Just days before Easter and I wanted to share a few thoughts with you about the struggles Jesus went through in the garden before He was arrested.
The book of Isaiah gives us this insight.
“For sure He took on Himself our troubles and carried our sorrows. Yet we thought of Him as being punished and hurt by God, and made to suffer. 5 But He was hurt for our wrong-doing. He was crushed for our sins. He was punished so we would have peace. He was beaten so we would be healed. 6 All of us like sheep have gone the wrong way. Each of us has turned to his own way. And the Lord has put on Him the sin of us all.” Isaiah 53:4-6 NLV
For days before the Passover celebration Jesus had nothing else on His mind except the events that were about to take place. He knew his death was eminent.
“Now My soul is troubled. Should I say, ‘Father, save Me from this time of trouble and pain’? No, this is why I came to this time. 28 Father, honor Your name!” John 12:27-28 NLV
Jesus took time to visit with his dear friends Lazarus, Mary and Martha. He spent time teaching the disciples on the importance of putting others first, laying down their lives for those who needed to hear the Gospel and then instructing them on how to truly love and serve their fellow apostles with pure hearts.
“ I am the Vine and you are the branches. Get your life from Me. Then I will live in you and you will give much fruit. You can do nothing without Me.” John 15:5 NLV
Without Me, you can do nothing.
Those words hold true for us as well. Jesus is our example for living. Having our lives mirror His should be the desire of every Christian.
As He faced His greatest hour of anguish He set His eyes on the Father’s mission; He needed to die as the sinless sacrifice for the sins of the entire world. How did He do it? In His humanity He wanted to quit – He wanted the Father to find another way. The Bible tells us He was in such anguish that He sweat drops of blood.
“And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.” Luke 22:44 KJV
Jesus took His disciples to the garden to pray!
He knew the only way He would have the strength and the resolve to endure such anguish and pain was to draw it from His Father in prayer.
Our experiences in life no matter how horrible we think they are can’t be compared to the suffering that Jesus went through for us, for our salvation.
“ Let us keep looking to Jesus. Our faith comes from Him and He is the One Who makes it perfect. He did not give up when He had to suffer shame and die on a cross. He knew of the joy that would be His later. Now He is sitting at the right side of God.” Hebrews 12:2 NLV
Always remember this, Jesus was acquainted with grief for us and He can and will give us His strength in every situation. Look to Jesus!