Day

38


Passion Week

In the Garden


“When Jesus had spoken these words, He went forth with His disciples over the ravine of the Kidron, where there was a garden, into which he Himself entered, and His disciples.”
– John 18:1

In the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus asked the Father, “If Thou art willing, remove this cup from Me.” What do you think Jesus saw in that cup? I think He saw Hell itself. He saw all the trash, the chicanery, the hypocrisy, the sin…all the filth of humanity in that cup. He saw your sin and mine. Can you imagine how terrible that would be? It wasn’t the physical act of crucifixion, as horrible and shameful as that was. But as He looked in the cup, He saw all that would come upon Him, that price that must be paid as He became our Substitute. But love compelled Him to endure it all for us. Despite His agony, He then prayed, “Not My will, but Thine be done.”


During this Holy Week, let the power and the wonder of Romans 5:8 dwell in your heart and mind. “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”