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Mark 14:35-36
Jesus has left His disciples in small groups, almost strategically placed with instructions for them to keep watch (Mark 14:32-34). As Jesus is approaching the time of His arrest, He is feeling His humanity more than ever; His human feelings of betrayal are about to become real in a physical way that He has not yet been faced with. But He also knows that this is why He came to this earth – to save the world from sin (John 3:16-17). He becomes so taken by this reality that He actually prays to God, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will” (Mark 14:36, NKJV). Through it all, Jesus is able to keep His focus on the goal – His Father’s will above His own heartache.
This is an example that Jesus felt our pain and suffering as He knew what was about to happen to Him in His arrest, conviction, and crucifixion.
We often may wonder why God, being a good and just God, would allow pain and suffering in the world. The answer is found in the definition of love itself as love is giving/offering a loyal affection. But love also has a desire/requirement to receive the same in return in which the mutual satisfaction is then met to completion. The pain and suffering comes when love is rejected. The completion of mutual satisfaction is not met, just as it was in the garden when Adam and Eve broke their dedication to God by disobeying His command to not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:16-17). The loyal affection of the mutual satisfaction was broken, but with it came the knowledge of good and evil. With this knowledge comes the choice, as it is with love, to follow the way of good, or to follow the way of evil. God is love (1 John 4:8), and He desires for us to mutually share His loyal affection for us by returning our loyal affection to Him. Eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, in this disobedience, opened the door to death (Genesis 2:17) as the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23a), and all have sinned (Romans 3:23), but the gift of God in His love for us is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23b). Jesus would die sinless – not under the curse of death, and in so would defeat death once for all (Romans 6:10). The gift is simply to believe in Him as your Savior – the Savior of the world! (John 1:29; Romans 10:9-10).
Dear LORD,
The Bible teaches us that as Jesus suffered and was persecuted, so shall we be (John 15:18-20). Please help us to cling to You, as did Jesus, as we know that You will see us through to accomplishing Your will for our lives. It is Your loyal affection for us that brings our loyal affection to completion in Christ. Please let it be so LORD. In Jesus name I pray, amen.