Monday April 15th- Luke 22 from Intern Ryan Anderson

Anguish

“And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like great drops of blood falling to the ground.” (Lk 22:44).

 Have you ever been in so much anguish that it literally made you sick? Has your emotional load ever caused you to experience physical pain?

This chapter takes place the day before Jesus is crucified and buried. He knows what is coming and when it will come. The going out to the Mount of Olives was not unusual. But there was something special about this night. This night, Jesus knew He would be betrayed into the hands of men, crucified, and that He would die.

He withdraws a stone’s distance from the disciples, falls on his knees, and prays. I find the contents of the prayer the most fascinating detail in this account. Jesus could have prayed for legions of angels to defend Him. He could have run away and abandoned it all. Instead, his prayer was a simple “Father, thy will be done!”

The Father graciously sends an angel to comfort Jesus, but He is now beyond the point of comfort. Jesus is beginning to realize what it means to bear the sins of the whole world. And those sins cause so much pain and anguish, that his sweat is like blood. Most commentaries suggest that this is hematidrosis, which is where blood and sweat literally mix together.

The amazing part is Jesus’ strength in the midst of anguish. He stayed the course and won the victory over sin, death, and the devil. I hope that the account of Jesus’ anguish helps us to appreciate our Savior’s sacrifice all the more.

May the Lord bless you this day because of the suffering of Jesus.