Scripture Notes on Mark 14
“And going a little farther, [Jesus] fell on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him. And He said, ‘Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what You will.'” -Mark 14:35-36
Jesus weeps in the garden at the thought of the torment that awaits Him.
It’s not just the thought of physical suffering that puts Him in anguish, but the knowledge that He will be cut off from the presence of the Father. This separation, unlike anything else in all eternity, is the deepest pain of all, and Jesus submits to it willingly.
We may speculate and theorize as to why the Father chose the cross as the way He would redeem humanity. We may question why He would not have prepared an easier way, a way that would not have caused His Son to go through such agony. Yet, one thing we can know for sure.
Jesus agreed with the plan, and followed it completely out of love.
The heart of Jesus was not to seek His own glory, but the glory of the Father. His goal was not to pursue His own pleasure, but the plan of the Father. His desire was not to accomplish His own will, but the will of the Father. This is love, that He did the will of the One who sent Him.
And though the will of the Father led Jesus through the sting of death, it brought Him out of it in a far more glorious resurrection!
So it is for us.
As followers of Jesus, we are called to pursue a life that looks more and more like His. That means that as we grow in Christ, our hearts grow more and more committed to knowing and doing the will of God. And, the more we grow in His will, the more His life grows in us.
May you join with Jesus in making this the sincere prayer of your heart. “Our Father in heaven…your will be done…”
-Pastor Phillip
