HE KNOWS YOUR PAIN AND STRESS Christ Jesus, is going to die. He knows he must endure the terrible test ahead of Him. Not only must He suffer and die but also fulfill ALL the prophecies about His suffering and death. He knew he must fulfill these words for example... Isaiah 53:7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. And so as he enters Gethsemane... Mat 26:36 Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder. 26:37 And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy. He is being crushed under the weight of the expectation of the universe. All humanity either perishes or has a second chance depending on what He now does. He has come a long way, through temptation and trial, from Josephs carpenter shop to now the very end of what He really came to do. The lamb that was sacrificed at the 9th hour of the passover had to be spotless, and so Christ our lamb who died at the 9th hour of passover in fulfilment of all these also had to be without blemish. He was to keep silent when derided etc etc Mat 26:38 Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me. He goes and prays...notice His prayer Mat 26:39 And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. He asks if its possible this cup may pass from Him...now when He comes to the disciples... Mat 26:40 And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour? They are not willing to even pray with Him. Notice also He had been praying for an hour. Their unwillingness leads Him to say this... Mat 26:41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. Whos flesh was weak and spirit willing? The disciples were not even willing to pray, both their flesh and spirit was weak. It was Jesuss flesh that was weak....and His spirit willing. Jesus wanted to go through the trying time before Him but His human nature arised fears inside of Him...the very same fears that He went into Gethsemane to battle. No other human being will ever be called to undergo such a trial...and so we can have trust in Christ that He has the strength to succour us who are in trials. The battle of the cross was not won at calvary...it was won at Gethsemane!
Posted on: Wed, 20 Nov 2013 07:12:02 +0000