Tuesday: The Garden: He submitted himself to the PURPOSE

 

Read Mark 14:32-42

 

This year as I began to really contemplate what Jesus did for me over 2,000 years ago. I kept getting drawn to the passage in Mark 14 where we see the real purpose Jesus came to earth.  Yes, Jesus did some incredible miracles during His short time here on earth, He shared the most amazing sermons ever spoken, showed love and compassion in a way no one had ever done before.  In just three years of ministry, Jesus created a following like no one had ever seen before, but all of this would be nothing if He didn’t experience what He did in the Garden.

See, it’s here in the Garden where we get the first real picture of the enormity of Jesus’ love for us as the weight of our sin is placed upon His shoulders. Jesus’ words in Verse 34 just really touched me this year, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death…”  The word “sorrow” just jumps out at me. What was causing Him this sorrow? Was it because He felt so bad for all mankind and the fact we are separated from God because of our sin? Was it because of all the sin He was about to bear? Even worse, was it  because of my sin that He would have to be crucified and separated from His Father? Just thinking about these questions makes my own heart begin to fill up with sorrow.
 
But then as we read on in the chapters to come in the Book of Mark, we get to see that Jesus didn’t just leave Heaven without a plan.  He left with a PURPOSE.  A purpose that was driven completely by love.   Our Heavenly  Father loved us so much that when we became separated from Him, He provided a way for us to be reunited with Him; a way for us to escape the consequences of our sins.  God in all His wisdom, knew we could never do it on our own, so He sent His Only Son from Heaven to Earth with one PURPOSE in mind, to save us from our sins.
 
Jesus, even in the midst of all the distress and sorrow, sorrow beyond anything we can imagine, still stays true to the PURPOSE.  Jesus shouts out

“Abba, Father, everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” 

Jesus knew the cup He would have to bear was going to be overwhelming, but He also knew His Father was bigger than any cup He would have to bear and that His Father’s Will was better than anything He could do.

 

How about you?  Are you willing to follow God’s Will for you?  Do you realize that God has a specific PURPOSE in mind for you?  That PURPOSE is to glorify Him!  See, we need to be like Jesus and surrender All to God:  our homes, our families, our talents, our finances, our lives. It’s not easy.  A matter of fact, it’s going to be anything but.  Yet when we surrender all to Him and are completely open to His PURPOSE for our lives, we will be blessed beyond our imaginations.  So, this Easter as you think about the ALL that Jesus did for you and me, let’s remember the PURPOSE He came to earth for and let’s share that PURPOSE with everyone we meet.  Remember our PURPOSE is to bring glory and honor to Him.

 

Pastor Glenn Cohrs