Why Jesus Cried
By Robert Marsh
Midland SDA Church May 23,
2009
Scripture: Isaiah 53:3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were [our] faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
Isaiah 53:9 And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither [was any] deceit in his mouth. 53:10 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put [him] to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see [his] seed, he shall prolong [his] days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.
53:11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, [and] shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.
This idea for a topic came from a reference in a
Biography on HMS Richards where the writer briefly mentioned HMS Richards had a nice sermon on “the three
times Jesus Cried”. I tried to get his sermon for reference but no luck so I
pulled together info for the topic from Desire of Ages chapters
Why Jesus Cried
- Prayer
- Lazarus of Bethany:
- Among the most steadfast of Christ’s disciples was
Lazarus of Bethany.
- His
faith in Christ had been strong; his love for Him was deep.
– He
was greatly beloved by the Savior.
At
the home of Lazarus, Jesus had often found rest.
- Our Savior:
-
Had no home of His own;
- Jesus
was glad to escape to this peaceful household, away from the suspicion
and jealousy of the angry Pharisees. Here He found a sincere welcome, and pure,
holy friendship. Here He could speak with simplicity and perfect freedom,
knowing that His words would be understood and treasured.
- Jesus appreciated this quiet home and interested
listeners.
- Jesus longed for human tenderness, courtesy, and
affection. Those
who received the heavenly instruction He was always ready to impart were
greatly blessed.
- Sorrow came: Lazarus
was stricken with sudden illness.
- His sisters sent to the Savior, saying, “Lord, behold, he
whom Thou lovest is sick.” They saw the violence of the disease that had seized
their brother, but they knew that Christ was able to heal all manner of
diseases.
-They believed that He would sympathize with them in their
distress;
-They
made no urgent demand for His immediate presence, but sent only the confiding
message, “He whom Thou lovest is sick.”
-They thought that He would immediately respond to their message, and be
with them as soon as He could reach Bethany.
-
Anxiously they waited for a word from Jesus. As long as the spark of
life remained in their brother, they prayed and watched for Jesus to come. But
the messenger returned without Him.
- Yet he brought the message from Jesus, “This sickness is
not unto death,” and they clung to the hope that Lazarus would live. Tenderly they tried to speak
words of hope and encouragement to the almost unconscious sufferer. When
Lazarus died, they were bitterly disappointed; but they felt the sustaining
grace of Christ, and this kept them from reflecting any blame on the Savior.
-When Christ heard the
message that Lazarus had died, the disciples thought He received it
coldly. He
did not manifest the sorrow they expected. Looking up to them,
- He said, “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory
of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.”
- For two days He remained in the place where He was. This delay was a mystery to
the disciples. What a comfort His presence would be to the afflicted household! His strong affection for the family at
Bethany was well known to the disciples, and they too were surprised that He
did not respond to the sad message, “He whom Thou lovest is sick.” During the two days Christ seemed to have
dismissed the message from His mind; for He did not speak of Lazarus..... All were deeply troubled.
- After waiting for two days,
Jesus said to the disciples, “Let us go into Judea again.” Our friend Lazarus sleepeth. “Our friend Lazarus sleepeth.” How touching
the words! how full of sympathy.
-The disciples questioned, if Jesus were going to Judea,
why had He waited two days.... Beyond this, If Lazarus was sleeping he may be
ok.
-For their sake He
permitted Lazarus to die. If He had restored him from illness to health, the
miracle that is the most positive evidence of His divine character would not
have been performed.
-Had Christ been in the sickroom,
Lazarus would not have died; for Satan would have had no power over him. Death
could not have aimed his dart at Lazarus in the presence of the Life-giver.
Therefore Christ remained away. He
suffered the enemy to exercise his power, that He might drive him back, a
conquered foe. He permitted Lazarus to pass under the dominion of death;
and the suffering sisters saw their brother laid in the grave. (The enemy is yet allowed to exercise his
power but soon he will be forever conquered!)
Christ knew
that as they looked on the dead face of their brother their faith in their
Redeemer would be severely tried. But He knew that because of the struggle
through which they were now passing their faith would shine forth with far
greater power. He suffered every pang of
sorrow that they endured. He loved them no less because He tarried; but He knew
that for them, for Lazarus, for Himself, and for His disciples, a victory was
to be gained.
-“For your sakes,” “to the intent ye may
believe.”
To all who are reaching out to
feel the guiding hand of God, the moment of greatest discouragement is the time
when divine help is nearest. They will look back with thankfulness upon the
darkest part of their way. “The Lord knoweth
how to deliver the godly,” 2 Peter 2:9. From every temptation and every trial
He will bring them forth with firmer faith and a richer experience.
In delaying to come to Lazarus,
Christ had a purpose of mercy toward those who had not received Him. By raising
Lazarus from the dead He might give to His stubborn, unbelieving people another evidence that He was indeed “the resurrection, and
the life.” He did not want to give up all hope for the people, the poor,
wandering sheep of the house of Israel.
His heart was breaking because of
their impenitence. In His mercy He would give them one more evidence that He
was the Restorer, the One who alone could bring life and immortality to light.
This was to be an evidence that the priests could not misinterpret. This was
the reason of His delay in going to Bethany.
-Jesus
arrives ...
(but he holds back from going in to avoid the confusion of the crowd)
-The message is given to Martha so quietly that others in the
room do not hear. Absorbed in her grief,
Mary did not hear the words. Martha quickly
went out to meet Jesus. Mary, unaware,
remained where she was
-Martha hastened to meet Jesus, her heart agitated by
conflicting emotions. She in His face she read the same tenderness and love that
had always been there. Her confidence in Him was unbroken, but she thought of
her dearly loved brother, whom Jesus also had loved.
-With grief surging in her heart she said, “Lord, if Thou hadst been here, my brother had not
died.” Over
and over again, amid the tumult made by the mourners, the sisters had repeated
these words.
-But looking into that face of love, she added, “I know,
that even now, whatsoever Thou wilt ask of God, God will give it Thee.”
- Martha then went and secretly told Mary The Master is come, and calleth for thee.”
She delivered her message as quietly as possible; for the priests and
rulers were prepared to arrest Jesus when opportunity offered. The cries of the
mourners prevented her words from being heard.
On
hearing the message, Mary rose hastily, and with an eager look on her face left
the room. Thinking that she had gone to the grave to weep, the mourners
followed her. When she reached the place where Jesus was waiting, she knelt at
His feet, and said with quivering lips, “Lord, if Thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.” The cries of the mourners
were painful to her; for she longed for a few quiet words alone with Jesus....
-“When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also
weeping which came with her, He groaned in the spirit, and was troubled.” .....
-“Where have ye laid him?” He asked, “They said unto Him, Lord,
come and see.” Together they proceeded to the grave.
-It was a mournful scene. Lazarus had been much
beloved, and his sisters wept for him with breaking hearts, while those who had
been his friends mingled their tears with those of the bereaved sisters.
- In view of this human distress, and of the fact that the afflicted friends
could mourn over the dead while the Savior of the world stood by,--“Jesus wept.”
- Though He was the Son of God, yet He had taken human
nature upon Him, and He was moved by human sorrow. His tender, pitying heart is
ever awakened to sympathy by suffering.
He weeps with
those that weep, and rejoices with those
that rejoice.
But it was not only
because of His human sympathy with Mary and Martha that Jesus wept. In His
tears there was a sorrow as high above human sorrow as the heavens are higher
than the earth.
-Christ did not weep
for Lazarus; for He was about to call him from the grave..... It was not only because of the scene before
Him that Christ wept.
The weight of the grief
of ages was upon Him. He saw the terrible effects of the transgression of God’s
law. He saw that in the history of the world, beginning with the death of Abel,
the conflict between good and evil had been unceasing.
Looking down the years
to come, He saw the suffering and sorrow, tears and death that were to be the
lot of men.
His heart was pierced
with the pain of the human family of all ages and in all lands. The woes of the
sinful race were heavy upon His soul, and the fountain of His tears was broken
up as He longed to relieve all their distress.
(“Jesus
therefore again groaning in Himself cometh to the grave.” Lazarus had been laid
in a cave in a rock and a massive stone had been placed before the entrance.
“Take ye away the stone,” Christ said. Thinking that He only wished to look
upon the dead, Martha objected, saying that the body had been buried four days,
and corruption had already begun its work. .....”Take ye away the
stone.” Christ could have commanded the stone to remove and it would have
obeyed His voice. He could have bidden the angels who were close by His side to
do this. At His bidding, invisible hands would have removed the stone. But it
was to be taken away by human hands. Thus Christ would show that humanity is to
co-operate with divinity. What human power can do divine power is not summoned
to do. God does not dispense with man’s aid. He strengthens him, co-operating
with him as he uses the powers and capabilities given him.
His command is
obeyed. The stone is rolled away. Everything is done openly and deliberately.
All are given a chance to see that no deception is practiced. There lies the
body of Lazarus in its rocky grave, cold and silent in death. The cries of the
mourners are hushed. Surprised and expectant, the company stand around the
sepulcher, waiting to see what is to follow.
Calmly Christ
stands before the tomb. A sacred solemnity rests upon all present. Christ steps
closer to the sepulcher. Lifting His eyes to heaven, He says, “Father, I thank
Thee that Thou hast heard Me.” Not long before this, Christ’s enemies had accused
Him of blasphemy, and had taken up stones to cast at Him because He claimed to
be the Son of God. They accused Him of performing miracles by the power of
Satan. But here Christ claims God as His Father, and with perfect confidence
declares that He is the Son of God.
In all that He
did, Christ was co-operating with His Father. Ever He had been careful to make
it evident that He did not work independently; it was by faith and prayer that
He wrought His miracles. Christ desired all to know His relationship with His
Father. “Father,” He said, “I thank Thee that Thou hast heard Me. And I knew
that Thou hearest Me always: but because of the people which stand by I said
it, that they may believe that Thou hast sent Me.” Here the disciples and the
people were to be given the most convincing evidence in regard to the
relationship existing between Christ and God. They were to be shown that
Christ’s claim was not a deception.
“And when He thus had spoken, He cried with a
loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.” His voice, clear and penetrating, pierces the
ear of the dead. As He speaks, divinity flashes through humanity. In His face,
which is lighted up by the glory of God, the people see the assurance of His
power. Every eye is fastened on the entrance to the cave. Every ear is bent to
catch the slightest sound. With intense and painful interest all wait for the
test of Christ’s divinity, the evidence that is to substantiate His claim to be
the Son of God, or to extinguish the hope forever.
There is a stir
in the silent tomb, and he who was dead stands at the door of the sepulcher.
His movements are impeded by the grave clothes in which he was laid away, and
Christ says to the astonished spectators, “Loose him, and let him go.” Again
they are shown that the human worker is to co-operate with God. Humanity is to
work for humanity. Lazarus is set free, and stands before the company, not as
one emaciated from disease, and with feeble, tottering limbs, but as a man in
the prime of life, and in the vigor of a noble manhood. His eyes beam with
intelligence and with love for his Savior. He casts himself in adoration at the
feet of Jesus.
The beholders
are at first speechless with amazement. Then there follows an inexpressible
scene of rejoicing and thanksgiving. The sisters receive their brother back to
life as the gift of God, and with joyful tears they brokenly express their
thanks to the Savior. But while brother, sisters, and friends are rejoicing in
this reunion, Jesus withdraws from the scene. When they look for the Life-giver,
He is not to be found. )
-Jesus cried at the sight
of suffering of death...the lot of mankind since Adam’s sin.
A prophecy in Zechariah
directs our attention to the second time where the Bible records Jesus’
shedding tears…
Thy King Cometh
“Rejoice greatly, O
daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto
thee: He is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon
a colt the foal of an ass.” Zech. 9:9.
Five hundred years
before the birth of Christ, the prophet Zechariah thus foretold the coming of
the King to Israel.
- This prophecy is now
to be fulfilled. He who has so long refused royal honors now comes to Jerusalem
as the promised heir to David’s throne.
- New accessions were
made continually to the procession, and, with few exceptions, all who joined it
caught the inspiration of the hour, and helped to swell the hosannas that
echoed and re-echoed from hill to hill and from valley to valley.
-The shouts went up
continually, “Hosanna to the Son of David: Blessed is He that cometh in the
name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest.”
-Never before had the
world seen such a triumphal procession. It was not like that of the earth’s
famous conquerors.
No train of mourning
captives, as trophies of kingly valor, made a feature of that scene.
But about the Savior were the glorious
trophies of His labors of love for sinful man. There were the captives whom He
had rescued from Satan’s power, praising God for their deliverance.
-The blind whom He had
restored to sight were leading the way.
-The dumb whose tongues
He had loosed shouted the loudest hosannas.
-The cripples whom He
had healed bounded with joy, and were the most active in breaking the palm
branches and waving them before the Savior.
-Widows and orphans were
exalting the name of Jesus for His works of mercy to them.
-The lepers whom He had
cleansed spread their garments in His path, and hailed Him as the King of
glory.
-Those whom His voice had raised from the
sleep of death were in that throng. Lazarus,
whose body had seen corruption in the grave, led the beast on which the Savior
rode....
-The words of Zechariah
(from some 500 years before!) were taken up by hundreds of voices: “Rejoice
greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King
cometh unto thee: He is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass,
and upon a colt the foal of an ass.”
-When
the procession reached the brow of the hill, and was about to descend into the
city, Jesus halted, and the entire multitude with Him.
-Before them lay
Jerusalem in its glory, now bathed in the light of the declining sun.
-The temple attracted
all eyes. In stately grandeur it towered above all else, seeming to point
toward heaven as if directing the people to the only true and living God. The temple had long been the
pride and glory of the Jewish nation. The Romans also prided themselves in its
magnificence. A king appointed by the Romans had united with the Jews to
rebuild and embellish it, and the emperor of Rome had enriched it with his
gifts.
-Its strength, richness,
and magnificence had made it one of the wonders of the world.
- The sun was bright and
it lighted up the pure white marble of the temple walls, and sparkles reflected
off its gold-capped pillars.
- From the crest of the
hill where Jesus and His followers stood, it had the appearance of a massive
structure of snow, set with golden pinnacles.
At the entrance to the
temple was a vine of gold and silver, with green leaves and massive clusters of
grapes executed by the most skillful artists. This design represented Israel
as a prosperous vine. The gold, silver, and living green were combined
with rare taste and exquisite workmanship; as it twined gracefully about the
white and glistening pillars, clinging with shining tendrils to their golden
ornaments, it caught the splendor of the setting sun, shining as if with a
glory borrowed from heaven.
- Jesus gazes upon the
scene, and the vast multitude hush their shouts, spellbound by the sudden
vision of beauty.
- All eyes turn upon the
Jesus, expecting to see in His countenance the admiration they themselves feel.
But instead of this they behold a cloud of sorrow.
-They are surprised and
disappointed to see His eyes fill with tears, and His body rock to and fro like
a tree before the tempest, while a wail of anguish bursts from His quivering
lips, as if from the depths of a broken heart.
- What a sight was
this for angels to behold! their loved Commander in an agony of tears!
What a sight was this
for the glad throng that were escorting Him to the glorious city, where they
fondly hoped He was about to reign!
- Jesus had wept at the grave of Lazarus, but it was in
a godlike grief in sympathy with human woe.
-But this sudden sorrow
was like a note of wailing in a grand triumphal chorus. In the midst of a scene
of rejoicing, where all were paying Him homage,
Israel’s King was in
tears; not silent tears of gladness, but tears and groans of insuppressible
agony.
- The people were struck
with a sudden gloom. Their acclamations were silenced.
Many wept in sympathy
with a grief they could not comprehend.
-The tears of Jesus were
not in anticipation of His own suffering. Just before Him was Gethsemane, where soon
the horror of a great darkness would overshadow Him. The sheep gate also was in
sight, through which for centuries the beasts for sacrificial offerings had
been led. This gate was soon to open for Him, the great Antitype, toward whose
sacrifice for the sins of the world all these offerings had pointed. Near by
was Calvary, the scene of His approaching agony. Yet it was not because of
these reminders of His cruel death that the Redeemer wept and groaned in
anguish of spirit. His was no selfish sorrow. The thought of His own agony did
not intimidate that noble, self-sacrificing soul.
-It was the sight of
Jerusalem that pierced the heart of Jesus—Jerusalem had rejected the Son of God and scorned His
love, that city refused to be convinced by His mighty miracles, and they were
about to take His life.
- He saw what Jerusalem
was in her guilt of rejecting her Redeemer, and what she might have been had
she accepted Him who could heal her wounds.
-He had come to save
her; how could He give her up?
- Israel had been a
favored people; God had made their temple His habitation; it was “beautiful for
situation, the joy of the whole earth.” Ps. 48:2. The record of more than a
thousand years of Christ’s guardian care and tender love, such as a father
bears his only child, was there.
** In that temple the
prophets had uttered their solemn warnings.
** There had the burning
censers waved, while incense, mingled with the prayers of the worshipers, had
ascended to God.
** There the blood of
beasts had flowed, typical of the blood of Christ.
** There Jehovah had
manifested His glory above the mercy seat.
** There the priests had
officiated, and the pomp of symbol and
ceremony had gone on for ages.
But all this must have
an end.
Jesus raised His
hand,--that had so often blessed the sick and suffering,--and waving it toward
the doomed city, in broken utterances of grief exclaimed:
“If thou hadst known,
even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace!--“
Here the Savior paused,
and left unsaid what might have been the condition of Jerusalem had she
accepted the help that God desired to give her,--the gift of His beloved Son.
If Jerusalem had known what it was her privilege to know, and had heeded the
light which Heaven had sent her, she might have stood forth in the pride of
prosperity, the queen of kingdoms, free in the strength of her God-given power.
There would have been no armed soldiers standing at her gates, no Roman banners
waving from her walls. The glorious destiny that might have blessed Jerusalem
had she accepted her Redeemer rose before the Son of God. He saw that she might
through Him have been healed of her grievous malady, liberated from bondage,
and established as the mighty metropolis of the earth. From her walls the dove
of peace would have gone forth to all nations. She would have been the world’s
diadem of glory. But
the bright picture of what Jerusalem might have been fades from the Savior’s
sight. He realizes what she now is under the Roman yoke, bearing the frown of
God, doomed to His retributive judgment. He takes up the broken thread of His
lamentation: “But now they are hid
from thine eyes. For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall
cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every
side, and shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee;
and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest
not the time of thy visitation.”
-Christ came to save
Jerusalem with her children; but Pharisaical pride, hypocrisy, jealousy, and
malice had prevented Him from accomplishing His purpose. Jesus knew the
terrible retribution which would be visited upon the doomed city. He saw Jerusalem encompassed
with armies, the besieged inhabitants driven to starvation and death, mothers
feeding upon the dead bodies of their own children, and both parents and
children snatching the last morsel of food from one another, natural affection
being destroyed by the gnawing pangs of hunger. He saw that the stubbornness of
the Jews, as evinced in their rejection of His salvation, would also lead them
to refuse submission to the invading armies. He beheld Calvary, on which He was
to be lifted up, set with crosses as thickly as forest trees. He saw the
wretched inhabitants suffering torture on the rack and by crucifixion, the
beautiful palaces destroyed, the temple in ruins, and of its massive walls not
one stone left upon another, while the city was plowed like a field.
-Well might Jesus weep
in agony in view of that fearful scene.
Jerusalem had been the
child of His care, and as a tender father mourns over a wayward son, so Jesus
wept over the beloved city. How can I give thee up? How can I see thee devoted
to destruction? Must I let thee go to fill up the cup of thine iniquity?
-One soul is of such
value that, in comparison with it, worlds sink into insignificance; but here
was a whole nation to be lost. When the fast westering sun should pass from sight
in the heavens, Jerusalem’s day of grace would be ended. While the procession
was halting on the brow of Olivet, it was not yet too late for Jerusalem to
repent. The angel of mercy was then folding her wings to step down from the
golden throne to give place to justice and swift-coming judgment. But Christ’s
great heart of love still pleaded for Jerusalem, that had scorned His mercies,
despised His warnings, and was about to imbrue her hands in His blood. If
Jerusalem would but repent, it was not yet too late. .....
Jesus cried at the
thought of the fate of the Jewish nation.
The Bible refers to
another time when Jesus shed tears in Hebrews 5:5 –5:10....
“So also
Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he that said
unto him, Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee. As he saith also in
another [place], Thou [art] a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec. Who in the
days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong
crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard
in that he feared; Though he were a Son, yet learned he
obedience by the things which he suffered;
And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto
all them that obey him; Called of God an high priest after the order of
Melchisedec. “
It is Passover
time…
In company with His
disciples, the Savior slowly made His way to the garden of Gethsemane. The Passover
moon, broad and full, shone from a cloudless sky. The city of pilgrims’ tents
was hushed into silence
Jesus had been earnestly
conversing with His disciples and instructing them;
- but as He neared
Gethsemane, He became strangely silent. He had often visited this spot for
meditation and prayer; but never with a heart so full of sorrow as upon this
night of His last agony.
-Throughout His life on
earth He had walked in the light of God’s presence. When in conflict with
men who were inspired by the very spirit of Satan, He could say, “He that sent
Me is with Me: the Father hath not left Me alone; for I do always those things
that please Him.” John 8:29. But now He seemed to be shut out from the light of
God’s sustaining presence. Now He was numbered with the transgressors.
-The guilt of fallen humanity He must bear. Upon Him
who knew no sin must be laid the iniquity of us all. So dreadful does sin
appear to Him, so great is the weight of guilt which He must bear, that He is
tempted to fear it will shut Him out forever from His Father’s love. Feeling
how terrible is the wrath of God against transgression, He exclaims, “My soul
is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death.”...in other words Jesus said “I feel
like I’m going to die”.
-As they approached the
garden, the disciples had marked the change that came over their Master. Never
before had they seen Him so utterly sad and silent. .... He felt that by sin
He was being separated from His Father. The gulf was so broad, so black, so
deep, that His spirit shuddered before it.
He must not exert His
divine power to escape this agony. As man He must suffer the
consequences of man’s sin. As man He must endure the wrath of God against
transgression.
Christ was now
standing in a different attitude from that in which He had ever stood before.
His suffering can best be described in the words of the prophet, “Awake, O
sword, against My shepherd, and against the man that is My fellow, saith the
Lord of hosts.” Zech. 13:7. As the substitute and surety for sinful man, Christ
was suffering under divine justice. He saw what justice meant.
-Hitherto He had been as an intercessor for others; now
He longed to have an intercessor for Himself.
-As Christ felt His
unity with the Father broken up, He feared that in His human nature He would be
unable to endure the coming conflict with the powers of darkness. In the wilderness of temptation the destiny
of the human race had been at stake. Christ was then conqueror. Now the tempter
had come for the last fearful struggle. For this he had been preparing during
the three years of Christ’s ministry. Everything was at stake with him.
.....With the issues of the conflict before Him, Christ’s soul was filled with
dread of separation from God.
- Satan told Him that if He became the surety for a
sinful world, the separation would be eternal. He would be identified with
Satan’s kingdom, and would nevermore be one with God. And what was to be gained
by this sacrifice? How hopeless appeared the guilt and ingratitude of men!
- In its hardest features
Satan pressed the situation upon the Redeemer:
The people who claim to be above all others in
temporal and spiritual advantages have rejected You.
-They are seeking to
destroy You, the foundation, the center and seal of the promises made to them
as a peculiar people.
-One of Your own
disciples, who has listened to Your instruction, and has been among the
foremost in church activities, will betray You.
- One of Your most
zealous followers will deny You.
-All will forsake You.
-Christ’s whole being abhorred
the thought. That those whom He had undertaken to save, those whom He loved so
much, should unite in the plots of Satan, this pierced His soul. The conflict
was terrible. Its measure
was the guilt of His nation, of His accusers and betrayer, the guilt of a world
lying in wickedness. The sins of men weighed heavily upon Christ, and the sense
of God’s wrath against sin was crushing out His life. Behold Him contemplating the price to be paid for the human soul.
-In His agony He clings
to the cold ground, as if to prevent Himself from being drawn farther from God.
The chilling dew of night falls upon His prostrate form, but He heeds it not.
From His pale lips comes the bitter cry, “O My Father, if it be possible, let
this cup pass from Me.” Yet even now He adds, “Nevertheless not as I will, but
as Thou wilt.”
The human heart longs for
sympathy in suffering. This longing Christ felt to the very depths of His being. In the supreme agony of His soul He came to
His disciples with a yearning desire to hear some words of comfort from those
whom He had so often blessed and comforted, and shielded in sorrow and
distress. The One who had always had words of sympathy for them was now
suffering superhuman agony, and He longed to know that they were praying for
Him and for themselves. How dark seemed the malignity of sin! ....Rising with
painful effort, He staggered to the place where He had left His companions. But
He “findeth them asleep.” Had He found them praying, He would have been
relieved. Had they been seeking refuge in God, that satanic agencies might not
prevail over them, He would have been comforted by their steadfast faith. But
they had not heeded the repeated warning, “Watch and pray.” At first they had
been much troubled to see their Master, usually so calm and dignified,
wrestling with a sorrow that was beyond comprehension. They had prayed as they
heard the strong cries of the sufferer. They did not intend to forsake their
Lord, but they seemed paralyzed by a stupor which they might have shaken off if
they had continued pleading with God. They did not realize the necessity of
watchfulness and earnest prayer in order to withstand temptation.
before He bent His footsteps to the garden,
Jesus had said to the disciples, “All ye shall be offended because of Me this
night.” They had given Him the strongest assurance that they would go with Him
to prison and to death. And poor, self-sufficient Peter had added, “Although
all shall be offended, yet will not I.” Mark 14:27, 29. But the disciples
trusted to themselves. They did not look to the mighty Helper as Christ had
counseled them to do. Thus when the Savior was most in need of their sympathy
and prayers, they were found asleep. Even Peter was sleeping. ....
Now His voice
was heard on the still evening air, not in tones of triumph, but full of human
anguish. The words of the Savior were borne to the ears of the drowsy
disciples, “O My Father, if this cup may not pass away from Me, except I drink
it, Thy will be done.”
The first
impulse of the disciples was to go to Him; but He had bidden them tarry there,
watching unto prayer. When Jesus came to them, He found them still sleeping.
Again He had felt a longing for companionship, for some words from His
disciples which would bring relief, and break the spell of darkness that
well-nigh overpowered Him. But their eyes were heavy; “neither wist they what
to answer Him.” His presence aroused them. They saw His face marked with the
bloody sweat of agony, and they were filled with fear. His anguish of mind they
could not understand. “His visage was so marred more than any man, and His form
more than the sons of men.” Isa. 52:14.
Turning away,
Jesus sought again His retreat, and fell prostrate, overcome by the horror of a
great darkness. The humanity of the Son of God trembled in that trying hour. He
prayed not now for His disciples that their faith might not fail, but for His
own tempted, agonized soul. The awful moment had come—that moment which was to
decide the destiny of the world. The fate of humanity trembled in the balance.
Christ might even now refuse to drink the cup apportioned to guilty man. It was
not yet too late. He might wipe the bloody sweat from His brow, and leave man
to perish in his iniquity. He might say, Let the transgressor receive the
penalty of his sin, and I will go back to My Father. Will the Son of God drink
the bitter cup of humiliation and agony? Will the innocent suffer the
consequences of the curse of sin, to save the guilty? The words fall tremblingly
from the pale lips of Jesus, “O My Father, if this cup may not pass away from
Me, except I drink it, Thy will be done.”
Three times has He
uttered that prayer. Three times has humanity shrunk from the last, crowning
sacrifice. But now the history of the human race comes up before the world’s
Redeemer.
He sees that the transgressors of the law, if
left to themselves, must perish. He sees the helplessness of man.
He sees the power of
sin. The woes and lamentations of a doomed world rise before Him.
He beholds its impending fate, and His
decision is made. He will save man at any cost to Himself. He accepts His baptism of blood, that through Him
perishing millions may gain everlasting life.
He has left the
courts of heaven, where all is purity, happiness, and glory, to save the one
lost sheep, the one world that has fallen by transgression. And
He will not turn from His mission. He will become the propitiation of a race
that has willed to sin. His prayer now breathes only submission: “If this cup
may not pass away from Me, except I drink it, Thy will be done.”
Having made the
decision, He fell dying to the ground from which He had partially risen. ...The
Savior trod the wine press alone, and of the people there was none with Him.
But God
suffered with His Son. Angels beheld the Savior’s agony. They saw their Lord
enclosed by legions of satanic forces, His nature weighed down with a
shuddering, mysterious dread. There was silence in heaven. No harp was touched.
Could mortals have viewed the amazement of the angelic host as in silent grief
they watched the Father separating His beams of light, love, and glory from His
beloved Son, they would better understand how offensive in His sight is sin.
The worlds
unfallen and the heavenly angels had watched with intense interest as the
conflict drew to its close. Satan and his confederacy of evil, the legions of
apostasy, watched intently this great crisis in the work of redemption. The
powers of good and evil waited to see what answer would come to Christ’s
thrice-repeated prayer. Angels had longed to bring relief to the divine
sufferer, but this might not be. No way of escape was found for the Son of God.
On the cross we see
Christ’s human side, heretofore he had referred to God as “Father” and saying
“He and I are one”. But on the cross Jesus says “My God, my God why hast
thou forsaken me”! The words of a human
to his God.
So three times we find in the Bible where it is
recorded that Jesus wept.
1.
At the
tomb of Lazarus. Where in sympathy and shared concern for perceived loss in the
death of a family member…And even more for us today and all mankind who
continue to face the curse of sin and the pain and sorrow death brings. .
2.
At the
processional entry into Jerusalem...at the sight of the vain glory of the
chosen city of Jerusalem. A city that had rejected Him & scorned His love
and refused to be convinced by his mighty miracles....He had come to save her how
could He give her up.
3.
In
Gethsemane He cried at the point of
final decision...three times he struggled and petitioned His Father...If
this cup may pass...not my will but thy will be done.
Our God is a God of love....a God who feels
our pain with us...a God who loves us while we are yet sinners and often reject
Him.
The question was asked
as the procession is about to descend the Mount of Olives,(before the scene of
Jesus’ tears) ... it is intercepted by
the rulers. They inquire the cause of the tumultuous rejoicing. As they
question, “Who is this?” the disciples, filled with the spirit of
inspiration, answer this question. In eloquent strains they repeat the
prophecies concerning Christ:
Adam will tell you, It
is the seed of the woman that shall bruise the serpent’s head.
Ask Abraham, he will
tell you, It is “Melchizedek King of Salem,” King of Peace. Gen. 14:18.
Isaiah will tell you,
“Immanuel,” “Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The
Prince of Peace.” Isa. 7:14; 9:6.
Jeremiah will tell you,
The Branch of David, “the Lord our Righteousness.” Jer. 23:6
Daniel will tell you, He
is the Messiah.
Hosea will tell you, He
is “the Lord God of hosts; the Lord is His memorial.” Hosea 12:5.
John the Baptist will
tell you, He is “the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” John
1:29.
The great Jehovah has proclaimed from His
throne, “This is My beloved Son.” Matt. 3:17.
We, His disciples,
declare, This is Jesus, the Messiah, the Prince of life, the Redeemer of the
world.
And the prince of the
powers of darkness acknowledges Him, saying, “I know Thee who Thou art, the
Holy One of God.” Mark 1:24
So today people look to
us and ask “who is this God?”....May we have a ready answer from our own trials
and experiences in this life
Hymns: #181
Does Jesus Care #196 – Tell Me the Old Old
Story