The fact that Jesus emptied and limited Himself when He came to earth, makes me wonder exactly how much the human part of Him grasped the extent of His imminent suffering.
Jesus eagerly desired to save the world, but as the end drew near, as Jesus talked to His Father in a garden reminiscent of the one where the first Adam hid from His Father, as Jesus prepared to absorb in His sinless body all the sins of the world, all the wrath of His Father… His heart picked up, His hands trembled, blood-red beads of sweat awakened the raw real scent of death; and understandably this foreshadowing nightmare unravelled in Him a chorus of questions like: could there possibly be a plan B? Was this truly the only way?
Father, if You are willing. Please take this cup from Me…
How much sense could His Father’s death-wish on Him have possibly made in the face of such betrayal, rejection, pain, and abandonment?
Yet not My will, but Yours be done….
Limited in sight, surely questions plagued Him all the way to grand finale…
My God… My God. Why have You forsaken Me?
I love Him so deep whenever I think of this; and I think of this often: how our Lord’s leap of love and sheer obedience in His stepping off life’s jagged plank to descend into the blackest pit of night with nothing but simple childlike trust in the changeless nature of His perfect purposeful Father — was all done just for us, His cherished friends.
Oh, Jesus, Oh Jesus… Such Father-pleasing trust when You couldn’t see. Oh, that I might come even close to Your beautiful, powerful, selfless example…
Please remind each friend here how their redemption is sure and near. How You never waste pain. How You can always be trusted in the dark. Please remind them that joy comes in the morning… Remind them Your love is stronger than death, and how nothing, absolutely nothing can separate them from Your perfect matchless love. Amen.
Thank you for your insight!
Thanks Jim! I enjoyed meeting you at the conference!
I have been gifted in deliverance. The Holy Spirit has been my teacher every step of the way. A major lesson has been the requirement for selfless self-control. One of the first and most difficult lessons for me was to stand firmly in the heart of God without fear. I know where to stand, yet I will still get peeved at the critters. This morning I received another gentle and kind reprimand for this. When I read this blog, I was able to say, “Thank you Lord Jesus for your amazing selflessness that gives me a safe place to stand in a battle that has already been won.” The word ‘selfless’ attracted me to this blog and, once again, in His great, great love, Jesus led me to another witness of His truth. Thank you
Thanks for stopping by, Lucy! You serve an important job in the Body of Christ. May He continue to empower you in all you do!
I think you’ll enjoy my free book that comes from signing up for these posts. I hope to see you again on here. 💕