A Spectacle Of Glory #327

Read: Matthew 26:39, NKJV

When Jesus was in Gethsemane, He fell on His face and prayed, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.” Jesus was asking, pleading, to not have to face the cross. Just moments later, however, when the soldiers came to arrest Him, Jesus didn’t resist. He said to Peter, “Shall I not drink the cup which My Father has given Me?”^a The Lord’s mind was no longer set on bypassing the cross. No, in that moment He was unflinchingly ready to embrace the cross. That should speak to us as we face our own trials. If you find yourself in a distressing crisis, by all means pray that if it’s God’s will, He will remove it. But once you’ve prayed, leave the trial with Him. Be willing to take up your cross and follow Jesus down the hard, rocky path of surrender.

Lord Jesus, thank You for giving Yourself for me. Thank You for drinking the cup You didn’t want to drink—for walking the road You didn’t want to walk. You could have called twelve legions of angels to save You—in a heartbeat. But You accepted and endured the cross in obedience to the Father . . . and because of Your unwavering love for me.