Luke 22: 39-46
39 Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. 40 On reaching the place, he said to them, “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.” 41 He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, 42 “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” 43 An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. 44 And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.[c]
45 When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow. 46 “Why are you sleeping?” he asked them. “Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.”
Did Jesus doubt as some explains his humanity on the way to the cross? This is especially revealing when he was struggling in the Garden of Gethsemane.
This the whole question of Jesus Humanity–does that include doubt? I read an article by a theologian on the question of doubt and genuine humanity of Christ. I was stirred to write this as my perspective. I chose to use Luke 22 to illustrate my point, because I believe this is definitely the most potent point that Jesus was tempted to the closest by the devil. I believe this temptation of Jesus by the devil far exceeded the previous temptation at the launch of Jesus ministry after his water baptism. Its interesting to note that this second big temptation, or bigger, happened at almost the tail end of Jesus ministry or even his life on earth.
I think the whole big issue here as Jesus emphasized twice to his disciples to pray so that they won’t fall into temptations. By him saying that, it means, if they don’t pray, they will fall into temptations. This is definitely a valid point that we have to take note of ourselves, lest we fall. If that were for the closest disciples of Jesus, that will definitely be for us.
In fact Jesus went into a time of deep anguished prayers. He knelt down to pray to the Father, 42 “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” –He said Father if you are willing…. What doe that mean? Jesus was asking for permission from the Father for not going to the cross! That’s precisely His mission for coming into this world, to go to the cross and die for humanity, and be resurrected thereafter. That’s how revealing the humanity of Christ.
Some theologians called it doubt in Jesus’ life. But I disagreed. I call it struggles. Jesus struggled immensely between his flesh and his spirit, until the point of sweating blood droplets.
43 An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. 44 And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.
So right after Jesus prayed that prayer for permission to take away the cup of his death, God sent an angel to him to strengthen him. You understand dhow crucial this point of time is? The destiny of billions of mankind lies in the balance depending on the outcome of that decision of Jesus, one way or the other. If Jesus ever doubted, he wouldn’t not have struggled that much. He would have quitted if he doubted. Let me say this, that’s the humanity of Jesus that struggled and that is not his divinity, because God doesn’t struggle.
I would conclude that because he struggled in such intense manner, the like of which is never found in any human history, (have you ever seen anyone in prayer or anguish until he or she sweated droplets of blood?), and yet overcame, I believe he just ministered to millions of us that we can trust him, and he will be with us to the end. He is our prophet, priest, King, and he will deliver us from all temptations, as :
1 Corinthians 10:13 (NIV)
13 No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.
Jesus will deliver us.
Hebrews 4:15 14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven,[f] Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. 16 Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
This is an incredibly important verse explaining what Jesus went through. Notice in v15 b, Hebrews says Jesus has been tempted in every way, just as we—yet he did not sin. That’s incredibly important and significant. First, he has been tempted in every way! Not in some ways, and then his divinity protects him from certain temptations. No! Every day! Secondly, it says “…..tempted in every way, just as we are”—you see those words, “just as we are”? NO exemption. He went through the same temptations just as we are. Not somewhat like us, but just as, or exactly like us! He was tempted in every way!! Everything you have gone through temptation, he has been tempted, in other worse. Lust? Greed, safety? Easy way out? Cop out? Yet he did NOT sin.
Praise be to the Lord who not only gone through everything we could possibly go through, he overcame them all, and he did not doubt! He is completely in sync with the Father. He and the Father are one! He completely trusted in the Father.
We too have to be in sync with Jesus, for He lives in us, as out body ids the temple of the holy Spirit!
If anyone says he doubted just as we did, that’s missing the point. He didn’t doubt, and that’s why he overcame! To try to put Jesus under that category is stretching the proper exegesis and hermeneutics of the context of the scriptures!
Jesus won!
Amen!
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