|
|
 |
|
Reply
| | From:  SEB1625 (Original Message) | Sent: 9/18/2006 5:44 PM |
Luke 22: 39-46
Text Verse 42
There comes a time and a place in everyone’s life where they will encounter a situation that will call for an immediate decision to be made. It may bring a great deal of emotional distress and self sacrifice.
Some of these decisions are at a great cost. Maybe a lack of sleep, time that could be spent doing something more useful or so it would seem at the time. Perhaps some physical labor, money and maybe, just maybe a lot of time down on the knees or maybe flat out on our faces in earnest, heartfelt prayer before the LORD.
You may have to make the decision to move away from your immediate family, leave a good paying job or career . Going far away from familiar surroundings and people.
One day the LORD JESUS had to also leave His Father’s home and leave all the glories of Heaven and all the beauty that surrounded Him there. He had to empty Himself literally His will and be submissive to the will of the Father. To be born of a woman, dwell among us, be crucified, die for our sins and rise again from the grave and go back to Heaven to sit at the Father’s right hand and be our intercessor.
He too came to His personal Gethsemane, to a place where He had to decide what was more important. The word Gethsemane literally means a press, something similar to what they used to extract olive oil from the olives.
Oh how Jesus must have been sore pressed on from within and without. Separating the spiritual man from the natural man. Wanting to do the will of His Father but yet not really looking forward to the agony of the cross.
The word cup literally means in the Greek a “swearing together, a plot a conspiracy. So the religious crowd as well as some of His own group were building a conspiracy against Him to falsely accuse Him and have Him put to death.
What did this cup possibly contain especially when we look at it as we Jesus being put to death for our sins?
(1) Adultery (2) Fornication (3) Lying (4) Child molester (5) Rapist (6) Drunk (7) Drug Addict (8) Murderer (9) Thief (10) Sodomite (11) Decent people (12) Church member.
I imagine Jesus recoiled at the very thought of He being made sin for us. Also at the horrific beating and the brutality that He was going to endure at the hands of those who hated Him. The tremendous mental anguish was probably more severe than that of the actual physical pain.
It was at Gethsemane where Jesus won the victory, where He overcame temptation to do His own will and finally surrender to that of the Father.
Honest, heartfelt prayer is what that is so needed in our day and time. WE need to get alone with God and may our own sweat become as great drops of blood when we agonize in our Gethsemane.
Jesus prayer was answered. No the cup did not pass away and yes the Father’s will was done. These cups of trials and testing along with their decisions cannot be passed from one to another.
|
|
 First
Previous
No Replies
Next
Last
|
|
|
Free Forum Hosting
