Lent Guide: In the Shadow of Gethsemaneಮಾದರಿ

The cup of hope

“Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. - Luke 22:42-44

Jesus gets up, and something has happened to Him. He is filled with energy, conviction, and clarity – and he is captured and handed over. According to tradition, this is where the passion of Jesus starts intensely at this point. He can no longer choose what He will do; He can only choose how He will react to what others do to Him, but He has peace. He has courage.

The writer of Hebrews gives us insight into what was happening inside of Him. He says: “He endured the cross.” In other words, he drank this cup of suffering. Because he saw the joy that was set out for Him. He had a conviction about what would happen through what He was doing. That’s why He could endure the shame and insults He had to go through.

Jesu dies without blaming anyone. He didn’t go to the cross and then send a bill for everyone to pay. This cup doesn’t belong to Herod, Pilate, My disciples, or the government; it’s My Father’s cup He’s giving to Me. No one owes anything. He sets everyone free, and His death is good for other people. He leaves a great gift for others.

Sometimes, we are in spaces where we’re handed over, and we can experience struggle in the process. God gives us His strength. It’s the same power and energy that raised Jesus from the dead that He gives us through His spirit. In that moment, we can experience how light shines in the darkness. Angels attend us in the presence of demons. We have hope in a hopeless situation. We put our foot in the new Jerusalem while we live in Babylon. We experience the resurrection power of the Lord Jesus, and our lives also mean something to others.

Prayer: I ask for a deep consciousness of Your love and work in my life.