Pastor Ken’s Thoughts on a Thursday

Hi, this is Pastor Ken, I want to welcome you to my Thoughts on a Thursday Podcast where I take some regular occurrence or personal story from my life and connect it to a scriptural truth. So here are my thoughts on this Thursday, June 1^st, 2023…Vapor Trails

A few weeks ago my wife and I were at our little cottage in the Blue Ridge Mountains. As I often do when we are there I took some time to sit on the deck and relax, taking in the warm sunshine, the gentle breezes carrying the fresh mountain air and the sound…of silence. I was basking in my perfect recipe for peaceful relaxation sitting with my feet propped on a small wicker ottoman and my head leaned against the back of the loveseat. My eyes as they often are when I have assumed such a position were closed, until…the silence was interrupted by the faint and far away sound of a jet engine. I opened my eyes scanning the bright blue sky, and sure enough there it was. The airplane was too far away to be seen, but the direction it had come from and that it was headed in, were no mystery. The vapor trail it left behind was as clear as the sky it was traveling through. On one end it kept extending following a silver pinpoint that was in actuality a very large metal fuselage. On the far end the trail widened and became less sharp in the sky. Interestingly, though I knew the plane was traveling through the clear sky at high speed, the vapor trail was not getting any longer, as it extended forward it equally dissipated behind. Then as soon as it had appeared, it was gone, out of my line of sight.

A familiar thought when I see one of those vapor trails appear while I am enjoying a healthy dose of R&R, once again escaped my lips. I turned to my wife and said, “There go important people, traveling to important places, to do important things.”  I always find the contrast of those people’s supposed existence…to mine in those moments…striking. In my mind’s eye those planes are crammed full of business men and women jetting to their next important meeting, where they will either succeed or fail. I imagine the stress they must be under as that metal tube propels them forward toward the next big thing in their lives. I on the other hand am so relaxed in my setting that I wouldn’t trade places with them for any amount of money, fame or success. Everything they are flying toward and working so hard for, could be gone as quickly as that vapor trail disappearing behind them. And, that peaceful mountain view I am taking in…that’s going to be there for a while.

James wrote about the disappearing act we are all engaged in. He reminds us that essentially we are all here today and gone tomorrow. However, He also pointed out that though we will not remain on this planet forever, our existence will continue on…even long after that awesome mountain view I enjoy so much, fades away. Allow me to read James 4:13-17 from my favorite paraphrase, The Remedy. There it is declared this way…

Pay close attention – especially those who say “In the next few days we are moving to a new city and will live there a year, open a business and make huge profits.” You don’t know what the future holds. Your life is like a vapor trail: here one minute and gone the next. You might not even be alive in a year. So stop being so rigid with your preplanning – it only increases your stress. Instead trust God with your future and how things turn out. Learn to say, “If it is in harmony with God’s plan for my life, then that is what I will do.”, and you will worry so much less. As it is you focus on yourselves; you brag, boast, and try to control everything in order to advance your own agenda. All selfishness is destructive. Anyone who knows God’s methods of love but chooses selfishness deviates from God’s design for life.

I know that it is incorrect for me to assume every person on those planes in the sky above are headed to their next business meeting, to make their next pitch, and close their next big deal. Undoubtedly some are in route to their own vacation destinations to enjoy a little R&R themselves. No matter who they are, where they are headed or why they are going there, James has some words of wisdom good for us all.

So often we talk about our plans as if it is completely within our power to see them come to fruition. Are we even aware that if we make plans to do this or that and tell the people what we are going to do, we are putting ourselves in God’s position? We might simply think we are informing others of our plans, but if we express those plans without understanding they may only happen if God wants them to happen, we are speaking about them with authority we do not possess. The bible tells us that it is only in Him we live, move and exist. (Acts 17:28) Literally, that means I don’t even draw my next breath or experience the next pulse of my blood flowing through my veins, without His expressed say-so. Jesus said that without Him we can’t do anything. (John 15:5) In light of those scriptures and others like them, we can see just how foolish it is for us to say what we will do, or where we will go, as if we do so by our own ability or power. To think that way is to claim equality with God. As a result, it is a recipe for adding unnecessary stress to our lives. Anytime we make assertions about what the outcome of something will be, especially if that thing is not completely within our control (and nothing is completely within our control), we create our own stress-filled environment.

If instead we do as James suggests and say if it is the Lord’s will I will go here and do this or that, we aren’t saddled with the weight of making sure it all goes according to our plan. Does this mean we shouldn’t plan ahead? Of course not. There are all kinds of scriptures that say we should plan, save, and make provision for tomorrow. Proverbs tells us that in the house of the wise are stores of choice food and oil. However, we ought to express our plans with this exception…If it is the Lord’s will, I will…dot-dot-dot. The point of this is not as some might think to give God the option of vetoing or endorsing our plans. I think it is more profound than that. I think James is correcting our behavior that we might learn to seek the Lord more regularly for His plans, because that initiates a subtle but necessary change in us. When we seek the Lord’s desires before making our plans, we become outward thinkers. When we seek His will before determining our direction, we are putting Him above us as we should…and that develops selflessness.

Why is selflessness so important? Because selflessness is godly. When we are focused on where we are going and what we are going to do, the theme is we, which is selfish. If instead our desire is to know where God would have us go, and what God would have us do, the theme becomes He, which is selfless…just like He is.

So now, Asking God where you should go, and what you should do, before you declare to others…Go be Awesome!

Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Are we there yet?

When I was a child we spent a fair amount of time as a family traveling by car. For the better part of the first half of my upbringing we lived in areas far away from our hometown in Western New York State. For several years we lived in Columbia, South Carolina where my father attended Bible College and then we moved to the Susquehanna Valley of Eastern Pennsylvania, where he pastored his first church. Occasionally, we would travel home from either of those far-away places back to visit family in familiar territory. Each of those trips took place in the car.

In preparation, mom would pack our clothes, sandwiches and drinks, as well as the other necessary things to keep my brother and I busy for the duration of the trip. Dad always had the task of figuring out the puzzle that was required to get all of it to fit in the trunk, so that the back seat could be left free for two boys to play, argue with one another, and sleep during the trip. It really did feel like a journey in those days. The national speed limit back then was still 55 miles per hour, and as much as we complain about the condition of roads now, they were much more difficult to travel then. Many of the four lane highways we use these days were only two lanes during that time. Consequently, the trip from Eastern Pennsylvania back home took 6 to 7 hours and when we were traveling to or from South Carolina…those car rides could last upwards of 18 to 20 hours. Even prior to the constraints of children’s car seats and safety belts, with all those hours to travel, my brother and I would quickly tire of being restricted to confines of the back seat. It usually didn’t take long for one of us to pose the question asked by every kid at one time or another, “Are we there yet?”.

As a parent, I came to understand just how annoying that question can be. I can only imagine the number of times my parents heard it on one of our longer trips. In actuality, it is a good question to ask. Why? Because it indicates a level of trust. The child who poses that question believes they will at some time safely arrive at their destination, they just want to know when. It might be more accurately asked, “How much longer will this trip take?”, but it usually comes out as “Are we there yet?”. There was an occasion recorded in the Bible when I think Jesus would have welcomed the question, “Are we there yet?”.

In Mark 4:35-41 there is an account of one of the many journeys Jesus took with His disciples. Allow me to read it to you from the New Living Translation. ³⁵ As evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s cross to the other side of the lake.” ³⁶ So they took Jesus in the boat and started out, leaving the crowds behind (although other boats followed). ³⁷ But soon a fierce storm came up. High waves were breaking into the boat, and it began to fill with water. ³⁸ Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. The disciples woke him up, shouting, Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to drown?” ³⁹ When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Silence! Be still!” Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm. ⁴⁰ Then he asked them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”  ⁴¹ The disciples were absolutely terrified. “Who is this man?” they asked each other. “Even the wind and waves obey him!”

As I said a moment ago, I think Jesus would have preferred it if His disciples had roused Him to ask if they were there yet. Instead they abruptly woke Him up to ask “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to drown?”. After Jesus calmed the storm by commanding it to cease, He had a question of His own for His disciples. He asked them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”.

This was an interesting exchange, one that I think holds some important truths for us to consider. The beginning of this passage is key to understanding where the disciples went wrong, and why Jesus had to ask them if they still had no faith. Verses 35 & 36 say As evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s cross to the other side of the lake.” ³⁶ So they took Jesus in the boat and started out, leaving the crowds behind (although other boats followed). The scripture records that Jesus said Let’s go to the other side of the lake. This statement is very important. The men He said that to had recently seen Him do all kinds of miraculous things. They had been witness to Him enabling a paralytic to walk and completely restoring the skin of a person with leprosy. In fact, they had seen Him heal all kinds of illnesses and infirmities. They had even watched Jesus tell a man with a withered hand to hold it out in front of the entire synagogue congregation and when the man did so, his weakened hand full of atrophied muscles was fully restored and as strong as anyone’s. So when Jesus said, “Get in the boat guys, we are going to the other side of the lake”, they should have known they were going to get to the other side of the lake…come hell or high water! They heard clearly from Jesus what the destination was and there should have been no doubt in their minds about if they would safely arrive. The only question they should have had if any, would have been…“Are we there yet?”.

I firmly believe that the reason Jesus was able to take a nap, and that once aroused by His disciples he asked if they still had no faith, was because Jesus had zero concern they wouldn’t arrive at their destination. He said they were going to the other side and He knew they were going to get to the other side. His question to them was really one of, why they didn’t believe they were going to get to the other side. After all they had witnessed they should have understood…without any doubt…that when Jesus said something would happen, it happened, 100% of the time.

What about us? What do we do when this perfecting journey we are on with Jesus intersects with great trouble? Do we focus on the fact that Jesus said He will never leave us nor forsake us, or do we wonder where He is in our time of need? Do we remember that He promised that He would turn all things, even the really difficult ones for our ultimate good as He uses them to make us more like Himself, or do we wonder how much more we can take before we break. Do we by faith take joy in our various trials knowing that they produce endurance in us which makes us perfect and complete and leaves us needing nothing? Or instead do we wish we could avoid most of our troubles and just enjoy some smooth sailing?

Jesus’ disciples had to learn a valuable lesson that day. We walk by faith and not by sight, that means that faith is all about focus. Those men should have been focused on the trip, not the travel conditions. Jesus told them what the destination was…that ought to have been enough. I’m not suggesting they should have ignored the storm, only that it ought not have been their highest consideration. True faith would have allowed them to discuss what important ministry they might be doing once they reached the other shore and noting that the high wind and the waves would give them a remarkable story they could tell people about when they got there.

Paul reminds us that Jesus has determined and pointed out our final destination as well. Philippians 1:6 says, And I am certain that God who began the good work within you, will continue His work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. Later in Philippians 3:12 Paul wrote of his own personal journey. I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things, or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race, (the journey) and receive the heavenly prize for which God through Christ Jesus is calling us.

So now, understanding that life is a trip, keep your focus on the destination instead of the difficulties…and go be awesome!

Hi this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…Nothing To Fear, Not Even Fear Itself

In an edition of this podcast last year I spoke about the inauguration of the newly elected President Franklin D. Roosevelt that took place on March 4th 1933. I noted then that during his speech, he uttered a phrase which has been repeated countless times in the past 90 years. It is among his more notable and quotable quotes. In that speech he made the bold statement that “We have nothing to fear except fear itself.” Last time I shared my thoughts concerning that quote it took me in one direction, today it has caused me to consider another.

President Roosevelt made that now famous proclamation to be an encouragement to millions of Americans listening in on their radios. It was intended to inspire the discouraged, disheartened and yes fearful minds of the American public as they endured the ravages of the Great Depression. The fear of the unknown, the uncertainty of what new difficulty might lay right around the corner weighed heavily on nearly everyone’s mind. The economic impact of the stock market crash just a few years before coupled with current vast unemployment had many people wondering where their next meal would come from. That impending sense of despair was complicated further by the Dust Bowl that had left much of the agricultural land of the Midwest crippled and unfit to ease the crisis. The outlook for our nation was indeed bleak when President Roosevelt told the entire country that there was “Nothing to fear except fear itself.”

The contemporary condition of the world around us is no less scary. We may not have recently experienced economic collapse, but we are in the midst of what looks suspiciously like moral bankruptcy. The speed of the decline currently taking place especially in western society is ‘wicked fast’. There are days I feel as though I haven’t even begun to comprehend the latest foolishness I am supposed to accept as the new norm, when a whole new class of utter ridiculousness is introduced as (quote…unquote) “progressive thought”. Sometimes it is almost beyond ability to accept that those espousing such imbecilic rhetoric actually believe what they are proposing. Wokeness and Social Justice are anything but, and the direction of our nation and the world around us can seem quite concerning at times…most times, if you have any hopes and desires for those coming along after us. So is it still an encouragement or a comfort to know “We have nothing to fear but fear itself.”?

I was approached by someone a short time ago who asked me if I think fear is sin. That’s an interesting question. The person asked the question in light of 1 John chapter 4. There we read in verse 18, There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. In light of that verse the rest of the question came, “Does fear indicate a lack of faith, and is a lack of faith in the Almighty sinful?” Certainly this verse in its full context is saying that because we have the love of God in us and our relationship with Him is evidenced by our display of His love toward others, we are therefore His children and need not have any fear of the day of His judgment. In that sense, His perfect love, having its intended effect on our lives, drives away our fear of judgement. Perfect love then casts out fear.

Though the context of that particular verse concerning fear is in regards to judgment, I think it is a building block to our correct position regarding fear overall. Jesus taught additional truths that can help us complete our understanding…of our intended standing. When we consider that perfect love (the love of God in us and flowing through us) removes all fear of His judgment then something Jesus said recorded for us in Luke 12:4 makes even more sense. “Dear friends, don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot do any more to you after that. He went on to say if we are going to fear someone, we should fear God who judges where we will spend eternity after we die. In this seemingly crazy world we now live in, we are threatened with all kinds of retribution if we will not accept the latest idiocy. The propagators of these so called progressive policies warn that if we do not play along with their pretension they will call us out as bigots, racist, hate mongers or worse. In recent days, there have been multiple news reports of physical violence even to the point of death being perpetrated against those who would not bow to the will of the deluded. Jesus was clear, this is not what should be feared. He didn’t mince His words either, there are those who may even want to kill us for standing for what is right. However, He then added, even if they follow through on that threat, that is all they can do to us. Then Jesus went on to say that our real concern should be with the One who will then judge what to do with us for eternity. The choice was clear as far as Jesus was concerned. Stand for righteousness enveloped in perfect love…and you have nothing of real consequence to fear. With that mindset the author of Hebrews was able to write in chapter 13:6; We can say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me?

Having Jesus as our Savior allows us to be perfected in His love and to experience no fear of His judgment. In other words, it allows us to be secure in our eternal condition. However, Jesus has two titles and being able to live in total lack of fear requires our understanding and complete acceptance of not only the first, Savior, but more importantly His second, Lord. The whole world has a Savior…Jesus died for the whole world. Someday the bible tells us, everyone will be forced to also admit that He is Lord. Philippians 2:10-11 says that Every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord! However, for those who willingly trust Him now to be their Lord and Savior, they possess everything necessary to live free of all fear.

If we believe that Jesus is truly Lord, then we must believe that He is Omniscient (He knows all). We must accept that He is Omnipresent (There is no place outside of his reach). And we must admit that He is Omnipotent (There is nothing He is powerless to do). When you hold those beliefs, the teaching Jesus gave us about worry is easier to understand and apply. In Matthew chapter 6 Jesus taught that we have no cause for worry because the Lord knows about everything we need. He pointed out that if the Lord would take such good care of mere birds and ordinary field grass, how much more would He meet the needs of His crowning creation who love Him. Jesus said that God is a good, good father the likes of which no man has ever been, and if we as parents love our children, how much more can we expect that God loves us and will take the very best care of us.

Additionally, of Himself, Jesus said in Revelation 22:13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. This does not mean Jesus was present at the beginning and will be present when the end comes. That line of thinking would lead to the conclusion that Jesus is subject to time, and would therefore mean that time is greater than Him. If Jesus is Lord (and He is) then He is superior to everything, including time. Jesus encompasses time, time does not encompass Him. Therefore, He can rightly say that He is the beginning of everything and the culmination of all things. Knowing that about Him should serve to bolster our faith that we can trust him in all things. It should also help us to trust that…from a position of complete knowledge of every event that has, is or ever will occur in our lives, He and He alone is able to promise that He will use all of them for our good. He intends to use all things to bless us with increased ability to reflect Him more. (Romans 8:28-29)

So, no matter whether it be pressure from the world around us to conform to the latest brand of insanity, or dealing with a personal difficulty, disease or loss, when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior and we learn to trust Him wholly, we have nothing to fear…not even fear itself.

So now, living free of all fear in the confidence of His immense and intense love for you…Go Be Awesome!

Hi, this is Pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday…A Taxing Time
Next Tuesday is April 18th, and this year that’s Tax day, the day most Americans are required to file their federal income tax. No one I know of likes to pay their fair or unfair share as the case may be. I do know this much, if I worked for the IRS (and I would never work for the IRS) I would certainly be loath to tell anyone about my job. I can’t imagine what conversations for those poor souls are like this time of year.
Disliking paying taxes is as old a dilemma as taxes themselves. I don’t think there has ever been a time when people have truly felt as though their tax burden was what it should be. America’s financial advisor, Dave Ramsey has a solution for keeping taxes as low as they can be that I think is brilliant. He says that all the IRS agents should be required to be at everyone’s place of employment on paydays and cash paychecks for employees and then ask the employee to give back out of their cash-in-hand the amount needed for their taxes. I have to agree with him that people would begin to demand lower taxes if that were the case!
As I said, wishing we didn’t have to pay taxes and having a dislike for those who are charged with collecting them is an age old problem. In Matthew 22:15-22 a conversation where Jesus was asked this His opinion on the matter is recorded for us. In the New Living Translation, it says; 15 Then the Pharisees met together to plot how to trap Jesus into saying something for which he could be arrested. 16 They sent some of their disciples, along with the supporters of Herod, to meet with him. “Teacher,” they said, “we know how honest you are. You teach the way of God truthfully. You are impartial and don’t play favorites. 17 Now tell us what you think about this: Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?” 18 But Jesus knew their evil motives. “You hypocrites!” he said. “Why are you trying to trap me? 19 Here, show me the coin used for the tax.” When they handed him a Roman coin, 20 he asked, “Whose picture and title are stamped on it?” 21 “Caesar’s,” they replied. “Well, then,” he said, “give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God.” 22 His reply amazed them, and they went away.
It probably goes without saying that Jesus is the master at determining motive and answering questions perfectly. The Jewish leaders were trying in more than one way to outsmart Him and get Him arrested. The Chief Priests and Scribes didn’t approach Jesus themselves because their relationship with Him had already become contentious. I think they were trying to avoid suspicion by sending others in their place to ask their question. They didn’t send the Pharisees as so many times before, no this time they cunningly sent the Pharisee’s disciples, Pharisees-in-training so to speak, along with some of Herod’s supporters who would be sure to let Herod know of anything Jesus might have said in opposition of taxes or the government. Luke’s gospel tells us that they were sent as spies, meant to blend in with the rest of the multitudes following Jesus. He tells us that they pretended to be righteous people, but only for the purpose of getting Jesus arrested. They even tried using flattery, and prefaced their inquiry telling Jesus they knew He was an honest man who taught people to do what is right and that He treated every person the same as the next.
Finally when they thought the moment was right, they asked their question, one that may have been on many of our minds lately…“Is it right to pay taxes, or not?” If ever Jesus was asked a loaded question this was it. They knew that the people in the crowd hated paying taxes to their Roman oppressors. If Jesus said yes taxes should be paid, they figured His followers would melt away believing He had been exposed as a Roman supporter and a traitor to the Jews. If He said that taxes shouldn’t be paid, well then, Herod’s supporters would be sure to hurry back and report the insurrectionist talk to the governor. Either way, they were sure they had Jesus right where they wanted Him.
Jesus however, saw through the whole thing, called them out as the evil people they were and astonished the crowd. Asking whose picture was on the coin that was used to pay taxes was brilliant. Telling them to give the coin back to its rightful owner if requested, made perfect sense…even to people who didn’t like to pay their taxes. But Jesus finished bigger yet. He told them to give to God what is God’s when He requests it. Those evil men where scholars of the Law. They knew full well that Jesus was referencing the fact that we are created in the image of God. His likeness is on us, and He does request that we give our lives to Him. Why do we pay taxes? Because we don’t want to go to jail. Why don’t we give God what is God’s?
Jesus once said that we should not fear what other people can do to us, the worst they could do is kill our body but not our soul. He said that instead we should be concerned with what God wants from us because He is the one who can determine where our body and soul end up for eternity. (Matthew 10:28) His point was that we should be more than willing to give our lives to the One in whose image we are created.
You Know, it’s interesting, we can pay our taxes to our government and never give our lives to our God, but the flip side of that particular tax coin is not possible. We cannot wholeheartedly give our lives to God, and try to withhold from the government what is rightfully theirs. We are made in the image and likeness of God. God is the embodiment of integrity. He says of Himself that there is not even a shadow of turning with Him, not even a hint of anything anyone could claim lacks integrity. He says He is the absolute same, yesterday…today…and tomorrow. If we are going to look like Him then our integrity must remain intact as well. I get it…I don’t like paying taxes any more than the next guy. But if I really believe that the Earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof then I have to trust that God can give back to me anything the government might ask for if He has need of me to have it.
No government will ever come within a country mile or the expanse of the universe for that matter of being able to give to us what God has. No matter how high they raise our taxes, government can never develop a social program that will offer forgiveness of sin, redemption, righteousness and reconciliation with God. It’s tax time, give the government some of those pictures of dead presidents you have, but far more importantly, give God all of you…after all you were created in His likeness.
So now, giving all of you to Him with a grateful heart for all He has given to you…Go Be Awesome!

Hi, this is pastor Ken and these are my thoughts on a Thursday (feeble as they may be) about Jesus’ thoughts on a painfully necessary Thursday.

One of my favorite scriptures of all time was most likely given to us on a Thursday. The words we read in John chapter 17 come directly from the prayer Jesus prayed the evening before his crucifixion. We know that took place at Passover, on the day we call Good Friday, so it stands to reason these words of our Lord were spoken on a Thursday evening.

This prayer of Christs’ is essentially made up of three parts. In the first part He prayed for Himself. In the second section He prayed for His disciples, and finally He prayed for us…for you and for me. It is the final portion I usually find so special because Jesus is literally praying for us, and expressing that the reason He was willing to go to the cross was so that He would be able to spend eternity, being one with us, in heaven, forever! When I recognize the gravity of that it is so moving. Let it hit you for a minute. Jesus loves you so very much that He can’t bear the thought of spending eternity without you. His love for you is so immense…so intense that when faced with the choice of an agonizing death or being separated from you forever…He chose the cross! There is literally no way you or I could be loved more completely.

Going back to the second portion of Jesus prayer, He prayed for His disciples. He specifically prayed that rather than them being taken out of the world alongside Himself, that they would instead be enabled by God to remain behind and through the Holy Spirit’s indwelling power, offer their testimony to others about The Christ. Again He was willing for their pain to necessarily be endured that we might know through their ministry His great love for us.

Today however, my thoughts are focused on the beginning of His prayer. Here Jesus prays for Himself. Verse 1 of that chapter tells us that Jesus asked for God’s help with what was coming. We read that He opened his prayer with these words.  “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You…” We know that this was an incredibly difficult time for Jesus. In Matthew’s account found in chapter 26 of his gospel it tells us that Jesus was exceedingly sorrowful, to the point of death. There we read that He prayed that if it was at all possible, if there were any other way to get the same result, He asked God to choose that, instead of what He knew was in store for Him. However, we read that He relented, that if there was no other way, He would submit to this one. Why? Again, He was unwilling that we be left without a way to be one with Him forever. You can read other accounts of this same prayer recorded in Mark 14 and Luke chapter 22.

Why did Jesus need encouragement so badly that Luke’s account tells us God sent an angel specifically to strengthen Him? Why would the Son of God need to pray for Himself? Because He knew that what was coming was going to hurt. Obviously He knew it would hurt physically. Jesus had likely seen crucifixions. It was the barbaric way the Romans executed those they found deserving of capital punishment. It was so brutal that the Jewish people didn’t think a dog deserved to die in that fashion. To their way of thinking it was completely inhumane. The Bible tells us Jesus was well aware that this was the painful way in which He was going to be put to death. It says that He told His disciples that the Son of man would be “lifted up” as on a cross, so that they too would know the manner in which He was going to die. Jesus knew that physically speaking the crucifixion was going to hurt, in fact, it was going to be excruciatingly painful.

Jesus also knew it was going to hurt emotionally. Just days before this prayer was being lifted to the Father, Jesus entered the city of Jerusalem triumphantly. He had come in riding on the back of a colt. People had thronged to see him and to have the opportunity to wave palm branches and even pave his entrance to the city by throwing their clothes down on the road under His mount. He had received from them a welcome fit for a king! We are told that as He took that ride He looked at the city stretching out before Him and said sorrowfully, “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, oh how I would have gathered and cared for you like a hen gathers and protects her chicks…but you would not have it”. As Jesus prayed that evening in the garden, I think He knew that the next day some of those same voices that had heralded His entrance with “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” would soon be following another crowd and vilely spewing the words filled with hatred, “Crucify Him…Crucify Him!”. I think Jesus was also in such distress because He knew emotionally, it was going to hurt beyond belief!

I believe Jesus also knew it was going to hurt almost unbearably, in a spiritual sense. Remember, Jesus was willing to go through all of this because He could not bear the thought of spending eternity without you. If there was any less of a payoff than that…it would not have been worth it to Him. In fact, in the final part of the prayer recorded in John 17 it tells us that He prayed these words, “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us…” (John 17:20-21 NKJV) Jesus proclaimed He was doing this entirely to enjoy a oneness with us. Hebrews Chapter 12 tells us that it was for the joy set before Him that He endured the cross. What was the joy? Oneness with us!

So what was this excruciating spiritual pain that was coming, that needed prayer to enable Him to overcome? Jesus was fully aware that to enjoy that oneness with us, He had to take upon Himself our sin. He understood that to do that was going to mean that His Father who had been one with Him for eternity…was going to be forced to separate Himself from Him. There had never been a time when He and The Father had not been one, but if Jesus were to enrobe Himself with our sin, so that we could wear His robes of righteousness, the Father was going to be forced to turn His face away from His only Son! Just a few hours after this time of prayer, Jesus would be crying out to His Father in agony…”My God, My God, why have you forsaken me!?! Let that rest on you for a moment. Jesus was so desirous that we not be separated from Him that He was willing to spend the darkest, most physically, and most emotionally pain filled time of His eternal existence separated from His Father for our sakes. The one who had been with Him forever, was going to turn His back on Him, and that was the plan Jesus was asking for strength to endure…all to have an eternal oneness with you and with me.

Jesus needed prayer that Thursday because He knew that Friday would bring the worst pain imaginable…physically, emotionally and spiritually. The Bible tells us that Jesus desires that no one should perish, but that all would be saved. His prayer on that particularly difficult Thursday and His actions on an awful, and unbelievably painful Friday prove He is all in because He was willing to die for us. In response to that, anything less than being ready and willing to live for Him doesn’t even make sense! We might not have the opportunity to do that except for the resurrection power of God who raised Jesus from the grave just three days later and placed Him on the throne of highest authority in Heaven! Glory to God for the Easter morning miracle that restored our wonderful, sweet, sweet Savior to His rightful place at the right hand of the Father. He deservedly sits on the throne of Heaven, and equally deserves to sit on the throne of our very lives!

So now, under the weight of His incredible love for You…normally I would tell you to go be awesome…but today I think we should all Go thank Him for being so awesome!