Gospel Reflections #93: Jesus Was Given the Power: The Real Picture of Sacrifice

Luke 22:42 If it be Thy will, Father, take away this cup from me; but do not as I wish, but as Thou wilt. But go not as I wish, but as Thy will be done."

As a human being, Jesus earnestly sought a means of saving humanity that did not require the agony and darkness of the soul to the point of sweating blood (crucifixion symbolized putting the sins of the whole world upon him and that meant being separated from His Father, although temporary but this is so unbearable.).

Jesus would not have saved us if He had prioritized His human desires in the midst of this suffering! Jesus must surely have been experiencing His greatest pain as a human being (being separated from God because of the sins of others).

He was also in pain for us. And Jesus never forgot us, never abandoned us, never gave up on us, but prioritized his love for us.

Jesus was faithful to his heavenly Father and to us until the very end. There was no other way but the cross. In answer to Jesus' prayer, an angel came and empowered Jesus. And instead of the cup being taken away, he received power.

I believe that power was Jesus' power to surrender the cup to God's will. For God's plan to be fulfilled, our immediate situation may become worse and worse. But I believe that we will be empowered by the Holy Spirit in our hearts and that we will have peace in our hearts no matter what the circumstances.

Through the surrender of Jesus, we are always given peace, even if we don't realize it. When we realize how much this peace is, we have nothing but joy, gratitude, and hope!

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This Gospel Reflections page is written by Masae San, a devoted student of the Bible who passionately embraces the Gospel of Jesus Christ. She shares her daily reflections on the Gospels as a way to reach out to others and spread the message of Jesus. We're sharing her message here so that you too can experience the joy that comes from the Gospel that has filled her heart.