Matthew 26:39 - The Message Translation
39 Going a little ahead, he fell on his face, praying, “My Father, if there is any way, get me out of this. But please, not what I want. You, what do you want?”
Matthew 26:39 - New King James Translation
39 He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; NEVERTHELESS, not as I will, but as You will.”
This is truly a NEVERTHELESS MOMENT and, in the Bible, we find many more moments like this which we can learn from. This GARDEN MOMENT is an example of total surrender. It was not a martyr dying, it was God giving His only begotten son. I one time read, “At one last triumphant drink of love He drank damnation dry.” He made a complete payment for He was our redeemer. Just think; He came all the way from heaven just to pay the price for our redemption.
Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe,
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.
Can you say like Job did, “I know my Redeemer lives?” You may be reading this and not fully know that He lives, but you can. In knowing “He made His soul and offering for sin,” he bore our sins and in this, there is perfect, full, and free forgiveness.
I read a story about a home where everything was going wrong, and nothing seemed to go right. Have you ever felt as though this was what was happening to you? The little girl in the family went to bed that night and this was her prayer; “DEAR LORD, PLEASE TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF: FOR IF ANYTHING HAPPENS TO YOU, WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO US?”
It is because Jesus prayed this prayer in the Garden, we can now make this confession found in Galatians 2:20:
“I am crucified with Christ: NEVERTHELESS, I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”
He alone becomes our personal redeemer. Can you confess right here and now, He is MY personal redeemer?
I love the Holiday Season and celebrate it with these words, “I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day.”
I DON’T WANT TO GO TO HEAVEN WITHOUT YOU!!!
IN THE SPIRIT OF THANKSGIVING,
Pastor Cleddie Keith