It was late on the Thursday evening  of Passover week. Jesus was with His disciples at one of His favourite retreats—the Garden of Gethsemane. In great emotional distress He admonished the disciples to pray for strength to remain loyal to Him. He removed Himself a short distance from them and prayed, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done” (Luke 22:42).

The ‘cup’ from which Jesus asked to be delivered was not death. He came to die for us. I think the cup represents the frightful alienation from His Father that would lead to His cry on the cross: “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matt. 27:46).

In the garden, He must have been anticipating that time when His Father would turn His back on Him. The coming of the angel assured Him that He was not alone. Yet the reality of the Father’s imminent withdrawal from Him was foremost in His thoughts. He would be taking our sin on Himself and enduring the awesome aloneness of the cross. This realisation drove Jesus to pray with so much intensity that “His sweat became like great drops of blood” (Luke 22:44).

And what’s even more amazing is the truth that Jesus endured this suffering for you and me!

Author

Herbert Vander Lugt

Topics

Our Daily Bread