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While researching the scriptures in my surrender journey, I have been intrigued by the story of Jesus in the garden before his suffering.
“Then Jesus went with them to a garden called Gethsemane and told his disciples, “Stay here while I go over there and pray.”
“Taking along Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he plunged into an agonizing sorrow.
Then he said, “This sorrow is crushing my life out. Stay here and keep vigil with me.”
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 26:36-39 The Message
Jesus does this not once but three times.
“He then left them a second time. Again he prayed, “My Father, if there is no other way than this, drinking this cup to the dregs, I’m ready. Do it your way.”
Matthew 26:42 The Message
“This time he let them sleep on, [Peter, James, and John] and went back a third time to pray, going over the same ground one last time.”
Matthew 26:44 The Message
Jesus, God the Son, struggles with fulfilling the plan of God.
Jesus represents God in the flesh, which is flesh created from a woman through the natural course of pregnancy, labor, and delivery.
God had not experienced this depth of human life before being born to Mary. This is complex and not easily understood because mankind (male and female) was (and is) made in human form in God’s image and uncorrupt nature.
Fast-forward to Matthew 26, and Jesus (an adult) is in a garden just hours before the climatic reality of his plan unfolds, asking God the Father if there is another way.
He knew there was no other way.
“Then Jesus told them, “Before the night’s over, you’re going to fall to pieces because of what happens to me. There is a Scripture that says, I’ll strike the Shepherd; helter-skelter the sheep will be scattered.
But after I am raised up, I, your Shepherd, will go ahead of you, leading the way to Galilee.”
Matthew 26:31-32 The Message
So why did he ask?
The Bible does not reveal why Jesus asked, but I speculate he asked because of the innate power of the human will to live, and for the first time in his human life, that was being threatened.
The story within the story
Humanity was made perfect to live forever. God could not allow a sin-stained human to live forever in that torment, which is why he created a lifespan.
The desire to live is built into humanity’s DNA, and (possibly for the first time), Jesus experienced that desire that night in the Garden of Gethsemane.
In other words, he struggled with surrendering to the will of God.
In his case, the struggle was for his life, and you will likely not face that kind of struggle (although the possibility is present). But, the struggle is surrendering your will to God’s.
Jesus knew God’s will and the outcome, yet his human desire challenged the Father’s plan.
If he struggled with surrendering knowing the outcome, how much more would we struggle not knowing the outcome?
The point is that the struggle is real because it is programmed into your DNA.
The challenge is overcoming the struggle.
This presents another lesson in the story. Jesus was leaning into his three disciples for emotional (and prayer) support, but they were unavailable.
This isn’t to fault them (you could, but you would miss the message).
Surrendering is personal because it involves trust. As I mentioned in a previous post, surrendering to God isn’t like surrendering to an enemy.
Surrendering to God means letting go of how (or what, or when) you want your life to be and embracing the way God desires it to be.
It requires trust, which can only be proven by proving God trustworthy, and the only way to do that is by walking with him.
Consider this
The disciples committed to follow Jesus. They expressed their trust in him, and yet, after around three years, they (momentarily) betrayed him. Their desire to live was very strong, and their betrayal was prophesied in the Old Testament.
“Sword, get moving against my shepherd, against my close associate!” Decree of God-of-the-Angel-Armies. “Kill the Shepherd! Scatter the sheep! The back of my hand against even the lambs!”
Zechariah 13:7 The Message
Sometimes, God has a different plan, which you will only see after the denial. (a lesson for another day)
However, trust is built through circumstances over time. You can rely on others to a degree, but surrender will not happen to the depth God seeks by leaning into anyone other than God.
The journey is exciting and scary, and I am thankful for everyone who is willing to accompany me on it.
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