Day 1 | Hurt - Jesus gets it.
Carissa Campbell
"It is not accidental that it was in the Garden of Gethsemane where He felt the crushing, the heaviness, and the burden of what was about to happen when He knew no sin would become sin for us." - Jon Courson
SCRIPTURE:
Matthew 26:36-46 (NIV)
36 Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” 37 He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. 38 Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.” 39 Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” 40 Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour?” he asked Peter. 41 “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 42 He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.” 43 When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. 44 So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing. 45 Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour has come, and the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners. 46 Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!”
The Garden of Gethsemane. One of those hard words to pronounce, but, wow, is there great significance in that word. Gethsemane literally translates to “oil press.” The trees keeping Jesus company that night (since the disciples were asleep) were olive trees. Now, an oil press does exactly what it sounds like: it crushes olives, squeezes them down to mush until all the juicy oil has been pressed out. Yummy for cooking, devastating when you realize the metaphor here.
Jesus was moments away from being crushed, pressed, killed. He prostrated Himself in that garden under such a heavy weight and He wept for a change, pleaded for another, less painful way. Luke explains that in this very moment, Jesus was so distraught that his body literally sweated blood (Luke 22:43). Jesus knew pain, both physical and emotional. His closest friends couldn’t even pray with or for Him, even after He had repeated His need for their support (vs.38).
Minutes later and we see pain continue to press: betrayal, arrest, desertion, disowned, mocked, beat, whipped, insulted, stabbed, starved, and killed on a cross.
That is a lot to carry in such a short time. A lot to carry when you already knew it would happen that way. A lot to accept knowing that there would still be generations of people to come who would choose to deny His sacrifice as a gift of love and forgiveness. Yet, He pushed through and yielded to the pressing and crushing. For me and for you.
Reflection
Knowing that Jesus Himself experienced physical and emotional pain, how does that influence or impact your relationship with Him?
Matthew 27:46 About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”)
Two Take-Aways for my day, today:
Pain has a purpose.
We do not like this about pain, but pain can serve a purpose. Pain itself is not enjoyable but the aftermath can be a beautiful and redemptive story. Jesus’ pain was horrific, more than you or I will ever face, but his pain brought new life for all who believe. Instead of ignoring or dodging our pain, consider asking God to use your hurt for something purposeful and redemptive.
Our Savior sympathizes.
He is not a distant or impersonal God. The Father willingly gave up His own Son to a violent and undeserving death. The Son willingly took on the physical and emotional pain of Calvary. Together, they understand betrayal and loss. So when we hurt, our God can sympathize. He is close to the brokenhearted. Not just in proximity but also in practice.