Agony

April 13th – Matthew 26:39

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Matthew 26:39

In the quiet darkness of Gethsemane, Jesus fell to His knees with a soul overwhelmed with sorrow. He knew what was coming. The betrayal, the pain, and the Cross. Yet still, He prayed, “Not as I will, but as You will.” In that moment love triumphed over fear, and surrender was all that mattered. Jesus didn’t just teach obedience, He lived it, to the point of death. And He did it for us. His “yes” in the garden became our doorway to grace.

Easter isn’t just a story of resurrection, it’s the ultimate picture of surrender. Are we willing to lay down our comforts, our plans, our pride, to say, “Your will, not mine”? Following Jesus means walking the same path of surrender. It means trusting God even when it’s hard. Especially when it’s hard. When our hearts ache and our faith feels weak, we look to Jesus and remember He’s already walked the road before us. He knows what it means to wrestle and weep and still obey. May we find courage in Christ’s example, and strength in His Spirit, to live lives that echo His prayer. “Not my will, but Yours be done.”

April 13th – Matthew 26:39 Read More »

March 28th – Luke 22:44

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Luke 22:44

As we celebrate Christ, His death and resurrection, one of the most painful parts of the story is the Garden of Gethsemane. For it was there when the weight of all our Savior was about to endure overcame Him. Such was His anguish, that His soul was overwhelmed to the point of death. And falling upon His face, three times Jesus prayed that if possible, God would remove the cup from which He was to drink. There will be times when we will find ourselves face down in our own Garden of Gethsemane. When God permits suffering and we are pressed spiritually to the point of agony. It’s then when we need to follow the example of our Lord. First, in fervent prayer we are to cry out to our Abba, Father. Emptying before Him our hearts filled with fear and sorrow. And when His answer is for us to endure, we are to humbly submit before God saying, “Not my will, but Yours be done.” Drinking the cup of suffering is never easy. But we need to trust that God’s plans are always best, and used for both our benefit and His glory.

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November 24th – 1 Peter 2:24

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1 Peter 2:24

I am thankful Jesus paid the sin debt of every person who has ever lived 

Knowing full well the agony He would endure, the Lord willingly and lovingly left His glorious place at the Father’s side. All to pay a debt He did not owe, and to give us a gift we do not deserve. And it is only through His great love and sacrifice that we can have eternal life. I love the quote by D.A. Carson which says, “It was not nails that held Jesus to that wretched cross; it was His unqualified resolution, out of love for his Father, to do his Father’s will—and it was His love for sinners like me.” Jesus suffered for us. He suffered for you, for me, and for all who receive Him as their Savior. He was beaten, flogged, spit upon, ridiculed, and nailed to a Cross to die an excruciating death. And It is by those wounds, that shed precious blood, in which we are healed. On this day of thanksgiving, may we praise the Lord above, who died to give us life, and who removed the penalty of our sins forevermore!

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April 21st – John 19:25-27

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John 19:25-27

Jesus is in a terrible agony, with a deep concern in his heart. Concern not for Himself, but for His mother Mary and His devoted followers. Because He sees how they’re suffering at the feet of His cross. The Lord wants His loved ones to be cared for as only a family can. So as one of His last gifts, He asks His beloved John to care for Mary, accepting her as his own mother. And in turn, asking Mary to accept John as her own son. Of this gift of family John Piper once said, “ One of the gifts Jesus gave to us from the cross was the church. A loving, caring, sustaining, encouraging family beyond family. And it is a great encouragement to our faith that He illustrates the meaning of the church the way He did in the relationship between John and Mary. If Jesus could provide for the needs of His own in the moment of His greatest weakness and humiliation, how much more can He provide for your need in His present wealth of power and exaltation!” A great encouragement indeed!

Blessings,

Mari

April 21st – John 19:25-27 Read More »