Shalom,

Andrew Womack's online devotional for today gives us an opportunity to more fully understand just what JESUS was going through leading up to, and including, His arrest and crucifixion.

HIS FATHOMLESS PAIN

Luke 22:44 "And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground."

It is interesting that Luke is the only one of the gospel writers to mention that Jesus' sweat was as great drops of blood. This is probably because Luke was a physician (Colossians 4:14), and therefore, this had special significance to him.

There have been documented cases of people actually sweating drops of blood under extreme emotional pressure. This might explain why Luke is the only writer to mention the angel strengthening Jesus. Just as when Jesus encountered Satan during His forty days of fasting and temptation in the wilderness and the angels ministered unto Him (Mark 1:13), so here, He needed supernatural strength to endure His sufferings.

The use of the words "as it were" might also mean that the sweat of Jesus was only comparable to blood in consistency or size, but it certainly underscores the effect Jesus' agony had on His physical body.

Jesus' sufferings for us were more than just physical. In the garden, before He suffered physically, He suffered emotionally, almost to the point of death. As Luke records, an angel had to come and give Him strength or the emotional struggle alone would have killed Him.

All that Jesus did was motivated solely by love. It was for the joy that was set before Him that He endured going to the cross. He didn't do what He did to save us out of pity or a sense of obligation as our Creator. He did it because He loves us.

AMEN! So many times over the years I have heard people debating just who was responsible for putting Jesus to death on the cross. I thought I had that debate won with the TRUTH that it was not Romans or Jews who were responsible, but ME! it was for MY sin (and sickness, weakness and infirmity) that Jesus gave His life! That was a LITTLE closer to the Truth than just blaming Romans and Jews, but it is still NOT accurate! So where DOES the responsibility lie? JESUS, Who IS LOVE! It was His LOVE in manifestation that took that cross willingly on my (OUR) behalf! Look at John 10:17-18:

17 For this [reason] the Father loves Me, because I lay down My [own] life—to take it back again. 18 No one takes it away from Me. On the contrary, I lay it down voluntarily. [I put it from Myself.] I am authorized and have power to lay it down (to resign it) and I am authorized and have power to take it back again. These are the instructions (orders) which I have received [as My charge] from My Father.

Now YOU know the answer to that endlessly debated question! AND, that LOVE has never failed and will NEVER stop! Jump into the life that He has called you to, knowing without a doubt that HIS LOVE will carry you through anything and everything that you will ever face, here, in THIS life! AMEN! Here is Hillsong Worship with "Love So Great":

 LOVE SO GREAT

Your love so great
Jesus in all things
I’ve seen a glimpse of Your heart
A billion years
Still I’ll be singing
How can I praise You enough

You are the Lord Almighty
Out shining all the stars in glory
Your love is like the wildest ocean
Oh nothing else compares

Creation calls
All to the Saviour
We are alive for Your praise
In earth and sky no one is higher
Our God of wonders You reign

Not to us
But to Your Name
We lift up
All praise

Shalom in Him!