JESUS CHRIST

Of all the questions we ponder concerning Gethsemane, why the Savior suffered there is perhaps that which has most baffled scholars and saints. The Gospel writers tell us what happened at that crucial site, but they do not clearly address the question of why. In an effort to answer the question, some suggest that Christ suffered because He recognized the ingratitude of men who would not accept the Atonement He would make for them on the cross, or because He loved us and yet knew what we would commit or face in the future, such as sins, betrayals, denials, and persecutions. others offer that perhaps Christ suffered because He realized He had to yield up His divine nature and become obedient unto death, thereby becoming the “suffering servant” or be required to give up all the good that could fill His life. Some recommend that we understand Christ’s suffering in an eschatological context and view that which Christ endured and prayed to avert as the suffering and struggle that are to precede the coming forth of the kingdom. Still others suggest that His suffering simply came from His desire to find another way to be the Messiah rather than the way the Father had planned. Commonly, [some] conclude that Christ’s pain and suffering came because of fear of what He knew was ahead of Him, even His impending death on the cross and the suffering and humiliation He would endure antecedent to it. . . . (more…)

To have any measure of appreciation and gratitude for what Jesus accomplished in our behalf, we must remember these vital truths:

Jesus came to earth to do our Father’s will.

He came with a foreknowledge that He would bear the burden of the sins of us all.

He knew he would be lifted up on the cross.

He was born to be the Savior and Redeemer of all mankind.

He was able to accomplish His mission because He was the Son of God and He possessed the power of God.

He was willing to accomplish His mission because He loves us. (more…)

Matthew and Mark, the only Gospels that record this incident in detail, note that Jesus felt forsaken by God without explaining why (see Matthew 26: 46; Mark 15:34).

Later, commentators began to explore the imponderable; suggesting a variety of explanations why Jesus, innocent and guiltless, experienced complete separation from the Father at this horrific moment.

Some scholars and theologians suggest that the Father could not bear to witness the death of his beloved Son and therefore, turned aside at the moment of Jesus’ final suffering. Others hypothesize that the Father had to leave, a divine fiat, so Jesus could accomplish the atonement completely alone. Finally, some postulate that Jesus was completely abandoned by God the same as all sinners because Jesus suffered and died in our place (see Galatians 3:13; 1 Peter 2:24). (more…)

Now, . . . what do men and women find when they discover the true Messiah? Finding the Messiah is the greatest of all discoveries. If we were to discuss the most important thing about Jesus the Messiah, what would it be? If we were to go home today to our families and say, “We have found the Messiah!” what would we say about Him? What is the most important thing about Him that we could tell another person? Would it be His height or weight, the color of His hair, the style of His clothes, the tone of His voice? Everything about Jesus is important any any true detail or concept would be worth knowing, but what would be the single most important thing to find out about Him? I could answer that with my own opinion, but let us take a cue from what the scriptures say about Him. (more…)