Preparing Our Hearts for Easter: Day 22 – The Human Jesus

An article by Frank    No Comments

In the lead up to Easter we will be putting up a new lent devotion each week day. These devotions will also be available in the discussions section of our Facebook page and will be played on New Zealand’s Rhema.

Often we focus on the divine nature of Jesus – he’s the King, God incarnate, the risen saviour, the divine majesty. This picture is true and great, but there’s another picture of Jesus as well – the human Jesus. What’s often not noticed is that the humanity of Jesus not only encompassed the greatest attributes of what it means to be human, but also, in one scene, showed some of our frailty.

In the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 26 we see Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane prior to his trial and crucifixion – Jesus knows the hardship he is about to face and in his humanity he expresses emotions of stress. Verse 37 refers to him being grieved and agitated – he refers to himself being deeply grieved, even to death and talks to the Father about his own weakness, asking for the cup that he is about to experience be taken from him – another Gospel talks about him sweating blood during this anguish.

The amazing thing about Jesus in this story though is that even in the face of such pain, grief and agitation about this abuse that he is about go through, Jesus is still willing to submit to the Father and what he knows must be done.

When we’re faced with a chance to make a sacrifice and do something difficult to serve the world around us, how many of us are willing to submit like that? How many of us shun the path of coming up with all manner of justifications about how the harder road is not our road – not God’s will?

As we think about the journey Jesus took to the cross and the pain he felt in his humanity in that journey, let’s not see set aside doing that which is difficult when we are called to serve the world around us. Let’s not allow our humanity to overwhelm us when we are faced with difficult tasks. Instead, lets experience that emotion, but just as Jesus did, still utter the words “your will be done.”

Let’s Pray

Jesus, in our pursuit to represent you on this earth, give us the strength to submit to the will of the Father and embrace sacrifice to serve our world even when that sacrifice causes us pain.

Amen