The Cowardly Christ

or

The cross and Mr. Chicken

          There once was a man who practically never went to church.  One Saturday night his wife asked him if he intended to attend the next morning.  The man answered "I don't know, I wish they would learn a few new songs in that place.  It seems that every time I go there they either end up singing "Oh Come all ye Faithful" or "He Arose".

            While I attend my Church as often as I can I must admit that when Easter time rolls around I start to feel a twinge of dread.  Something happens too often in our Church's on this most significant of Sunday's that makes my blood boil.

            It is the time of year that most deeply touches my soul.  I've never seen the movie "The Passion: of the Christ" because I don't think that Mr. Gibson's vision of what happened that day inJerusalem is anywhere near as gruesome as reality.  I believe that God gave me a vision, or understanding of what that day was like and I don't think a movie can improve upon it.

            Too often I've heard a man stand behind the sacred desk and recount the activities of that Tuesday night when Jesus and his disciples prayed in the garden of Gethsemane .

            I can't say how often the gospel of Matthew, Mark or Luke is quoted

Mat 26:39  And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.

            Too often I've heard it preached that Jesus, in speaking these words, was trying to avoid the cross.  Well, I have news for you...MY JESUS ISN'T A COWARD!!

            I hope that you, dear reader, will read on and let me give my interpretation of this passage, it may give you a different perspective on the events of that night.

            Let's look at what scripture says:

Mat 26:36  Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder.

Mat 26:37  And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy.

Mat 26:38  Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.

Mat 26:39  And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.

            Notice if you will that he took his 11 remaining disciples into the garden and had 8 of them stop and remain in one place (vs 36) he then took Peter, James, and John farther in with him.

            In the book of Luke we are told that he then had them stop and wait and continued "...about a stone's cast" away to pray.  Now consider for a moment what is written in vs 39.  How do we know what Jesus said?  What we have here is a quote, either Peter, James, and John actually heard this, or, the Bible is a fairy tale.

            Now, consider for a second the three men that Jesus chose to take with him.  Where have we seen these three before?  Jesus chose these same three men to witness something else, remember?  First, he would only allow these three men to come with him when he raised the daughter of a ruler of the synagogue from the dead, and secondly there was the mount of transfiguration.  If you said either of these give yourself an "A".

            Jesus had chosen these three men to witness that he had the power over death when he raised the daughter of the priest.  He would not allow this knowledge be bandied about.  (Mk :5)  So they KNEW that death couldn't hold their Lord. 

Now let's look at the mount of transfiguration episode.  For those of you that don't recall this let's take a look.

            Mat 17:1  And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart,

Mat 17:2  And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.

Mat 17:3  And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him.

Mat 17:4  Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.

Mat 17:5  While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.

Mat 17:6  And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid.

Mat 17:7  And Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise, and be not afraid.

Mat 17:8  And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus only.

Mat 17:9  And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead.

               In Luke chapter 9 we are given a little more in that we learn what Moses and Elias spoke to Jesus about.

Luk 9:31  Who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem .

            These men were the only witnesses to this event.  The fulfillment of the Law, and the prophecies about the coming Messiah were conferred upon him.

            Now we find these same three disciples in the garden of Gethsemane hearing the Lord's prayer.

            In his prayer we hear Jesus saying "...nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt." 

Was Jesus trying to have a will other than God's done here?  I don't think so. That's would be sinful, and besides it isn't his track record.  Let's look at some scripture concerning Jesus and "will".

 Joh 5:30  I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.

Or how about

Joh 6:38  For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.

            If Jesus was here to do the will of God how long did he have this job.  Was coming down here and dying a spur of the moment decision?  Let's look at:

            Rev 13:8  And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

            So it would appear that Jesus had plenty of time to think about the cross before he ever got to the garden of Gethsemane.

            Also consider that in Isaiah the prophet give a pretty good description of the type of death that the messiah would suffer.  Now do you REALLY think that Jesus was trying to get out of this?

            Here's my take on what happened in the garden.  Jesus took with him the three men who KNEW and were first hand witnesses to who he was.  He offered up the prayer that "...if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: ..."  but it WASN"T possible.  HE was the ONLY begotten of the Father, there was no one else to pass the cup to, besides, the cup was empty.  They drank it at the last supper when Jesus said "...drink ye all of it... this is my blood..." (Mt 26:27-28)

            So the question arises, "Why did Jesus say the last part of this verse... ‘nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt'?"

            When Jesus said "...O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me..." he was saying it for the sake of Peter, James, and John. (us too for that matter) They knew that God would give him whatever he asked, he was showing them that it was IMPOSSIBLE for the cup to pass. He was the lamb of God, the anointed one, the only begotten of the Father.  Jesus was not trying to assert his will into the coming events, he was showing us that we are to submit to God's will in all things, and even being the Son of God can not change his will.

            I think he added "...nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt." because of the people who would later assume that by asking for the impossible he was attempting to cut and run (remember, he is God, he KNEW there would be people like this). As I noted before, Jesus said that he came to do the will of the father and not his own, (JN 6:38) so he NEVER would have been seeking his will.

            We can't be reconciled to God by works, or Mohammed or Buddha, or any thing that is named.  ONLY JESUS can provide the blood needed for the cup of the new covenant.  Only Jesus can take the sins of the world on himself.  Only the blood of Jesus is acceptable to God as an atonement for sin (if you want me explain why blood I will at a later date.)

            Jesus was not a coward.  He knew before the world began what he would have to do to reconcile man to his creator.  He KNEW the humiliation, shame, pain, and loneliness that he would feel being denied by his friends, sacrificed by the ones he came to save and finally rejected by his very father, but he did it anyway.  Why?

            Heb 12:2 "...who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God."  He figured we were worth it.

            Jesus had a better vision of what he was in for as he prayed in that garden than Mel Gibson would EVER have.  No, he wasn't trying to get out of it.  He was proving it. 

            Jesus was setting the example that his disciples are to follow.  We are to submit our will to the will of God in the knowledge and faith that he has it all under control. 

            Faith is a gift from God and is available to us all, it is our willingness to exercise it that makes miracles happen.  Next time you find yourself in your own "Gethsemene" remember, you've drank from the cup that has made you a child of the Almighty, and as such your path is set in the mind of God.  Don't try to impose your will on God by seeking a way out of tribulation, but rather submit, go thru, and find victory.