Matthew 26:41-75
The hour was here, our Lord was in grievous agony in the garden.
He knew what was coming, he carried all the sin and iniquity and agony of us all at that moment, this was the beginning of a agonizing journey to his final destination of "accomplishing that to which he was sent.
John 14:29-31"I've told you this ahead of time, before it happens, so that when it does happen, the confirmation will deepen your belief in me. I'll not be talking with you much more like this because the chief of this godless world is about to attack. But don't worry—he has nothing on me, no claim on me. But so the world might know how thoroughly I love the Father, I am carrying out my Father's instructions right down to the last detail.
"Get up. Let's go. It's time to leave here."
Jesus, was as a Champion taking the field for his damsel in great distress....warring against the very powers of darkness, the prince of darkness himself to bring his dominion to a halt; he was agonizing due to the great sin and iniquity placed on him; It was written Jesus was to be "a man of sorrows", and that he was, even to the point of seeing no way out but through death. He knew this and carried it all anyway....Jesus was exceedingly sorrowful- Perilypos, meaning compassed about with sorrow on all hands....it was surrounding him, attempting to overpower our Lord...But all the while his focus stayed upon the work of his Father and doing his will until "It is finished". This was great heaviness upon Jesus, we have but tasted of what true heaviness is...and that in itself is because Jesus carried it all so we wouldn't have too....he knew we could not , he knew if that task was put upon us, we would surely die at the hands of the enemy! Jesus the Son of the Living God, stood in between the enemy and "this damsel in distress" to free her. Truly Jesus IS our Champion....he took the field arrayed in humility, love for his Father and for his Fathers purpose in saving mankind....he went forward in battle conquering the foes and enemies of our very souls...he put to shame the principalities and powers of darkness...he took back the "Keys" of death and hell...and openly stripped the devil of ALL power!
Colossians 2:11-15 Entering into this fullness is not something you figure out or achieve. It's not a matter of being circumcised or keeping a long list of laws. No, you're already in—insiders—not through some secretive initiation rite but rather through what Christ has already gone through for you, destroying the power of sin. If it's an initiation ritual you're after, you've already been through it by submitting to baptism. Going under the water was a burial of your old life; coming up out of it was a resurrection, God raising you from the dead as he did Christ. When you were stuck in your old sin-dead life, you were incapable of responding to God. God brought you alive—right along with Christ! Think of it! All sins forgiven, the slate wiped clean, that old arrest warrant canceled and nailed to Christ's cross. He stripped all the spiritual tyrants in the universe of their sham authority at the Cross and marched them naked through the streets.
Through his agony and sorrow on the cross...we were given joy; through the agony of the cross, we were forgiven, through the agony and sorrow of the cross we were redeemed from the power of the enemy, we were delivered and set free, healed and seated with our Lord in heavenly places, Jesus saved his damsel in distress, and protected her from a foe of which she could not contend...He truly was a" Knight in shining armor" coming to our rescue. Jesus never wanted help in carrying any of this none at all...He went into hand to hand combat with Satan and his demons and bought us back with his own blood! Don't we see the sorrows this man carried...don't we realize that he carried ALL mankind's sin and iniquity then and for all those to come after...what agony this was, is it any wonder he sweat great drops of blood? Even then he was shedding blood on our behalf....because the stress and heaviness upon him manifested itself in the physical, showing us how he fought on our behalf...Jesus covered the whole of man during this journey to the cross....He not only redeemed us from sin and death but bought back ALL that was lost in the beginning in the Garden of Eden...don't we see that? When sin entered the world, we lost it all....our right to life abundant, or peace, our health, our communion with God, Jesus now is standing in the place of Adam, Jesus the second Adam....Bought it all back BY this shed blood, Paradise Lost to Paradise Regained. Jesus didn't flinch he stood firm and immovable, took every strike against his body, every lash for us that by those stripes we would be healed, every attack against his mind and emotions, that we would be able to have the mind of Christ, was steadfast in his obedience to his Father, thereby opening communication with the God of Israel for us through him. Thereby bringing a COMPLETE restoration of man unto God...
Ohhh if we would but see all Jesus, Our Champion actually accomplished on this journey, we would not be able to contain ourselves! No greater love Church, No greater Love....
The most wonderful words of our Lord, spoken in death, fulfilling all in all
"It Is Finished"
Revelation 1:18 I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.
"Jesus IS The Champion" Now And Forever More, Amen
Pastor Deborah Covington
His agony in the garden.
Matthew Henry Commentary
He who made atonement for the sins of mankind, submitted himself in a garden of suffering, to the will of God, from which man had revolted in a garden of pleasure. Christ took with him into that part of the garden where he suffered his agony, only those who had witnessed his glory in his transfiguration. Those are best prepared to suffer with Christ, who have by faith beheld his glory. The words used denote the most entire dejection, amazement, anguish, and horror of mind; the state
of one surrounded with sorrows, overwhelmed with miseries, and almost swallowed up with terror and dismay. He now began to be sorrowful, and never ceased to be so till he said, It is finished. He prayed that, if possible, the cup might pass from him. But he also showed his perfect readiness to bear the load of his sufferings; he was willing to submit to all for our redemption and salvation. According to this example of Christ, we must drink of the bitterest cup which God puts into our hands;
though nature struggle, it must submit. It should be more our care to get troubles sanctified, and our hearts satisfied under them, than to get them taken away. It is well for us that our salvation is in the hand of One who neither slumbers nor sleeps. All are tempted, but we should be much afraid of entering into temptation. To be secured from this, we should watch and pray, and continually look unto the Lord to hold us up that we may be safe. Doubtless our Lord had a clear and full view of
the sufferings he was to endure, yet he spoke with the greatest calmness till this time. Christ was a Surety, who undertook to be answerable for our sins. Accordingly he was made sin for us, and suffered for our sins, the Just for the unjust; and Scripture ascribes his heaviest sufferings to the hand of God. He had full knowledge of the infinite evil of sin, and of the immense extent of that guilt for which he was to atone; with awful views of the Divine justice and holiness, and the punishment
deserved by the sins of men, such as no tongue can express, or mind conceive. At the same time, Christ suffered being tempted; probably horrible thoughts were suggested by Satan that tended to gloom and every dreadful conclusion: these would be the more hard to bear from his perfect holiness. And did the load of imputed guilt so weigh down the soul of Him of whom it is said, He upholdeth all things by the word of his power? into what misery then must those sink whose sins are left upon their own heads! How will those escape who neglect so great salvation?
Weekly Proverb:
Proverb 13:3"He that keepth his mouth, keepeth his life; but he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction"
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