SATAN'S GREATEST FEAR

In the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus displayed a great deal of humanness.  He showed anxiety, concern for the matters at hand, and possible fear.  And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou will ( Matthew 26:39).  To further show his humanness Jesus would go yet a second time to speak to his father about the same thing.  He went away again the second time, and prayed saying O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done (Matthew 26:42).  Remember here now; this is a son speaking to a father who is highly delighted in each other.  Yet Jesus finds the need to speak to his father the second time about the same matter.  As fathers and sons go sometimes conversations between them are privy.  Jesus fully aware of the pain, torture, and suffering he must now face, and endure he became just a bit unsettled.  After all Jesus must now take on and also become sin.  Imagine for a moment how horrific that must have been for him, and even for his father.  God being holy and can not look on sin, would have to turn away from his son Jesus, something Jesus had never known, neither had his father, no not turning away from him. 

Again for moments consider the great agony both Christ and God had to have felt at that moment.  Jesus said father can there be any other way?  Jesus gave himself a willing sacrifice for the sins of man, and to suffer, but his love to his father grieved him to know that his Father, God; would suffer.  Jesus cried Father you will now go to a place that you have never been, and feel a thing that you have never felt.  Jesus never imagined causing God pain, knowing that God would turn away from him when that he became sin terrified Jesus.  Jesus knew what God would have to feel to turn from him; God’s heart would split as the temple veil.  Jesus prayed Father is there any other way; can we do this without hurting you; let me suffer, but let no hurt come to you.  God said justice demands payment; it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness.  As God spoke these words to Jesus I am sure they drove right into the depths of Jesus’ spirit.  Christ must have also at that time heard his own words spoken to John the Baptist; And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness ( Matthew 3:15).  In a funny kind of prelude signifying Christ’s agreeing; Christ would affect this same method back to Peter.  Remember in Peter’s denial of Christ when Peter stood warming by a charcoal lit fire; not long after his resurrection Christ would summons Peter to him while Christ himself is at a charcoal lit fire.  I am sure the charcoal burning scent revisited the moment to Peter of Peter’s denial, but this would serve only to strengthen Peter.  Let’s go to the cross.

Showing steadfastness to his father’s will, Jesus girded up his loins and stayed the course.  Yes Jesus was now prepared to both encounter, and endure the mocking, the accusations, the denials, the abandonment of colleagues, the beating, the plucking of his beard, the spitting, and the shedding of his blood, the whole physical torture.  However there was still one element to shake Jesus and cause him to tremble. At the point of taking on my sins and becoming sin, he felt his father turn away from him, suddenly he no longer felt God’s presence, and this was greater than anything Jesus had ever known, or even imagined, and Jesus cried father why hast thou forsaken me?  During the entire course of these occasions God had never stopped being Jesus’ father; God had never forgotten his love for his son.  As Jesus was being tormented, tortured, mocked, and humiliated God looked on and held his peace with a break in his heart, tears filling the wheals of his eyes running down his face meeting under his chin grieving deeply within his own spirit; he looked on.  Yet Jesus cried out, Father why hast thou forsaken me.  God replied; Son, my son, if you call me one more time I myself will come and get you, and put an end to this evil man.  Jesus became immediately silent, and spoke no more, other than to say... It... Is... Finished...  Then he gave up the ghost.  Now tell me was it not his love for me that held him on the cross?