Often in life, we seek to do something and wish there were another way. We like the easy route and many times cut ourselves short of seeing God do something great because we want to figure it out ourselves and work our own plan. I’ve been there many times and usually, my plan makes it harder, not easier. Why? Because I failed to follow the directions of those who knew best. God has a plan for each of our lives and it is always best, but because it takes patience and great faith we bail before we give Him time to work. There will be times we don’t understand, but our decisions must be fueled by complete obedience.
Jesus was a perfect example of this in Matthew 26:39. He had finished the Lord’s supper with His disciples, washed their feet, sent Judas out, and challenged them to do this in remembrance of Him. He knew His arrest and death were drawing near. He takes the disciples to the Garden with Him to pray.
Matthew 26:36-38 “Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder. And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee and began to be sorrowful and very heavy. Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.”
In the next verse, we see the agonizing words from Jesus to the Father. In Matthew 26:39 Jesus is praying and reveals His heart. “ And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.”
His plea was, if there is any other way, please let this cup pass from me. It wasn’t the death that Jesus was agonizing over, even though it would be pain beyond our comprehension, it was the agony of our sins being placed on Him and being separated from His Father. This would be the only time ever that He would not be in union with the Father. God cannot look upon sin and therefore He turned away from Jesus.
In Matthew 27:45 there was darkness over the earth for three hours. Scholars and scientists tell us this could not have been an eclipse of the sun, because they were celebrating Passover, and it was always during a full moon. Most believe that this was the time God turned away from the Son. II Corinthians 5:21 affirms that He became sin for us. He had never sinned. He had been tempted and experienced all the emotions and problems a human would face, but He never yielded to the temptations to sin.
Matthew 27:45 “Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour.”
II Corinthians 5:21 “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”
The next verse shows us the agony of the separation between the Father and the Son. After three hours of darkness, Jesus cried out “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? That is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”
Matthew 27:46 “And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”
Jesus had been troubled about His impending death before. In John 12:27 He called on His Father to comfort Him and God answered. He spoke with a voice from Heaven. He spoke so the people could hear Him and know that God had answered. However, because they had no relationship with the Father and didn’t believe in His Son, they couldn’t understand the words they heard.
John 12:27-33 “Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour. Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it and will glorify it again. The people, therefore, that stood by, and heard it, said that it thundered: others said, An angel spake to him. Jesus answered and said, This voice came not because of me, but for your sakes. Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. This he said, signifying what death he should die.”
There was only one way for the debt of mankind’s sins to be paid. It took a perfect Lamb to be acceptable as a sacrifice for our sins. In the Old Testament this was the requirement for the sacrificial lamb in Leviticus 22:20. Now Jesus, the perfect Lamb of God, would be an acceptable sacrifice to the Father. There was no other way, no one else qualified. Only Jesus could be a man and not sin. Everyone is born a sinner because of the curse Adam and Eve brought upon mankind.
I Peter 1:19 “But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:”
Romans 3:23 “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God”
In Isaiah 53:4-5 His sufferings and death were prophesized. It was by His stripes we can be forgiven for our sins. In Galatians 5:13 He was made a curse for us and redeemed us from the curse. Because He was without sin, He could pay the price required for sin. Death is the price and those who don’t repent and follow Christ will suffer eternal death in Hell. There was no other way to satisfy God the Father. His holiness required it, and His love allowed it.
Isaiah 53:4-5 “Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”
Galatians 3:13 “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is everyone that hanged on a tree:”
There is also no other way for us to be forgiven for our sins. God’s plan is the only way to Him and the only way to escape eternal punishment in Hell.
