Dear Explorer,
Read Matthew 26:38-46
What does Jesus tell His disciples in Matthew 26:38?
What does Jesus pray about in Matthew 26:39?
When He went to check on His prayer partners, Peter, James, and John what did He find?
What does Jesus pray about in Matthew 26:42?
When He checked on His prayer partners again, what were they doing?
What does Jesus pray about in Matthew 26:44?
I want us to examine this “cup” that Jesus wants to avoid.
What do you think the “cup” represents?
I believe that Jesus was struggling with a decision. We talked about this struggle between trusting God's way or trusting SELF. Let's look at His two options.
SELF vs. GOD'S WAY
Don't die Die
That's a pretty big decision – but it involves so much more. For starters, there are the consequences of the decision.
If Jesus decides not to die (to obey SELF), then He knows that every person who is empty will stay empty. What percentage of the people were empty at the time of this prayer?
100% were empty and that means that 100% were following SELF, and that, by definition, is sin. The wages or price tag of sin is what? (Review Day 134 if you don't remember).
The wages or price tag of sin is death. That means that if Jesus chooses not to die, then 100% of the world's population, past, present and future, will die with a God-shaped vacuum inside of them and 0% will be in a right relationship with God. Which means that 100% of them (and us) will be separated from God for all eternity. 0% will be allowed into Heaven because all have sinned.
That's serious stuff. So, Jesus should decide to die, right? Not so fast! That's a really hard decision to make even if the death was something like decapitation (which is quick and relatively painless – although I haven't tried it!).
Would the decision to die be harder if you had seen a crucifixion and knew what was involved with a long, torturous death. Most Jewish people had seen many, many crucifixions. It was the Roman way of keeping the people under control. Some scholars say that crucifixions happened every day and sometimes the people were forced to watch.
Would the decision to die be harder if you knew that when you were arrested, Satan would possess the soldiers and guards so that they would torture you for almost 12 hours BEFORE they nailed you to a cross. Would that make it a little harder decision? Jesus knew that His torture would be extreme.
Would the decision to die be harder if you knew that you would be whipped with a cat-o-nine-tails? Flogged with whips containing pieces of bone and metal and glass? Flogged until there was no skin left on your back and stomach? So terrible that many people died from it?
Would the decision to die be harder if you knew that everyone who loved you would be hurt by your decision?
I think all of these made it a really hard decision. But I think there was 1 thing that made it the hardest decision ever. We'll talk about that one tomorrow.
In His service, dale
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