Wednesday, March 26, 2014
Matthew 26:36-38 Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, "Sit here, while I go over there and pray." And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, "My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me."
GO TO DARK GETHSEMANE
Do you ever worry about what might happen? Then you understand that very often the anticipation of a difficult or painful ordeal can be more agonizing than the ordeal itself. It's a good thing that we don't know the future beforehand, isn't it?
Jesus really did know what lay ahead of him. He told his disciples multiple times. He knew that the hour was drawing closer when He would be arrested, beaten, spit upon, scourged and crucified.
What Jesus experienced was real agony, not a charade. The Bible declares that our sins were laid upon His body. He felt the weight of our sin and guilt on both body and mind. The burden of the sins and guilt of the whole of humankind was upon Him.
What does that mean? Have you ever been down because of something you have done wrong? Have you ever felt like the pain just won't go away and you want to cry? If you have, then you have felt the anguish of guilt over one sin and its consequence.
Can we even imagine bearing the sin and guilt of the whole world? Nope. We can only read and re-read His words and marvel at His great love for us.
"My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me."
We can't comprehend His sorrow; the weight of sin and guilt. Frankly, Jesus doesn't want us to try to put ourselves in His sandals, because He willingly suffered these things so that we wouldn't have to know what it's like to bear the guilt of all our sins before God. Out of love for you, Jesus endured real agony and suffering as your Substitute and Redeemer.
