HE KNEW, AND HE STILL WENT
Mark 14:32-36 NKJV
32 Then they came to a place which was named Gethsemane; and He said to His disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” 33 And He took Peter, James, and John with Him and began to be troubled and deeply distressed. 34 Then He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch.”
35 He went a little farther, and fell on the ground, and prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him. 36 And He said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will.”
Merry Christmas! On the day we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus, we remember what He did for us. It’s much easier to sanitize the birth of Jesus. There were challenges involved for Mary and Joseph, but He was an innocent baby born without knowledge of what lay before Him.
In our reading for today, we see the pressure that Jesus was under as He faced the horror of the cross. There is no way to sanitize His death. Jesus knew that He would not only be separated from His Father God but that He would also bear the sin of the world. He knew He would face rejection and scourging. The scourging was so awful some men did not live through that excruciating pain. He knew He would be nailed to a Roman cross. He also knew He would face the full pain of the cross, so He refused to receive the gall offered to Him. Gall would have taken some of the edge off the pain. He knew all these things, and yet He still went.
We know Jesus was the Son of God. But we must never forget He was also the son of man. When He was cut, He bled. When He was beaten, He felt all the pain. And we don’t know the spiritual pain He suffered bearing our sins so that we might be made right with God. In the garden, Jesus did not approach the cross with no emotion and no struggle. He was deeply distressed and sorrowful, even to the point of death. I know we don’t typically see Jesus in this light, but facing the cross was extremely difficult for Him. And yet He still went.
Verse 35 says He went a little farther and fell on the ground. Jesus didn’t trip. He was in such a struggle that He fell on His face, praying that the cross might pass from Him. This is not a stoic approach. This is a man in the middle of an intense internal conflict. And in His next words, we see the strength of Jesus. “Nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will.”
On this Christmas Day, we are so appreciative of God’s love for us sending His Son. Also, on this happy day, we are so appreciative of Jesus for His strength, His love, His obedience, and His sacrifice. He knew what He would face, and He still went. For you and for me. Thank You, Lord Jesus! Your courage and sacrifice make Christmas more meaningful!