Dear Explorer,
Yesterday we read Matthew's account of Jesus praying in the Garden of Gethsemane. Today we'll look at Mark's account. It is very similar.
Read Mark 14:34-42
We were discussing the decision that Jesus needed to make: whether to obey SELF and live or to obey God and die. It was not an easy decision.
If Jesus chooses to die, the unthinkable would happen. He would have to experience the effect of sin. And that effect would be that He would be separated from God. I believe that when God laid all the sins of the whole world onto Jesus, the Holy Spirit left Him, and Jesus became empty on the inside. He had never been empty, and He was horrified at the prospect of it. God would forsake Him and turn His face away. He would know the pain, the guilt, the shame of sin, yes. But I believe that He knew that the worst pain in the whole world was being separated from God. And I believe that this fact alone made it the hardest decision ever made.
I believe that Jesus was begging God to find another way to pay for the world's sins so that He would not have to experience emptiness and separation from God.
Yes, I think He abhorred sin. I believe He was repulsed by the thought of being covered with the shame and guilt and sorrow that sin brings. But most of all, I think He was terrified of being alone without God inside of Him.
Read Luke 22:41-46
In each of these accounts, (Matthew 26:38-46, Mark 14:34-42, and Luke 22:41-46) there is a second part to Jesus' prayer. Besides asking for the cup to be removed if at all possible, what else does He tell God?
Jesus always ended His prayer by saying that He wanted God's will to be done more than He wanted His own way.
Luke records that an angel came down from Heaven to minister to Jesus and to strengthen Him. And I believe that Jesus made the ultimate decision based on His great love for us.
He chose to become empty so that we could become filled with Him. He died so that we could have eternal life in Heaven with God. He died as the Lamb of God to pay for our sins.
As a follower of Jesus, it's a decision we will never have to make. He will be with us for all eternity. Once we invite Him into our core, we will never again be alone.
But Jesus, our Messiah, made the decision to follow God's plan and die for you and for me. He paid for your sins and mine. He chose obedience over SELF. He practiced what He preached.
In His service, dale
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