“… and (he) knelt down and prayed, saying ‘Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.’  And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him.  And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.  And when he rose from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping for sorrow” Luke 22:41b-45.

This “Good Friday” scene is familiar. Perhaps so familiar that we skim over the moment that really matters.

Jesus has come to Gethsemane from the upper room where He celebrated the Passover with His disciples, His friends and companions of a thousand days. Now He must go on alone. Further. And further still into the dark heart of the garden. Into the silence, into the desperation. He collapses to His knees.

Remove this cup from me! 

It is an urgent, emotion-wracked plea. “Please! Not the cross! PLEASE, NOT THE SIN!”

And surely for the holy and pure Son of God, that which is most repugnant, most hideous, most evil in the task set before Him is to own our sin as His.

Surely for the holy and pure Son of God, that which is most repugnant, most hideous, most evil in the task set before Him is to own our sin as His.

The Apostle Paul put it this way: “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Jesus knew what lay ahead.

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? (Psalm 22:1; Matthew 27:46)

PLEASE!!!

How many? How many heartbeats? How many moments passed before He spoke again?

How long did the future and salvation of humanity hang in that moment of silence between plea and submission?

Finally. Into the ears of eternity Jesus speaks the only words that matter.

“Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.”

How long did the future and salvation of humanity hang in that moment of silence between plea and submission? Finally. Into the ears of eternity Jesus speaks the only words that matter. “Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.”

All creation released its collective breath. He will! Selah.

Please note—only after the reaffirmation of His willingness to face the awful exchange of His death for our lives did the angel come to Him to renew His strength. To prepare His heart, to encourage His soul. For the next few hours would be hard. Very, VERY hard.

Despite having banished the temptation, He still had to face the sorrow, the betrayals, the physical beatings, the contempt, mockery, and insults, the curses and the spittle…and the cross. Most assuredly, He would need the strength of heaven to endure.

Despite having banished the temptation, Jesus still had to face the sorrow, the betrayals, the physical beatings, the contempt, mockery, and insults, the curses and the spittle…and the cross. Most assuredly, He would need the strength of heaven to endure.

Blood droplets formed in His eyes, sweat on His brow—and then came the disappointment of finding His friends…sleeping. Thus began the arduous and torturous journey to Golgotha.

For the sake of love.

For the sake of His Father’s name.

For our sake.

And for our forgiveness.

May our hearts rend and our souls be renewed as we revere our Savior together this week.

Man of sorrows – what a name!

For the Son of God who came 

Ruined sinners to reclaim,

Hallelujah, what a Savior! 

 

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