How often is this all that we want to hear? We so desire everlasting joy and gladness. Every day we see surrounding us and within us a depth of agony unbearable. We moan beneath the weight of sorrow, grief, sickness, and pain. My niece grieves over the sorrows surrounding her. Daily she feeds a homeless mute. She provides care to many suffering dogs and cats injured in the streets in Mexico. Meanwhile she weeps. Her grief drives her to sacrifice and give what she can. But she is overwhelmed by the numbers, knowing that she cannot save them all.
Then there is my stepson who is in agony as he watches his mother weaken, her body and mind failing. That in addition to all he has suffered before now. His father who became lost in addiction while battling bipolar disease, and ultimately took his life. A stepfather consumed with cancer and died in his arms. And a cousin who once stood by faith, now lost in a world of schizophrenia. So, how are we to face such depth of agony surrounding us? How can we still proclaim the good news of the gospel? Facing, living, and seeing such depth of agony. How do we present Jesus as our hope and our joy even here and now?
Yet, we know that Jesus walked that same path. He lived among the sorrowful of this world—the sick, the lame, the hungry, and the outcasts.
He was despised and rejected by men,
a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;
and as one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Isaiah 53:3 (ESV)
Marching Toward His Destiny-the Depth of Agony Lay Ahead
Though Jesus tried to tell His Apostles of what was to come, they did not want to hear it. So desirous to believe His Kingdom was now. They wanted the suffering to all end. They closed their ears to the truth and could not see it. He had to die, or there would be no salvation for anyone. The final sacrificial lamb would have to die to pay the price of salvation. It was the only way to satisfy the wrath of perfect righteousness against sin. Evil could not be removed otherwise. The promise of salvation gone. The world never cleansed.
Yet, there it was. Jesus had once more told them as He broke the bread and passed forth the wine, He was going away. They were to do this in remembrance of Him. This is not what they wanted. Sorrow filled their hearts. They did not fully understand. Not yet at least.
Judas had left to betray Jesus to the chief priests. As they walked toward the Garden of Gethsemane, He prayed. This was that prayer. A prayer not for Himself, but for His Disciples and for each of us who would believe.
Before the Depth of Agony-He Thought of Us
Jesus spoke these things; and raising His eyes to heaven, He said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son, so that the Son may glorify You, 2 just as You gave Him authority over all mankind, so that to all whom You have given Him, He may give eternal life. 3 And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. 4 I glorified You on the earth by accomplishing the work which You have given Me to do. 5 And now You, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world existed.
He so wanted to be with the Father again. Yet He knew this was the only way to save all these who would be His.
He Loved Us Too Much to Walk Away from the Depth of Agony
6 “I have revealed Your name to the men whom You gave Me out of the world; they were Yours and You gave them to Me, and they have followed Your word. 7 Now they have come to know that everything which You have given Me is from You; 8 for the words which You gave Me I have given to them; and they received them and truly understood that I came forth from You, and they believed that You sent Me.
9 I ask on their behalf; I do not ask on behalf of the world, but on the behalf of those whom You have given Me, because they are Yours; 10 and all things that are Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine; and I have been glorified in them. 11 I am no longer going to be in the world; and yet they themselves are in the world, and I am coming to You. Holy Father, keep them in Your name, the name which You have given Me, so that they may be one just as We are. 12 While I was with them, I was keeping them in Your name, which You have given Me; and I guarded them, and not one of them perished except the son of destruction, so that the Scripture would be fulfilled. (John 17, NASB).
He Asks for Their Joy Amid the Depths of Agony to Come
13 But now I am coming to You; and these things I speak in the world so that they may have My joy made full in themselves. 14 I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 15 I am not asking You to take them out of the world, but to keep them away from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. 18 Just as You sent Me into the world, I also sent them into the world. 19 And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, so that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth.
20 “I am not asking on behalf of these alone, but also for those who believe in Me through their word, 21 that they may all be one; just as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me. (John 17, NASB)
One Day when the Depth of Agony is Past, but for now Love
22 The glory which You have given Me I also have given to them, so that they may be one, just as We are one; 23 I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and You loved them, just as You loved Me. 24 Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.
25 “Righteous Father, although the world has not known You, yet I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me; 26 and I have made Your name known to them, and will make it known, so that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.” John 17 (NASB)
The Depth of Agony in the Garden
Jesus knew precisely why this must be. Yet, as the hour approached, He knew He must pray for strength. He was about to face a depth of agony that we cannot comprehend. He who is perfect righteousness. The very one who stands in perfect union with the Father and the Holy Spirit. Now He must endure all the eternities of wrath against sin and evil. How can perfect righteousness bare all the shame, guilt, and wrath of all the sins of the world? Nothing could have prepared Him for what was to come. It was nearly unthinkable, even though, He knew it must be. Yet, the depth of agony was nearly more than He could bear, even knowing the reason.
36 Then Jesus *came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and *told His disciples, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” 37 And He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee with Him and began to be grieved and distressed. 38 Then He *said to them, “My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death; remain here and keep watch with Me.”
And So, He Prayed
39 And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.” 40 And He *came to the disciples and *found them sleeping, and He *said to Peter, “So, you men could not keep watch with Me for one hour? 41 Keep watching and praying, so that you do not come into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
42 He went away again a second time and prayed, saying, “My Father, if this cup cannot pass away unless I drink from it, your will be done.” 43 Again He came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. 44 And He left them again, and went away and prayed a third time, saying the same thing once more. 45 Then He *came to the disciples and *said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Behold, the hour is at hand and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46 Get up, let us go; behold, the one who is betraying Me is near!” Matthew 26 (NASB).
The Depth of Agony Displayed Even More Vivid in Luke’s Account
Now an angel from heaven appeared to Him, strengthening Him. 44 And being in agony, He was praying very fervently; and His sweat became like drops of blood, falling down upon the ground]. 45 When He rose from prayer, He came to the disciples and found them sleeping from sorrow Luke 22 (NASB)
He had told them that His suffering was so severe that He felt He would die from the depth of agony and grief He felt. His sorrow was so great that even with an angel there to strengthen Him—His sweat became blood as all the capillaries in His body became so engorged from the depth of agony He felt. Yet, despite this: note He was concerned for them and would go to check on them. He knew their sorrow was so deep as well. Urging them to pray, He still had compassion and concern for them. He knew that only prayer could strengthen them. But they were too sad to even pray, sleep was all they could manage at that moment. So, He prayed.
Strength to Stand
After spending the night in agonizing prayer, Jesus was ready to face the depth of agony that lay before Him. We cannot even imagine how hard this must have been. Yet, He walked forward to face His destiny.
3 So Judas, having obtained the Roman cohort and officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, *came there with lanterns, torches, and weapons. 4 Jesus therefore, knowing all the things that were coming upon Him, came out into the open and *said to them, “Whom are you seeking?” 5 They answered Him, “Jesus the Nazarene.” He *said to them, “I am He.” And Judas also, who was betraying Him, was standing with them.
6 Now then, when He said to them, “I am He,” they drew back and fell to the ground. 7 He then asked them again, “Whom are you seeking?” And they said, “Jesus the Nazarene.” 8 Jesus answered, “I told you that I am He; so if you are seeking Me, let these men go on their way.” 9 This took place so that the word which He spoke would be fulfilled: “Of those whom You have given Me I lost not one.” 10 Then Simon Peter, since he had a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s slave, and cut off his right ear; and the slave’s name was Malchus. 11 So Jesus said to Peter, “Put the sword into the sheath; the cup which the Father has given Me, am I not to drink it?” John 18 (NASB).
The Value of Prayer in Moments of Agony
Should we not also learn the need for prayer during our moments of agony? Even in those moments when it seems too painful to pray, we know that the Holy Spirit is there to help as promised in Romans 8:26
26 Now in the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know what to pray for as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; 27 and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. Romans 8 (NASB).
God Keeps His Promise for the Salvation of Man
And this is at the agonizing cost for His Son—but without this all of humanity was condemned to Hell for eternity. And because of this, one day we will know everlasting joy when all the pain and suffering will pass away. Yet, for the truth in Isaiah 51 to be realized, Isaiah 53 had to be completed.
Who has believed our report?
And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
2 For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot,
And like a root out of dry ground;
He has no stately form or majesty
That we would look at Him,
Nor an appearance that we would take pleasure in Him.
3 He was despised and abandoned by men,
A man of great pain and familiar with sickness;
And like one from whom people hide their faces,
He was despised, and we had no regard for Him.4 However, it was our sicknesses that He Himself bore,
And our pains that He carried;
Yet we ourselves assumed that He had been afflicted,
Struck down by God, and humiliated.
5 But He was pierced for our offenses,
He was crushed for our wrongdoings;
The punishment for our well-being was laid upon Him,
And by His wounds we are healed.
6 All of us, like sheep, have gone astray,
Each of us has turned to his own way;
But the Lord has caused the wrongdoing of us all
To fall on Him.7 He was oppressed and afflicted,
Yet He did not open His mouth;
Like a lamb that is led to slaughter,
And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers,
So He did not open His mouth.
8 By oppression and judgment He was taken away;
And as for His generation, who considered
That He was cut off from the land of the living
For the wrongdoing of my people, to whom the blow was due?
9 And His grave was assigned with wicked men,
Yet He was with a rich man in His death,
Because He had done no violence,
Nor was there any deceit in His mouth.10 But the Lord desired
Isaiah 53 NASB
To crush Him, causing Him grief;
If He renders Himself as a guilt offering,
He will see His offspring,
He will prolong His days,
And the good pleasure of the Lord will prosper in His hand.
11 As a result of the anguish of His soul,
He will see it and be satisfied;
By His knowledge, the Righteous One,
My Servant, will justify the many,
For He will bear their wrongdoings.
DO YOU KNOW CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR AND LORD? He is our only Hope in Life and Death! Our Joy is found in Him.
Therefore if you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord: I urge you today. Go to my page titled How to Be Saved by clicking on this link. There is nothing more important than this; because He is the way, the truth and the life. Therefore, I urge you to seek Him today.
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DISCLOSURES
©Effie Darlene Barba, 2023Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. Furthermore, I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned except for my own books. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising
CreditsNew King James Version (NKJV)Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.New American Standard Bible (NASB)New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.New English Translation (NET)NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.
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