This is a continuation from “Jesus Speaks to the Storm”.

Jesus walked confidently in His power. The winds and the waves obeyed Him. The demons trembled and obeyed. Sickness submitted to His authority. Death had no hold on Him and even BEFORE His own death and resurrection, He called the dead back to life (Jairus’ daughter in the last post). 

I believe Jesus also experienced the full range of emotion! Imagine that, the Son of God, part of the triune God Himself, still found Himself consumed by the emotion of man. I see this highlighted as he despaired to the point of sweating blood in the garden the night before He was betrayed and led to His death. Maybe “consumed” is not the right word, but read this passage:

Jesus left the upper room with his disciples and, as was his habit, went to the Mount of Olives, his place of secret prayer. There he told the apostles, “Keep praying for strength to be spared from the severe test of your faith that is about to come.”

Then he withdrew from them a short distance to be alone. Kneeling down, he prayed, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup of agony away from me. But no matter what, your will must be mine.”

Jesus called for an angel of glory to strengthen him, and the angel appeared. He prayed even more passionately, like one being sacrificed, until he was in such intense agony of spirit that his sweat became drops of blood, dripping onto the ground.

When Jesus finished praying, he got up and went to his disciples and found them all asleep, for they were exhausted and overwhelmed with sorrow. “Why are you sleeping?” he asked them. “You need to be alert and pray for the strength to endure the great temptation.” Luke 22:39-46 TPT™  (emphasis is mine)

“Father, if You are willing, remove this cup [of divine wrath] from Me; yet not My will, but [always] Yours be done.” Now an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him. And being in agony [deeply distressed and anguished; almost to the point of death], He prayed more intently; and His sweat became like drops of blood, falling down on the ground. Luke 22:42-44 AMP

Fully God, yes! He KNEW the end result, since He exists apart from time, He KNEW the battle that was won – and yet somehow, His humanness took a toll and He still experienced struggle with the reality that needed to play out – “Father, if you are willing…”. As I mediate on this, I think my Savior understands me more than I ever before considered.

Submitted? Yes. Surrendered? Absolutely. He was ALL about His Father, and yet…

My thoughts continue on and I am led to believe it wasn’t simply a matter of formality that Jesus was tempted in the dessert for 40 days with the enemy (Matthew 4:1-11). Since He knew the struggle of temptation (Hebrews 4:15-16), this was real. 

So then, we must cling in faith to all we know to be true. For we have a magnificent King-Priest, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who rose into the heavenly realm for us, and now sympathizes with us in our frailty. He understands humanity, for as a Man, our magnificent King-Priest was tempted in every way just as we are, and conquered sin. So now we come freely and boldly to where love is enthroned, to receive mercy’s kiss and discover the grace we urgently need to strengthen us in our time of weakness. Hebrews 4:15-16 TPT™ 

Fully God, yes! He could command a legion of angels to do His bidding. And yet, Jesus stood on the Word, the LIVING WORD stood on the unshakable, unchangeable written Word! HE, Jesus, fully God Jesus, let the scriptures speak TRUTH into a humanly, “unbearable” situation. And the enemy was put firmly in His place, under the Living God, under the Word of God. 

There is no competition when we let the rightful ONE take His place – as King, Savior, Counselor and Lover of our souls!