A Cowardly Ruler

By Shirley Mitchell
“ ‘Do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?’ asked Pilate, knowing it was out of envy that the chief priests had handed Jesus over to him.”

Mark 15:9-10

The Jewish leaders wanted Jesus dead. They could not kill Jesus so they dragged Him to the Roman ruler Pilate. To avoid uncleaniness, the Jews would not enter the palace of Pilate. They wanted to be able to eat the Passover (John 18:28). So Pilate came out to them. Luke 23:2 says of the leaders “And they began to accuse him, saying, ‘We have found this man subverting our nation. He opposes payment of taxes to Caesar and claims to be Christ, a king.’ ”

Pilate said he found no basis of a charge against Jesus. Although Pilate knew Jesus was innocent, he didn’t have the courage or the character to release Him. He knew that Jesus was no revolutionary leader or Zealot. He knew that the Rabbi before him was unlikely to lead a revolt. He knew the Sanhedrin’s charges were weak.

However, the religious leaders insisted by saying in verse 5, “He stirs up the people all over Judea by his teaching. He started in Galilee and has come all the way here." They pressured him with a threat of riot. A riot might have him removed from his post. Or they could file a formal complaint against him which would also jeopardize his leadership position. He already had been discarded to this outpost. He could be recalled to Rome, removed from his position, or even be put to death for inept leadership. So he delayed the decision and sent Jesus to Herod to handle this Galilean.

Herod was in Jerusalem for Passover. This is the same Herod who had killed John the Baptist for his dear wife’s party entertainment. Since Herod had refused to hear the truth of John’s message, the window of opportunity was closed for him to hear Jesus. Jesus’ ability to see into Herod’s hard heart was not weakened by His pain. He knew that Herod merely wanted a miracle as one would desire a circus performance. Herod was interested only in a magic exhibition and had no interest in the things of God. Since Jesus would not do what he wanted, Herod let his men taunt, mock, and beat Him.

Both Herod and Pilate were cowards who could not make a tough decision. Neither man had the courage to do the right thing.

When Jesus returned, Pilate asked Him some questions inside his palace - twice. He asked Him, “What have You done?”, “Are you King of the Jews?”, and “What is truth?” Jesus answered them, but it was not enough for Pilate to release Him although it intrigued him. In between the questionings, Pilate let his soldiers flog Jesus and place a crown of thorns on His head that scraped His skull. They stripped Him and beat His bare upper body while He was bound. Pilate thought this was a humane alternative to crucifixion. The questioning and even the flogging are filled with signs that Pilate looked for every reason and every chance to release Jesus. He wanted Jesus to speak up and defend Himself. He said to Jesus, “Don’t you realize that I have the power either to free you or to crucify you?” My paraphrase of Jesus’ answer, “Actually no, you don’t. God has only given you limited power.”

I wonder if the heavenly hosts turned to the Father at this point looking for a signal to swoop in and save the Son of God. They knew Jesus was the One with the real power, and Pilate had limited power. Jesus could command that He be set free any time. However, they didn’t know exactly what the Father and the Son were doing.

Pilate was convinced that Jesus should be freed. He tried to speak to the Jews again. In Mark 15:9-10, the Jews who despised Roman rule were filled with so much envy of Jesus that if Pilate let Him go, then he would be recognized as no friend to Caesar. Their final appeal was to declare allegiance to Rome.

Matthew 27:19 says that Pilate sat down on the judge’s seat known as the Stone Pavement to proclaim judgment on Christ. How interesting! The human judge condemns the Ultimate Final Judge. Someday the roles will be reversed as Christ sits on His judgment seat, and God sits in judgment at His great white throne.

Matthew 27:19 tells us, “While Pilate was sitting on the judge's seat, his wife sent him this message: ‘Don't have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him.’ " His wife warned him to not hurt Jesus, but Pilate was not strong enough to listen to her warning.

In order to prevent this powder keg from exploding, Pilate gave in to the mob. Since he did not know truth, he couldn’t do what was right. He had no courage in his moment of crisis. He declared that he was innocent of Jesus’ blood. The Jews replied, “Let His blood be on us and on our children!” (Matthew 27:25) How tragic that the Jews as a nation never accepted their Messiah. However, we know from reading Zechariah 12:10 that ultimately they will accept Him as their Messiah. If only they had let Christ’s blood cover their sins instead of accepting responsibility for His blood being shed.

Barabbas was on death row for his rebellion against Rome. Barabbas was a murderer and insurrectionist. He deserved to die. Jesus, who had done nothing, died in his place just as He died in your place and my place. We were destined to die in our sins, but Jesus took our punishment for us, and we are redeemed!

Pray with me: Oh, God, thank You! We were on death row and deserved to die. Then Jesus who had done NOTHING wrong stepped into Barabbas’ place and our place and died for every person. Praise You, Jesus! Thank You for allowing Pilate to sit in judgment of You when You had every right to judge him. Thank You for not showing Pilate that You were the one with the power that night and letting everything go as You and Your Father planned. It’s in Your mighty Name we pray, Amen.

Excerpt from the Jesus Lives Bible study

Peter’s Denial

By Shirley Mitchell

“Simon Peter and another disciple were following Jesus. Because this disciple was known to the high priest, he went with Jesus into the high priest’s courtyard, but Peter had to wait outside at the door. The other disciple, who was known to the high priest, came back, spoke to the servant girl on duty there and brought Peter in.

‘You aren’t one of this man’s disciples too, are you?’ she asked Peter.

He replied, ‘I am not.’

It was cold, and the servants and officials stood around a fire they had made to keep warm. Peter also was standing with them, warming himself…

Meanwhile, Simon Peter was still standing there warming himself. So they asked him, ‘You aren’t one of his disciples too, are you?’

He denied it, saying, ‘I am not.’

One of the high priest’s servants, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, challenged him, ‘Didn’t I see you with him in the garden?’ Again Peter denied it, and at that moment a rooster began to crow.”

John 18:15-18, 25-27

The detachment of soldiers and Jewish officials bound and arrested Jesus. They brought Him first to Annas, who was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest that year.

Scholars believe a courtyard connected the homes of Caiaphas and Annas. They also believe the disciple who helped Peter to get into the courtyard was John. Peter didn’t get very far inside before the girl at the door asked him if he was one of the disciples. Without thinking, Peter’s defensive instincts told him to answer the servant girl, “I am not.” Fear was like a knife in his stomach. It was worse than his rage against Judas and his confusion by Jesus’ command to not defend Him. He found a spot by the fire. Our once brave Peter warmed his hands and body along with the servants and the officials. These people were part of the group that had arrested Jesus; yet, he tried to blend in. Believers don’t blend in with the enemy’s camp.

Whispers and stares amplified. Tension mounted. Then someone asked again if he was one of Jesus’ disciples. Peter denied even knowing Him. It was an hour between the second and the third denial. He had time to think about what he said and stop himself. He denied that he even knew Jesus not once by accident but three times. In Matthew 26:73, his accusers told Peter that his accent gave him away. They knew he was from Galilee. According to the next verse in Matthew 26:74, he cursed about it, too! Then, he heard the unmistakable sound of a rooster crowing.

Luke 22:60-62 says, “Peter replied, ‘Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!’ Just as he was speaking, the rooster crowed. The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him: ‘Before the rooster crows today, you will disown me three times.’ And he went outside and wept bitterly.” Peter’s eyes connected with Jesus’ eyes. Jesus knew that Peter had denied Him. Jesus had even warned him because He knew Peter was going to do it. Yet, he did it anyway. I’m confident Jesus was praying for Peter then, something like, “Father, satan has sifted him, but don’t let this destroy him. When he turns back, he will strengthen the others. Holy Spirit, sear this into his mind, and invoke a reminder of My words at the right time.”

Peter left and wept bitterly. The Greek word for “wept” is klaio which means “to weep, wail, lament, not only the shedding of tears, but also every external expression of grief; to howl, to mourn, to bewail.” Peter probably beat his chest and tore his clothes. He wailed and howled. I have sat on the floor by the stage of many passion plays and watched the scene where Peter flees the courtyard after the rooster crows. The tortured voices of the grown men who have played Peter are recorded in my mind. Their cries rip my heart. Nothing grips a person like a strong grown man reduced to sorrow. One particular “Peter” collapsed to his knees as if he no longer had life in his body. His face fell to the ground, and he shook uncontrollably. He wondered how Jesus could ever forgive him. Peter wasn’t just sorry that he did it; he had sorrow that led to repentance.

Peter serves as an example to you and me. If we let our prayer guard down, we get snared. We must stay committed to prayer even when it doesn’t seem like a time of strife. Something might be brewing. If Peter could fall into satan’s trap, so can we. Our prayer guards should be mighty fortresses and not a child’s house of legos easily penetrated. We are not invincible. We worship the Invincible One.

Pray with me: We worship You our King! You are invincible! We may deny You, but You never deny us. You never turn Your back on us. You never leave us alone. We may disappoint You, but You will never abandon us and never not claim us as Yours.

Just as Jesus saw Peter, You see the times that we have failed You. You know the many times that we have denied You. We have not confessed to be Yours. We have not wanted for others to know that we are believers. You know. Yet, You still love us. Jesus, intercede for us. Turn us back to You. Give us godly sorrow that leads to repentance. Strengthen us to be more like You so that we are invincible, too. We love You, and we praise You. It’s in the Name above all names, in Jesus’ Name, Yeshua’s Name, we pray. Amen.

Excerpt from the Jesus Lives Bible study

They Fell Down

By Shirley Mitchell

“Jesus, knowing all that was going to happen to him, went out and asked them, ‘Who is it you want?’ 

‘Jesus of Nazareth,’ they replied.

‘I am he,’ Jesus said.  (And Judas the traitor was standing there with them.)  When Jesus said, ‘I am he,’ they drew back and fell to the ground.”

John 18:4-6

Jesus had been praying all night long in the Garden of Gethsemane.  He poured out His anguished heart to His Father.  When Judas led the detachment of soldiers and some officials from the chief priests and Pharisees to Jesus, He knew all that was going to happen to Him.  He went out and asked them who they wanted.  With torches and weapons in their hands, they replied, “Jesus of Nazareth.”  

Even though Jesus was in so much agony before the soldiers arrived, when He replied “I am He,” they drew back and fell to the ground.  The presence of the mighty Son of God knocked them down.  His deity and might was not diminished by His sorrow.  In fact, the power of His presence seems to be even stronger than normal.  Perhaps it is because of His intensity.  Additionally, there was a hidden power in His words that is revealed when one studies the original text.  In the statement, “I am He,” the word “He” was added to make it proper English in the NIV version.

God says in Exodus 3:14-15 that He would be remembered throughout all the generations by the Name “I AM.”  The Great I AM…Yahweh…The most glorious, sacred name of God…The name that the Hebrews would not say.  Every time a scribe had to write it, he would remove his dirty clothes, take a bath, and put on clean clothes.  He would pick up a new pen, write it, and then throw it away.  “Yahweh” means ”the self-existent One.”  God is saying, “I have always been, and I will always be.”  He doesn’t change because He doesn’t need changing!  There are no improvements to be made in Him.  He is all we will ever need.  When Jesus said this sacred and yet powerful name – I AM – the mob’s knees buckled over the power of the declaration.

Peter was probably aiming for the neck of the servant who saw the sword coming and tilted his head away just in time.  Only his ear was cut off.  The angry throng heard the Man they had come to arrest rebuke His loyal follower for coming to His defense.  Jesus was determined to drink the cup that His Father had given Him (Luke 22:42). 

The chief priests and solders who accused this man saw Him touch Malchus’ face.  The ear was healed at once.  They knew He was no ordinary man.  They knew what the people were saying had some truth, but they didn’t care.  They didn’t read His Miranda rights to Him or gently place the handcuffs on His wrists.  No, it was closer to something that would spring a lawsuit for police brutality today.  They slapped the ropes or chains on Him.  Little did they understand that at any moment Jesus could break the ropes that bound Him, and they would fall to the ground.  He could walk away.  He let them bind Him.  It was only the beginning of the pain that Jesus would feel this day.

Our beloved, forgiving, merciful Savior submitted Himself to the will of the Father.  Because He was committed to His Father’s plan, Jesus let the soldiers seize Him and march Him off.  No one knew that Jesus was actually the winner at this point.  It looked pretty dismal.  He laid down His power that made His accusers fall to the ground.  He used His power only to heal one who was seeking to harm Him. 

Just when it seemed like all was lost, Jesus was headed for the crown and the throne through the cross.  At this seemingly dark point, only the Father knew that Jesus was the Champion who was taking the walk to become the Title Holder of Redeemer and King of Kings.  He was walking toward victory.  He endured the cross and this agony because of the joy set before Him when He sat down at the right hand of the throne of God having redeemed us.  He did it all because of His great love for His Father, for you, and for me!  Hallelujah!

Pray with me:  Oh, Jesus, Your strength and restraint is amazing!  Just Your words alone made mere men fall to their feet.  Just Your tongue makes them fall to the ground.  They did not realize whom they were coming to harm and to arrest.  Gosh, we can’t begin to grasp the fullness of Your power.  You are the Great I AM!  You have always been, always are, and always will be.  You are in control of our lives through every seemingly dark point.  Enable us to submit to the Father’s will and take the walk of champions and bring victory to the family.  It’s in Your Name, Yeshua’s Name, I pray.  Amen.

Excerpt from the Jesus Lives Bible study

Jesus’ Arrest

By Shirley Mitchell

“Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, ‘Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour is near and the the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us go! Here comes my betrayer!”

Matthew 25:45-46

The silvery moon shone into the darkness of night. A shepherd’s whistle from far away could be heard. A slight breeze made the leaves of the trees rustle. Even though Jesus had tried to waken the disciples three times, they did not respond in obedience nor in compassion to His grief. Their heavy eye lids shut again and plunged our Lord into the greatest depth of loneliness that He experienced as the Son of Man. He was alone with His Father pouring out His agonized heart as the hours of crisis were approaching. As a man, He submitted to His Father’s plan.

Through the olive trees, Jesus saw the lanterns and the torches. He heard the clank of the shields and the low voices. He told His disciples, “The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us go! Here comes my betrayer!” Finally, James, John and Peter rose quickly to their feet. The other disciples were jolted awake, too. Some trembled. Some showed fear in their eyes. Chaos had entered their peaceful garden hideaway. Evil had snaked through the garden pathways.

Jesus may not have stood down His captors as He did the crowd intent on stoning the adulterous woman (John 8). He may not have slipped through the mob who carried swords and clubs as He slipped through the crowd that tried to stone Him (John 10). However, He addressed their cowardly actions, limited power, and evil plans.

Jesus reminded them that He had taught in the temple courts every day. The religious leaders did not arrest Him in the temple because they were afraid of the people. They feared they would riot against them. So the cowards came under the cover of the darkness under the influence of the prince of darkness. They came with lanterns and torches to light their way. They came with swords and clubs in case the eleven remaining followers decided to be loyal, stand with Him, and fight the arrest.

The crowd’s worldly power was no match for Jesus’ divine power. They didn’t intimidate or make Jesus cower one bit. Jesus said Peter’s sword should be put back in its place because “those who draw by the sword die by the sword”. He could call on His Father who would dispose twelve legions of angels to defend Him. A legion in the Roman army was 6,000 men. One mortal man with a sword was nothing to a man who could command thousands of heavenly hosts to His defense. He didn’t need the help of His sleepy disciples who earlier had promised to defend Him. Jesus made it clear that He was in control and that He was going willingly in obedience to God. This angry mob had only authority that He gave them. His hours of prayer had settled the matter. His heart was in anguish. His sweat was like drops of blood. His soul was overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Yet, He submitted to His Father’s plan because of His love for the Father and for you and me.

Pray with me: Oh, Thank YOU, Jesus! I am so overwhelmed with the realization of what You endured for us. You agonized in the garden about being separated from Your Father and the sin of the world heaped upon you. Yet, You did it. You submitted to the plan to redeem man because Your love surpasses all knowledge. It is Your love that enables me to endure the hardships of this life. I place my faith and my hope in You. It’s in the Name above all names and the Name that one day every knee will bow and every tongue will confess, in Jesus’ Name, Yeshua’s Name, I pray. Amen.

Excerpt from the Jesus Lives Bible study, Copyright ©2008 Christ Compels

Take this Cup

By Shirley Mitchell

“He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, ‘Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.’ An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.”

Luke 22:41-44

In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus withdrew from His disciples a stone’s throw beyond them. He knelt down and prayed, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” Matthew says that Jesus prayed this same prayer three times! Jesus knew that His Father Abba had all abilities. If there was another way besides the cross, God could make it possible. Jesus also said in Matthew, Mark, and Luke “Take this cup from me.” What cup was He talking about?

Remember Jesus came to the garden after eating the Passover Meal with His disciples in the Upper Room. At the Last Supper, Jesus told them that He eagerly desired to eat this Passover with them before He suffered. In Luke 22:16, He said, “For I tell you I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God.” The Passover Seder contains many allusions to Messianic hope, but let’s focus on the four cups.

In a Passover service, the family sits around the table in a special seating arrangement. The father sits at the head of the dinner table. Jesus, as their leader, would have taken the father’s role. The youngest sits at the father’s right side. He often reclines upon the father. John 13:23 tells us that John, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining against Jesus. This is consistent with the early church tradition that he was the youngest apostle. He plays an important role because he asks the “father” questions leading the father to tell the beautiful Passover story when God freed the Israelites from slavery in Egypt.

In Kevin Howard’s and Marvin Rosenthal’s book, The Feasts of the LORD, they say, “Since wine is a symbol of the joy of harvest, four cups of wine are taken during the Passover service to reflect the fourfold joy of the Lord’s redemption.” These four cups represent the four “I wills” of God in Exodus 6. Let’s break down the four cups.

1st cup: The cup of sanctification: “I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians.” (verse 6)

The father pours the first cup of wine and asks everyone to rise from the table. The father then lifts his cup toward heaven and recites the Kiddush, a prayer of sanctification. In Luke 22:17, Jesus asked all of His disciples to drink the first cup. He lifted the cup to heaven and prayed the Kiddush giving honor to His Father:

“Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, Who createst the fruit of the vine. Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, Who hast chosen us for Thy service from among the nations…. Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, Who hast kept us in life, Who hast preserved us and hast enabled us to reach this season.”

2nd cup: The cup of plagues: “I will free you from being slaves to them.” (verse 6)

In response to the youngest child’s question, the father would tell of the 10 plagues on Egypt. A tiny bit of wine was poured out for each plague. Jesus told the Passover story and the exodus of Israel. What a thrill to have heard the redemption story from the One and Only Redeemer! That night the Lamb of God told the story of the slaves who were set free from bondage and suffering, and the next day He freed all prisoners of sin.

3rd cup: The cup of redemption: “I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment.” (verse 6)

According to Luke 22:20 and Matthew 26:28-30, Jesus offered this 3rd cup after dinner and instituted the New Covenant. This is the cup that Jesus asked the Father to take from Him in the Garden. He asked for this 3rd cup, the cup of redemption to be taken. Jesus fulfilled the cup of redemption on the cross. How did Jesus redeem us? On the cross, He outstretched His arms and spilt His life’s blood for you and me. He became the cup and fulfilled the New Covenant by His perfect blood with His perfect antibodies to sin.

This was the cup of all of our sins, sorrows, and sufferings - yours, mine, and every person who has ever lived. It was repulsive and inflicted a pain that no one else has ever known. Jesus had never known sin. He was Holy. He recoiled from sin. His Father hated sin. Additionally, His Father could not look at sin. He would be separated from His Father. They had never been separated. He had never been without His Father.

His anguish was so intense over the world’s sins that would be heaped upon Him and being separated from Abba, His Father, that an angel was sent to strengthen Him. His sweat was like drops of blood. Medical journals say that it was a real condition. There is so much stress on the body that blood hemorrhages into pores where sweat comes out. Jesus battled what He knew had to be. He was praying for the strength to endure this difficulty. You have to remember that at any time He could have had one thought that sinned or one thought that picked up His power again in any of the beatings or trials. He could have healed any wound from a lash that went too deep. He had to be fortified. He laid His heart bare before God.

4th cup: The cup of the ingathering: “I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God.” (verse 7)

Jesus said He would not drink this cup until He drank it with His disciples in the new kingdom (Matthew 26:28-29). I believe this cup is saved for the marriage supper of Jesus and His bride which includes you and me! He included us! Oh, how I long for that time! We will dance and celebrate what God Almighty and His beloved Son did for us and rejoice with them forever! Hallelujah!

Pray with me: Oh, Jesus, thank You for becoming the 3rd cup, the cup of redemption. Thank You for outstretching Your arms and redeeming us! You wanted Your Father God to take the cup from You if it were possible. You were sweating drops of blood, and an angel was sent to strengthen You. Yet, You fortified Your mind and decided that You would do whatever God wanted You to do. Help us to be so determined to do the will of the Father no matter how much anguish it causes us.

You fulfilled the Passover. How amazing is it that the Passover reveals so much about You as Messiah, as well as You as King. Someday, there will be a marriage supper for You and Your bride, us. Then the Passover will find its complete fulfillment in the kingdom of God. Jesus, it is in Your Name, the Name above all names that we pray, Amen.

Copyright ©2011 Christ Compels Ministry

The Heartrending Hurt

By Shirley Mitchell

“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.’ ”

Mark 14:33-34

“He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed.”

Luke 22:41

On Jesus’ last night, He took all of His disciples to the Garden of Gethsemane.  Then, He positioned Peter, James, and John closest to Him.  He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond His disciples, knelt down, and prayed.

Did you hear His words in the verses above?  Jesus said that His soul was overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death.  Did you see how He was deeply emotional about this night?  It says that He was distressed and troubled. 

The Greek word for “distressed” is ekthambeo, which means “to utterly astonish, greatly amazed from distress of the mind; it’s antonym is to keep peace or to be at peace.”  This means that the Prince of Peace was distressed and without peace.  So He went to the One who could give Him peace.

The Greek word for “troubled” is ademoneo which means “to faint, be depressed and almost overwhelmed with sorrow or burden of mind.”  I find this interesting because Jesus said in Matthew 11:28-30, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”  Jesus said come to Him, and He will bear your burden.  He will give you rest.  But here in Gethsemane, we see that the Burden Bearer was burdened.

Jesus was overwhelmed with sorrow.  The Greek word for “sorrow” is perilupos which means “surrounded with grief, severely grieved, very sorrowful.”  The Rest Giver was grieved.  His soul was overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death.  The One who is supposed to give us peace, take our burdens, and give us rest went to His Father so He could lay down His burden and find peace.

I want you to hear the sobs of His soul.  I want you to feel the ground shake when He falls to the ground in sorrow.

In the passion play, there are two crowd spots that are becoming my spots where I gain the deepest insights.  One of my spots is the level below where Jesus is in the garden.  Jesus was on the 2^nd floor of the stage, and we were down below.  The lights are out, and then dozens of women come in carrying candles.  There is a spotlight on Jesus.  It’s a beautiful scene.  The directors positioned me on my knees closest to Jesus as He prays in the garden.

The spotlight shone on Him like the moonlight.  Only my friend Terri was nearby to my left and slightly behind so I could only hear her sweet singing voice in my ear.  I was so close that I could see the wrinkles on His knuckles.  I could hear His sobs of grief even when His microphone was off.  I felt Jesus’ sorrow that night.  It was like I was on the ledge below of the Mount of Olives.  I wanted so much to comfort Him.  I longed to go back in time and to somehow give Him whatever strength I could.  The Son of God experienced soul-searing agony.

Do you understand how Jesus felt?  The disciples were there, but they were not attentive.  Jesus was sweating blood and in a massive struggle between earth and heaven.  He was on the precipice of giving His life for all mankind.  He was lonelier than anyone has ever felt.  His suffering on the cross was for us, but His suffering in the Garden was for Himself. 

Why did it hurt Him so much?  He was getting ready to bear the sin of all mankind.  He was going to be separated from His Father.  We can’t begin to understand the fullness of all of that, but we can be grateful that He chose to do it for you and me.  What a Savior!

Pray with me:  Oh, Jesus, we can’t imagine what You went through on Your last night.  You were in anguish.  You were troubled and overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death.  You experienced everything as a man.  You know what it feels like to be overwhelmed and in complete anguish.  Yet, You never sinned.  You went to the One who could fortify Your mind, give You peace, and supply You with strength to do what You came to do.  Thank You!!  Jesus, it is in Your Name, the Name above all names that we pray, Amen.

Copyright ©2011 Christ Compels Ministry

The Purposeful Place

By Shirley Mitchell

“When he had finished praying, Jesus left with his disciples and crossed the Kidron Valley. On the other side there was a garden, and he and his disciples went into it.”

John 18:1

“They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Sit here while I pray.’ ”\

Mark 14:32

Jesus finished the Passover, the Last Supper, with the disciples and left the upper room inside the walls of Jerusalem. Then He crossed the Kidron Valley – leaving the Temple Mount behind Him and went up on the western slope to an olive garden on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem. They went to Gethsemane which means “oil press.” On Jesus’ final night, He was indeed pressed down. He went there to pray and to cry out to His Abba.

When I went to Jerusalem, I went to Gethsemane. There are eight olive trees in this garden that may well be 3,000 years old. They were there on this night. They still bear fruit. They are protected by a fence. Jesus spent the nights of His last week either in Bethany or in this garden. On this night, His last night, He spent the whole night in the garden of Gethsemane.

Scholars believe that Joel 3:14 is a prophetic reference to the Kidron Valley. This Scripture calls it the valley of decision. The Word would have known this as He made His way to Gethsemane that night. He had a decision to make. What would He do? Would He submit to the will of His Father? Would He lay His power down and redeem mankind?

John 18:2 tells us, “Now Judas, who betrayed him, knew the place because Jesus had often met there with his disciples.” Jesus intentionally went to this garden because He knew that Judas would find Him there. It was an easy game of hide-n-seek. It was just like when I took my daughter Victoria to a gymnastics party. She tried to hide herself in the pit full of hundreds of foam square blocks. With one of the foam blocks covering her face, the rest of her body was sticking out. She said, “Mommy, you can’t see me!” I thought, Victoria, you hide about as well as God does from genuine seekers. Our God desires to be found by us. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells, ask, seek, and knock. He says, “For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”

Not only does He not hide from genuine seekers, God doesn’t hide from His enemies and neither did the Son of God. Jesus could have gone to a different location and been more secretive. He could have hidden Himself from His betrayer and His enemies, but He didn’t. He was in a purposeful place where He knew satan-possessed Judas would find Him.

Jesus chose this place on purpose. He chose it so His betrayer could easily find Him, and He could be arrested by His enemies. He chose it to fulfill Scripture. It was His place of prayer so He could fortify His mind to do His greatest act of all, redeem mankind.

Pray with me: Almighty God, You are good! You knew we needed a Savior. So before the foundation of the world, the Lamb of God was slain.

Thank You, Jesus, for redeeming us. Thank You for laying Your power down. Than You for being willing to endure the cross. You fulfilled the plan of the Father even though it required great sacrifice. Thank You for loving us so much that You couldn’t live without us. Every time I read Your story, I’m astounded at Your great love for us and love for Your Father, Your Abba. Fill us with that love. Supply us and nourish us. Strengthen us so we glorify our Father, Abba, too. It is in the Name above all names, in Your Name Jesus that we pray, Amen.

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