At Easter and Every Day, Jesus Understands - The Crosswalk Devotional - April 20
At Easter and Every Day, Jesus Understands
By Lynette Kittle
Bible Reading:
And being in anguish, He prayed more earnestly, and His sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground--Luke 22:44
Sweat: most of us experience it repeatedly in life, whether from high temperatures in weather or during illness, recreational activities or exercise or because of stress and anxiety; it’s a gritty, tangible aspect of life.
Still, some of us don’t think of Jesus ever sweating like we do at times, but being fully human and fully God, we can be assured He sweated. As a physician, Luke added details in his writing that help us know Jesus experienced human conditions like us.
Jesus Knows What It’s Like to Be Human
From various biblical passages, we also know that Jesus hungered for food, like we do, and thirsted for drink, like us. Likewise, He grew tired and needed rest and solitude at times, away from the crowds of people who followed Him, just like many of us do.
Most likely, though, no matter what immense pressure we’ve been under, most of us have not had such an intense prayer time as Jesus did, where we sweat drops of blood.
Mark 14:32 describes the setting where it occurred. “They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to His disciples, ‘Sit here while I pray.’”
Yet, still in this peaceful, quite beautiful place, “He took Peter, James, and John along with Him, and He began to be deeply distressed and troubled. ‘My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,’ He said to them. ‘Stay here and keep watch’” (Mark 14:33-34).
Jesus Felt the Pressure
Sometimes, we might feel embarrassed in our reactions to distress and trouble, but we can take comfort in knowing that even Jesus has thought it, understanding and knowing how being under pressure can feel. “Going a little farther, He fell to the ground and prayed that, if possible, the hour might pass from Him. “’ Abba, Father,’ He said, ‘everything is possible for You. Take this cup from Me. Yet not what I will, but what You will.’”(Mark 14:35-36).
Jesus understands what it’s like to feel like something is too hard and much for us to bear. He leads the way by showing us how to surrender and submit to our Heavenly Father’s will over our own will, even when we believe it’s too much for us to handle.
Jesus Received Strength
Still, a garden setting sounds lovely and peaceful, yet Jesus sweat drops of blood while praying as He faced the future and the reality of the cross to come. Luke 22:43 describes how, during Jesus’ prayer, “An angel from heaven appeared to Him and strengthened Him.”
Some of us are experiencing Easter this year while walking through distressful, sad, and life-changing events. At this time, our whole world seems to be turned upside down, possibly dealing with life and death issues and facing devastating losses we didn’t anticipate in our lives.
Maybe we’re not to the point of sweating drops of blood, but we feel the intensity of experiencing things we don’t feel the strength to endure. If so, we can follow Jesus’ example of spending time in prayer, taking our concerns to God, and relying on Him to send help to get us through whatever we’re facing.
But we may think it’s farfetched to believe God will send us to help as He did for Jesus, that He doesn’t send angels to help us. However, throughout the Bible, there are stories of angels ministering to and helping people, including Elijah, Daniel, Gideon, Zechariah, Samson’s mother, and more.
Psalm 91:11 also assures us that angels are available to help us: “For He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.”
God lets us know that He doesn’t leave us alone in our troubles but sends help, as Psalm 34:7 describes, “The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and He delivers them.”
Intersecting Faith & Life:
If you’re dealing with distressful situations and need strengthening this Easter, ask God to send help to encourage and uplift you. Be open and willing to receive His love, compassion, comfort, and more.
Further Reading:
A Prayer to Celebrate Your Salvation this Easter
Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/dndavis
Lynette Kittle is married with four daughters. She enjoys writing about faith, marriage, parenting, relationships, and life. Her writing has been published by Focus on the Family, Decision, Today’s Christian Woman, kirkcameron.com, Ungrind.org, StartMarriageRight.com, and more. She has a M.A. in Communication from Regent University and serves as associate producer for Soul Check TV.
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