Jesus understood that this was more than just a physical struggle, it was a spiritual struggle. In his death, he would be taking on the guilt and sin of all humanity.
“He was wounded and crushed for our sins. He was beaten that we might have peace. He was whipped and we were healed! All of us have strayed away like sheep. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on HIM the guilt and sins of us all.” (Isaiah 53:5-6 – New Living Translation)
These words by author Max Lucado from his book “And The Angels Were Silent” describes the scene well:
“The final encounter of the battle has begun. As Jesus looks at the city of Jerusalem, He sees what the disciples can’t… He sees the Evil One preparing for the final encounter… Hell is breaking loose… History records it as a battle of the Jews against Jesus. It wasn’t…. It was a battle of God against Satan. AND JESUS KNEW IT. He knew that before the war was over, he would be taken captive. He knew that before victory would come defeat. He knew that before the throne would come the cup. He knew that before the light of Sunday would come the blackness of Friday.”
We don’t often think of Jesus being in fear, but His human side was. If he was to take on the full mantle of humanity, fear would be something He would have to face.
In the next blog post, we will look at “How Did Jesus Face His Fear?”