Matthew 26:36-39, 41 (Phillips). Then Jesus came with the disciples to a place called Gethsemane and said to them, “Sit down here while I go over there and pray.” Then he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee and began to be in terrible distress and misery. “My heart is nearly breaking,” he told them, “stay here and keep watch with me.” Then he walked on a little way and fell on his face and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible let this cup pass from me—yet it must not be what I want, but what you want…Watch and pray, all of you, that you may not have to face temptation. Your spirit is willing, but human nature is weak.”
Observation
This passage always reminds me that Jesus was fully Man (body and soul) and fully God (perfect and sinless). It was not the God nature in Him that asked, “My Father, if it is possible let this cup pass from me,” and it was not the Man of Flesh nature that insisted, “yet it must not be what I want, but what you want.” He experienced first-hand the life-long struggle of our souls – choosing between the insistent selfish demands of the Flesh (self-fulfillment, recognition, pleasure, survival, significance before Men) and the selfless urgings of the Spirit (to choose total submission to God, willing self-sacrifice, obedience in faith, joy over happiness, true peace over compromise, significance before God at the cost of being shamed before Men).
It may seem impossible for us to overcome our human nature to be more like Him. He never sinned, so He always made the right choices when temptation arose. Because He was fully human, He knew we would not. So, from before He created humans, He had a plan to redeem us. This was Plan A and there is no Plan B. The cost was so very high that none of us could ever pay it and, so He offered up Himself to pay the price that provided redemption. And, wonder of wonders, He offers this salvation as a free, gracious, glorious gift to us. How much He loves us!
Impact on Me
“Watch and pray, all of you, that you may not have to face temptation. Your spirit is willing, but human nature is weak.” I am so grateful for both the path of repentance and the forgiveness, grace and mercy Jesus provided through the Cross! I am also grateful that these do not expire, pass away or have a lifetime limit on number of times I can return to offer the one and receive the other. Jesus knows me because He experienced life being tempted as I am tempted, choosing between right and wrong, selflessness and selfishness, passing pleasure or productive sacrifice, serving my pride or serving God’s eternal will and purpose, remaining faithful or proving faithless. He knew that there would be times when my human nature won the argument, when I would rationalize that I have rights or that the Spirit’s request was unreasonable, unsafe or impossible for me to do.
So, He chose to drink a cup of sacrifice, suffering, sorrow and love for me (and you) so I would be able to recognize and confess my failings, my weaknesses, my doubts and fears. He encourages and strengthens me to be able to choose to leave the shame and power of my sins behind to sincerely return and repent, and then choose more wisely. This journey of repentance and grace teaches my soul (where I make my decisions) the wisdom of letting the Holy Spirit in me win the argument rather than my human nature. Hopefully, I will live long enough to be wise enough to hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
Devotion
Oh, Lord God, Redeemer, Lamb of God, You alone are worthy of worship and praise. What kind of God would leave the glory of Heaven to become like me, experience human life, and, then, even sacrifice Himself that I might live with Him through eternity and even be adopted as Your own child? I do not want the human nature in me to be the source of my choices. I pray that You will work in me to allow the Jesus nature in me to make me understand what choices You would have me make in all things. Change my perspective so I see with the eyes of Jesus and am moved by the heart of Jesus to be that better witness of the wonder of the life-changing power of Jesus in me. Make it so, in Jesus’ name.
Pressing On In His Footsteps 