decided to obey My Father, I will take the consequence of sin so that these precious humans can live eternally, even if I never see beyond the portals of the tomb. Confidence filled His heart, and He was ready to face the rebuffs and cruelties of His murderers. He fully trusted His Father that everything would turn out for the best, and that His sacrifice would be enough to save the souls of men. He had surrendered His will to the Father and decided to be obedient to His commands, even the most difficult. He could now rest in perfect peace with His childlike faith in God. Faith had done its transforming work.
As they arrived at the garden, Jesus bid the rest of His disciples remain at the gate while He took His three closest earthly companions, Peter, James, and John, upward with Him towards the heart of the garden. Suddenly, Jesus began walking slower and slower, struggling more with each step into the garden. When they reached the secluded area, He told them, “My soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death,” and bid them tarry and pray.
At this point, unbeknownst to the observing three, the weight of the sins of the world had begun to lay heavily on the Redeemer, resting weightier every moment. The thought of being responsible for all the multitude of sins through history filled the face of Christ with terrible anguish, unnatural for the one that had been always turned in tender pity towards the sinner. The iniquities of the world unyieldingly forced their way between the inseparable Father and Son, and terror filled the heart of the Son of God.
Yet in this moment, He did not neglect to pray. Moving a stone’s throw away from the disciples, He fell onto the ground and begged His Father to take away the trial filled with pain and sorrow that He was about to experience. “Abba, Father, all things are possible unto Thee,” He prayed, hoping against hope that His Father could devise an easier plan, but then added, “Nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt.”
In this moment of greatest trial, Christ did not lose His faith in the Father. He believed that God was all powerful and that He could devise a different plan if He felt it necessary, but Jesus rested His case in the hands of God, and in faith believed that everything would turn out alright, even if He never would see life after His crucifixion. His humanity shrunk from the consequences of sin, but His faith, though threatening to fail, did not waver.
Three times, He prayed this prayer. Three times, He begged God to take away the cup He was about to drink. Three times, He surrendered His will to the will of the Father. Realizing that this was the only way to redeem man from his iniquities, He took the cup of the wrath of God and willingly would drink it to the last dregs.
What a different attitude is then displayed in the words of Jesus, “It is enough, the hour is come; behold, the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise up, let us go; lo, he that betrayeth me is at hand.” It is almost like He was cheerful at the prospect. In essence He said, it is enough, I have decided to obey My Father, I will take the consequence of sin so that these precious humans can live eternally, even if I never see beyond the portals of the tomb. Confidence filled His heart, and He was ready to face the rebuffs and cruelties of His murderers. He fully trusted His Father that everything would turn out for the best, and that His sacrifice would be enough to save the souls of men. He had surrendered His will to the Father and decided to be obedient to His commands, even the most difficult. He could now rest in perfect peace with His childlike faith in God. Faith had done its transforming work.
May we all have the faith of Jesus.
~Lilienne Stafford
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