25 September | Youth
«And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.» Luke 22:44
In the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus experienced the greatest challenge of His ministry. It was the place where He experienced the most intense anguish. There, pressured and tempted by Satan, Jesus had to decide whether or not to proceed with the plan of sacrificing Himself for the ungrateful human race. When He looked back, He saw that the disciples could no longer keep watch or pray. Would they value the Master’s selfless act of surrender? Would they continue His legacy of faith? Could it be that, after death, He would be seen as just a mere idealistic revolutionary and nothing more? Wouldn’t time erase from people’s memories the enormous sacrifice made on their behalf? Would so much suffering, after all, have the expected result? Wouldn’t it be better to go back to Heaven, give up on humanity and take care of the rest of the unfallen Universe?
In the petty and selfish human point of view, these questions make perfect sense, but not in God’s mind. In that moment of tension, Jesus cried out: “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done” (Luke 22:42). In His humanity, Jesus feared death. He took our sins upon Himself, and because of this, the feeling of being separated from the Father was real. The anguish that Christ faced was so severe that the drops of sweat that ran down His face dyed the ground red. This was a foreshadowing of what He would face within a few hours on the path to Calvary.
Just like Jesus, we also go through moments of distress. Our mind is invaded by negative thoughts and terrible temptations. Mood changes, and feelings change. How do we deal with this? Jesus’s attitude is suggestive and impressive. Instead of giving up, He decided to move forward. He did not lose sight of his main purpose. Angels came to comfort Him, and He did not reject them. Moses and Elijah joined the team. He felt He was not alone. There were many cheering him on! Jesus took courage and faced the cross out of love for me and you. He experienced that anguish to secure our rescue; He suffered so that, free from all pain, we could be happy.
In the dark days of your life, try to remember that dark night of anguish in the garden and move on. You are not alone. If you lift your eyes, you will see that Jesus is just ahead, waiting for you!