Warriors Arise: April 13, 2022
Mark 14:32-39 (NKJV) Then they came to a place which was named Gethsemane; and He said to His disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” 33 And He took Peter, James, and John with Him, and He began to be troubled and deeply distressed. 34 Then He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch.” 35 He went a little farther, and fell on the ground, and prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him. 36 And He said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will.” 37 Then He came and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “Simon, are you sleeping? Could you not watch one hour? 38 Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
39 Again He went away and prayed, and spoke the same words.
Jesus being 100% human was beginning to feel the weight of the sin of all mankind upon Him. He had been pure. He had not sinned. He didn't know the feeling of regret, guilt, and shame that follows sin. In order to be our perfect sacrifice, all the sins of mankind from the beginning of Adam and Eve until Jesus would return are being put upon Him. He knows the only one who can do anything is Abba, Father. He is calling out to God and using a term of endearment, Abba, Father. Jesus is human, He cannot tap into his power as the Son of God in order to be our perfect sacrifice. But He can call upon God. He worships God. He acknowledges that only God can change what has been foretold.
Jesus knew before He even came to earth what He was going to go through in order to be the perfect sacrifice for mankind. However, knowing and experiencing are two different things. There are plenty of times I had an understanding of what someone was telling me I would experience. I only had an idea of what to expect, but I didn't have clue. It was better; it was worse; it was more intense; it was less than expected. I had a grid, but seeing the blueprints for a building and walking into the build are two different things.
I tried to prepare my son for his audition at the Sights and Sound Conservatory this past weekend. I described the pressure he was going to feel. The importance of having everything memorized in plenty of time, so if something went wrong he would be able to step over it and still audition well. I gave all kinds of scenarios of what to expect. But until he was actually in the room with the interviewers, we couldn't simulate the amount of pressure he would experience. How many of you have prepared for an interview, but until you got in there you didn't really know how you would respond and how it would go? Jesus was at this place. He had never felt distance from His Father. However, something was happening as He took the sins of all mankind. His Father, Abba, had always been so close. He could call upon Him and meet with Him at any time. He could see His Father at work among the people and join Him. But tonight, something was changing. He would go ahead alone, without the Father's intervention.
As God's Son, Jesus asked, "Take this cup from Me." Who wouldn't ask that question? Jesus is sweating drops of blood. His body is already feeling the turmoil of the sins of all mankind being placed upon Him. He has felt the betrayal and knows who it is. He knows Judas will return for Him. He knows the agony of what is going to happen. Sometimes it is better not to know than to know. Jesus knew the betrayal, the very people He had come to bring salvation to are the ones who would be screaming, "Crucify! Crucify!" Jesus knows the beating He would receive, because the prophets foretold He would be beaten beyond recognition. Jesus knows He will be whipped with the cat of nine-tales, because the prophets foretold it. Jesus knows they will mock Him and tear His clothing off. It was all becoming too real as He fell to the ground and prayed. However, He also knows what His Father can do. He knows all things are possible with His Father. He knows if there is any other way His Abba would make a way. He had watched for years as Abraham asked, Moses asked, Daniel asked, the Canaanite woman asked Him and God made another way. So, why wouldn't Jesus ask?
I remember asking God to remove this cup from me and in the end yielding to Abba's will and way. When our middle daughter was diagnosed with ALL Leukemia at the age of 7. The chemo was killing her, they had to flush her body and send us home. They called us back two weeks later to tell us she would need an emergency bone marrow transplant. I remember telling our General Physician. He told me, "You don't want that." He proceeded to tell me how terrible that would be and that she would have a very slim chance of living. I had already been given the statistics supporting what he was saying. I did not have a concept at the time, so he proceeded to educate me on the devastation and impossibility of her living. In defeat, I responded, "I don't have a choice."
I remember going home and that night in May, I laid out before the Lord in our living room. All the words Jesus prayed twice, I prayed for my daughter. After reading my case, I became silent. He said, "She is My firebrand. I will bring her out of the fire." He reminded me what Lydia's name means, firebrand.
Zechariah 3:2 (NKJV ) And the Lord said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you, Satan! The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is this not a brand plucked from the fire?”
God met me and in that moment I was able to say, "Nevertheless, not what I will but what You will." I knew we would get through this somehow, some way. I knew God had ordained this path. I knew God could heal her at any moment, but I had to embrace the path God had for us. Prior to God speaking to me, I was praying for God to heal her, to do the impossible, to let this cup pass from her. But I had to stop. There was a different prayer. I prayed for her to endure the fire and come out setting the world on fire with God's love, wisdom, and calling upon her life. I prayed she would burn the enemy who tried to snuff out her life. I prayed for her fire to never go out. I prayed for her to reach her destiny, the one God designed for her. I prayed for her purpose to be fulfilled and calling to remain intact.
Jesus knew what His Abba could do so why wouldn't He ask? However, when He knew this was God's will, He declared it to be so. It does not show weakness in Jesus to ask, it shows relationship and an understanding of God's power. Yes, God could have removed this from His Son. He could have stopped what was already in motion but that would not have served the end goal. The end goal was to take back what the enemy had stolen. It was to clear out the enemy's prisons and bring freedom, the choice of freedom to all mankind. Once Jesus conquered hell and death, mankind would have the opportunity to live victoriously over the enemy.
Yes, Jesus asked because He knew what His Abba could do. Yes, Jesus asked because He knew nothing was impossible for His Abba. But Jesus embraced the way His Father planned to take down the enemy.
Father, I am thankful You are willing to hear the cry of my heart. You allow me to ask for another way. As Your child, if there could be another way that would bring You glory and empower the testimony of what You have done in my life, You would make another way. I am glad that I know nothing is impossible with You. Therefore, I ask because I know You can. Too many times I have suffered and life has been hard because I accepted the hard when You never called me to that difficulty. There are times when You wanted me to ask and I forced myself to endure through the hardship. forgive me to not asking and settling the matter with You before I made life so difficult for myself. You are my God and I will live my life according to what will bring You glory, but sometimes the glory You receive is through the impossible rather than my ability to endure. I ask for You to give me wisdom to ask instead of settling for difficult times. I pray I will live in relationship with You where I can approach You and ask. I want to feel comfortable as Your child and relate to You as my Father in Jesus' name amen.
A Warrior in the Lord’s Army,
Veridee Joy Hand
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