Friday, April 15, 2011

Battle's Won On Knees

BATTLE’S WON ON KNEES

(A study of Jesus Part 1 of 4)

Matthew 26:36-46 V. 38: “Then He said to them [Peter, John, and James], ‘My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with Me.’

Passion Week’s beginning (Palm Sunday) and ending (Easter) are book-ended in celebration. What’s in between the bookends is where rubber-meets-the-road, so to speak. Our study through the most important, most defining, and most traumatic time of Jesus’ human life on earth illustrates why we serve Him. And only Him.


Jesus, as God-man, felt stress to the max. Today’s Scripture shows His feelings as extreme. Can you relate?

Dotted through Jesus’ three-year ministry, was both joy and warfare (trials). The relationships Jesus shared with His disciples, and people like Mary and Martha (Luke 10:38-42), show great joy. Just as you and I have cherished friendships that are happy, we know all about friendship happiness.


But, just as the journeys you and I share encounter trouble, Jesus shows us how to face battles with determination and courage. He was sure of His victory…and we should be, too. He experienced fear, anxiety, and dread. We can learn from, and copy how Jesus reacted to traumatic events. Satan taunts us that we can’t be like Jesus, because He’s God. (Yes, the devil acknowledges that Jesus is God). But Jesus is God dressed in human flesh, so He experienced the world as we do. Yet, He won every spiritual and life battle we also face.

The secret to His success is seclusion and surrender. He found privacy on a mountain, the Mount of Olives. The garden of Gethsemane (geth-SEM-an-ee) was His favorite place to pray one-to-one with His Father. He stayed on His knees until He was fully surrendered to the Father’s will. We can hear Jesus pleading His case before the Father (verse 47). Three times He prayed the same prayer. Each one ended the same. Jesus prayed the Father’s will be done. In the end, Jesus was taken away a prisoner, but His victory was in sight. Do you ever feel like that?


Although Jesus knew that guaranteed pain lay ahead. He accepted that. His purpose was to die. His human side may have wanted to flee, but He obeyed. Aren’t you glad He didn’t use His God side and take matters into His own hands? Oh, obeying the Father must have been hard!


I know you can relate to that.

Copying Jesus, our own battles are also won on our knees.

Take Home Nugget


Following Jesus seems simple, but it’s not easy. Can you commit to the Father’s will, then leave everything in His almighty hands?


Too many tasks we face each day

Burden and oppress.

Surrendering to God’s way

Brings relief from undue stress.

J.D. Griffith


A personal, private lesson experience with our staff


Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)