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“AND HE went forward a little, and fell on the ground, and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him. And He said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto Thee; take away this cup from Me: nevertheless, not what I will, but what Thou wilt. And He cometh, and findeth them sleeping, and saith unto Peter, Simon, sleepest thou? couldest not thou watch one hour?” vv. 35-37. This He prayed three times.
We must confess that we enter into this scene with little depth of understanding. The record is given, hover, so that we might know of this time when the Lord, both as dependent Man, And as God’s own Son, suffered those depths of agony in contemplation of all the cross of Calvary would mean to Him. He presents bore His Father the petition that if it were possible, the cup might be taken away from Him. Yet, in full obedience, and in the loving dictates of His own heart, being fully aware of the need of lost sinners, He knew that this must be endured. Again He expresses His oneness of accord with all God’s demands. It could not, of course, be otherwise, for the Son of man was also Son of God and thus “could not deny Himself.”
We see that the death of Jesus was much more than a martyr’s death and can understand just a little of why He suffered such agony in anticipation of it. True indeed He was to know the physical suffering of a cruel crucifixion and to keenly feel the mocking, the taunts, the spitting and all the shame that Satan would put in the hearts of His tormentors. Yet His deepest sorrow was not in thinking of the physical suffering. The Lord Jesus, God’s own Son, Himself without sin or guile in all His divine perfection and holiness, was about to become the Sin-bearer, and take upon Himself that load of sins of all who trust Him by faith as Saviour. He, whose holiness abhorred the smallest trespass, was soon to accept God’s terrible strokes of judgment against Himself for the sins of others. “Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree.” 1 Peter 2:2424Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. (1 Peter 2:24). And what was of deepest pain to Him was knowing that God must turn His face from Him while He became a curse for us.
This sorrow must have included as well the thought of His rejection by His people Israel, and the sad results of this rejection on that nation. Furthermore, how it must have wounded His tender heart to think of how His disciples would desert Him in the hour of His greatest need! Who would venture to tell all that bore so heavily on the heart of the blessed Saviour in thinking of what He was about to endure? We must confess we are much like the three disciples, so privileged yet fast asleep—thinking so much of ourselves that we little enter into His thoughts. Although redemption could not be accomplished until he had given His life on the cross, yet it was in the anticipation of what that cross would mean to Him, His being made sin for us (2 Cor. 5:2121For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. (2 Corinthians 5:21)), that He suffered so great agony in the garden. Yet for the joy that was set before Him (Heb. 12:22Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:2)), He went on, “endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
The Lord returned to His disciples the third time and found them sleeping for sorrow. They loved Him deeply, but did not understand His agony and were concerned for the most part with their own weariness and confusion. Friend, have you realized that the sufferings of Christ were for you, and have you accepted Him and His atoning work for yourself personally?
ML-04/12/1964
April 19, 1964