Week 48—Saturday Matthew 26:45-46
Week 48—SATURDAY
Matthew 26:45-46
WAS HE AFRAID TO DIE?
We come to another supposed “spot”—Jesus’ apparent fear of death in Gethsemane: “And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground” (Luke 22:44, KJV). And his prayer was: “Father, if thou art willing, remove this cup from me; nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done” (Luke 22:42). Was Jesus here afraid of death, cringing before it? If so, it reverses all we know about him. For “he set his face to go to Jerusalem” (Luke 9:51), knowing that if he did that there he would end on a cross. Then what was the hesitation and the agony?
Was it not this: In going to Jerusalem Jesus knew that he would precipitate a crisis and would make a nation take sides—for or against him. And he also knew they would take the wrong side and would crucify him. So the agony was this: he who came to save me from a sin was apparently making them commit a deeper sin—the sin of crucifying him—if he went on with this crisis. Wasn’t there some other way? He saw there was no other way than to go on and die for the nation and the world. So Jesus came to his disciples and said, “Rise, let us be going.” Going where? Why straight to the cross! The end of Gethsemane is not the bloody sweat and agonizing prayer—the end is the triumphant words: “Rise, let us be going” to meet the whole tragic business. And he did, without a moment’s wavering.
We have looked briefly at these so-called “spots” and every one of them, rightly understood, is not a place of shame but of glorying. And when he turns and asks humanity: “Which of you convinces me of sin?” we are silent. When we try to find fault with his character, we go away smiting our own breasts saying: “God, have mercy on me a sinner.” He stands the spotless Incarnation. The Very Word made flesh. “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life” (John 6:68). For you are Eternal Life become flesh.
Dear Blessed Redeemer, when we begin to criticize you the words die on our lips. For our very criticisms of you become criticisms of ourselves. If we point one finger at you we point three at ourselves. Spotless Savior, we love you. Amen.
AFFIRMATION FOR THE DAY: Would that all my blemishes were like his—my blemishes would be blessedness.