There is a big difference between starting and finishing the course.”
–D.C. Adkisson (Winter of the Wolves)
“I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given me to do.”
“I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given me to do.”
–John 17:4 (NKJV)
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“Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.”
–Luke 22:42(NKJV)
Put yourself for a minute in the garden, not asleep like the disciples, but maybe behind a rock watching the agony of Jesus. Have you ever really thought about what it was that caused this great agony? Maybe it is not clear from the translation above, so let me give you Harbuck’s, “Father, if You are willing or if it pleases You, remove this cup [of agony] from Me. Nevertheless, [it is supremely important that] not My will or My desire be carried out, but that Your will be carried out and accomplished.”
We see the Father’s will and the cup. This cup was a cup of agony. “Jesus agonized over His approaching death and the effect of God’s wrath. The cup is a figure of speech for wrath.” (NKJV Study Bible). What was this cup? Yes, death was there, but it was not necessarily death or the grave that brought about the agony. Jesus wasn’t concerned over the grave, He knew that He would rise again. In Galatians, we read, that God the Father raised Jesus from the dead (1:1) Paul writes in Romans that it was the Holy Spirit that raised Christ from the dead (8:11). Finally, Jesus had His own power to raise Himself (John 3:18). The grave did not concern Him for He had power over the grave.
Do not neglect this word “agony.” It is definitely implied. Jesus knew He would face severe physical torment. Agony was the Greek word used of someone fighting a battle with sheer fear. There is no hope against the torture, the pain–therefore, it is agony. Vine states that the term meant, “severe emotional strain and anguish.” At this moment, in that wretched time in Gethsemane, Jesus could have refused the cross. Think of it, Jesus sweating and blood dripping. Barclay puts it this way, “The salvation of the world hung in the balance of the Son of God literally sweated it out in Gethsemane; and he won.”
They had sung a hymn before leaving the room, but now, in the Garden, the song had ceased and the agony began. He knows He must go through with the Father’s will if mankind is to be redeemed. He is to face the last enemy of life–death. He knew He came to earth for this very purpose, but He also knows that He must face a terrible ordeal.
What was it then? Agony of the soul. Not only was there to be the physical pain, there was the emotional pain that would be attached to it. Even more–the spiritual pain. Yes, there is a pain of the spirit. The holy One, the pure One, the righteous One was now to feel the touch of sin. Not His, but the world’s–past, present, and future. Paul writes, “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us…” (2 Corinthians 5:21, NKJV) Even in this Jesus Himself did not become a sinner or that He was guilty of sin, but our sins, yours and mine, were imputed or attributed to Him. Jesus, who walked among mankind, who saw the results of sin, who healed many who were sick that was part of the curse, who saw men die, now would not only see the results, but would feel sin. The Holy One, received all the sins of the world upon Himself!
Then He uttered those words; words that saw the redemption of mankind. “It is finished!” Redemption is here, the ransom has been paid, God’s justice has been declared and the wrath and punishment has been carried out. Jesus declared it so! “It is finished!” Death came, the agony was over. “Jesus, the originator and perfecter of the faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross…” (Hebrews 12:2, NASB). “…Jesus, the One Who is the Originator (Leader, Source) and Finisher and Perfecter of our faith, He, Who for the reason of the joy [of attaining the victory] that lay ahead of Him, endured the cross and ignored the shame…” (Harbuck)
He faced all the agonies that came with the cross. The enemy–Satan was there, the Father turned His back, sin came upon Him and He cried, not “woe is Me”; but “It is finished!” I repeat–
IT IS FINISHED!
——————————-
“Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.”
–Luke 22:42(NKJV)
Put yourself for a minute in the garden, not asleep like the disciples, but maybe behind a rock watching the agony of Jesus. Have you ever really thought about what it was that caused this great agony? Maybe it is not clear from the translation above, so let me give you Harbuck’s, “Father, if You are willing or if it pleases You, remove this cup [of agony] from Me. Nevertheless, [it is supremely important that] not My will or My desire be carried out, but that Your will be carried out and accomplished.”
We see the Father’s will and the cup. This cup was a cup of agony. “Jesus agonized over His approaching death and the effect of God’s wrath. The cup is a figure of speech for wrath.” (NKJV Study Bible). What was this cup? Yes, death was there, but it was not necessarily death or the grave that brought about the agony. Jesus wasn’t concerned over the grave, He knew that He would rise again. In Galatians, we read, that God the Father raised Jesus from the dead (1:1) Paul writes in Romans that it was the Holy Spirit that raised Christ from the dead (8:11). Finally, Jesus had His own power to raise Himself (John 3:18). The grave did not concern Him for He had power over the grave.
Do not neglect this word “agony.” It is definitely implied. Jesus knew He would face severe physical torment. Agony was the Greek word used of someone fighting a battle with sheer fear. There is no hope against the torture, the pain–therefore, it is agony. Vine states that the term meant, “severe emotional strain and anguish.” At this moment, in that wretched time in Gethsemane, Jesus could have refused the cross. Think of it, Jesus sweating and blood dripping. Barclay puts it this way, “The salvation of the world hung in the balance of the Son of God literally sweated it out in Gethsemane; and he won.”
They had sung a hymn before leaving the room, but now, in the Garden, the song had ceased and the agony began. He knows He must go through with the Father’s will if mankind is to be redeemed. He is to face the last enemy of life–death. He knew He came to earth for this very purpose, but He also knows that He must face a terrible ordeal.
What was it then? Agony of the soul. Not only was there to be the physical pain, there was the emotional pain that would be attached to it. Even more–the spiritual pain. Yes, there is a pain of the spirit. The holy One, the pure One, the righteous One was now to feel the touch of sin. Not His, but the world’s–past, present, and future. Paul writes, “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us…” (2 Corinthians 5:21, NKJV) Even in this Jesus Himself did not become a sinner or that He was guilty of sin, but our sins, yours and mine, were imputed or attributed to Him. Jesus, who walked among mankind, who saw the results of sin, who healed many who were sick that was part of the curse, who saw men die, now would not only see the results, but would feel sin. The Holy One, received all the sins of the world upon Himself!
Then He uttered those words; words that saw the redemption of mankind. “It is finished!” Redemption is here, the ransom has been paid, God’s justice has been declared and the wrath and punishment has been carried out. Jesus declared it so! “It is finished!” Death came, the agony was over. “Jesus, the originator and perfecter of the faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross…” (Hebrews 12:2, NASB). “…Jesus, the One Who is the Originator (Leader, Source) and Finisher and Perfecter of our faith, He, Who for the reason of the joy [of attaining the victory] that lay ahead of Him, endured the cross and ignored the shame…” (Harbuck)
He faced all the agonies that came with the cross. The enemy–Satan was there, the Father turned His back, sin came upon Him and He cried, not “woe is Me”; but “It is finished!” I repeat–
IT IS FINISHED!