Luke 22:39-46
39 Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. 40 On reaching the place, he said to them, “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.” 41 He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, 42 “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” 43 An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. 44 And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.
45 When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow. 46 “Why are you sleeping?” he asked them. “Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.”
Jesus is in control his whole ministry, but suddenly He’s falling apart! Many have faced their deaths with much more dignity and honor than this!
No culture back then would read this scene and consider Jesus honorable, worthy to be followed and given your loyalty!
Was something more going on…?
a. He must have been facing something that was so much worse than physical death. Physical death by comparison was a mild cold.
b. He was just now getting a taste of what was about to happen… that which was way beyond
the physical torture he would endure. He always knew… but knowing about (information) and beginning to really taste it are different.
c. Let this cup pass from Me. The cup is a metaphor for the wrath of God on human evil. It’s divine judgment. (Have your cake and eat it too).
So what was happening here? Jesus, who lived fully for the Father… perfect in every way… loving completely the Father… comes now to the Father, and instead of the embracing love He deserves, He instead feels the full force of God’s anger and wrath at sin.
His whole life Jesus would go to the Father and heaven would open up… but now He comes to the Father and Hell opens up. The Cup. Think about that…. Let it rest on you…
We don’t like this idea of a God of wrath… we don’t like an angry God! But understand this….
*IMPORTANT* If you don’t believe in a God of wrath… then you have no idea of how valuable you are to Him! If all you want is a loving God… you have God with no need of a cross… and no need for a God to go to the cross!
A God without wrath is not and cannot be a God of love! A God of wrath… you have a God who is willing to go through the physical, emotional and spiritual torture… all because He loves you!
Choice: God of love or impersonal force i.e. electricity.
If you want to know your value and know His love…. You have to come to grips with a God of wrath.
Fully knowing what He’s about to face… He says, “Take this cup from me! Nevertheless… not my will, but yours be done.”
Fully knowing exactly what it would cost him… no surprises here! God led Him to the edge of the fiery furnace and let him taste what he was about to go through… and he did it!
That’s the love you’ve been looking for all your life! No other love can satisfy like this love… no love from a spouse, friend, parent, child, or job can compare.
Feel abandoned? If He didn’t abandon you in the Garden… nothing can make him abandon you!
Feel let down…? People let you down? You tired of it? Feel like giving up? Never forget…. If he was willing to go the distance for you… won’t you hang in there with what you’re facing…?
