A few years ago my husband and I had the honor of visiting Israel for the first time. One of the most touching times for me was the day we encountered the Garden of Gethsemane. Our guide chose not to give a lot of explanation but encouraged each of us to get alone in the very place where Jesus chose to lay His will down for the Father’s will.
We can take comfort in knowing Jesus understands just how hard it is to lay down a human will. Let’s admit it, we live in a ME centered society. Do what feels good. Make yourself happy. Do whatever you want. Make yourself comfortable. The world conveys the message that it’s all about ME. And if you and I are not careful we will fall into the ME trap as well. Jesus chose not to make it about Himself but about all of humanity. About you. About me. He chose to lay His will down, showing us the way to truly gain life.
“But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed.”
Isaiah 53:5
Gethsemane literally means, “oil press”. Here where olives were pressed and crushed to produce oil, Jesus chose to be pressed and crushed to produce eternal life for us.
“They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to His disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” He took Peter, James and John along with Him, and He began to be deeply distressed and troubled. “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,” He said to them. “Stay here and keep watch.” Going a little farther, He fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from Him. “Abba, Father,” He said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”
Mark 14:32-35
Denial of self will most likely feel distressing, troubling, and overwhelming. Almost immediately after submitting His will to the Father, Jesus was arrested, deserted by His followers, denied three times by Peter, tried, mocked, stripped, flogged, and crucified. The immediate result of submitting our will to the Father may not feel or look like a Hallmark moment. In the messiness, we must trust that resurrection life will come and the pain will be worth it.
Jesus took the weight of all the world’s sin upon Himself. All that had been, all that was, and all that ever would be – He took for us. And although Jesus taught that we are to deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow Him – nothing we give up will ever compare to what He gave up.
“We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.”
2 Corinthians 4:8-11
He was hard-pressed and crushed to death – for us.
We are hard-pressed but NOT crushed – because of Him.
He was perplexed and in despair – for us.
We are perplexed but NOT in despair – because of Him.
He was persecuted and abandoned – for us.
We are persecuted but NOT abandoned – because of Him.
He was struck down and destroyed – for us.
We are struck down but NOT destroyed – because of Him.
He rose from the dead and lives forevermore – for us.
We can choose to rise from sin and death and live forevermore – because of Him.
Jesus is THE way, THE truth, and THE life. We are faced daily with the choice: who will we serve? Ourselves or Jesus? Our way or His way? His way is the only choice that always leads to life.
Jesus took the weight of our sin so that in Him we could handle the weight of His glory.
“Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”
2 Corinthians 4:16-18
