Passion of the Christ
- Part 2 -

Angam Zaung Chiru *

Easter Sunday at MBC Church, Chingmeirong, Imphal :: April 8 2012 :: Pix - Banti Phurailatpam

The human heart longs for sympathy in suffering. This longing Christ felt to the very depths of His being. In the supreme agony of His soul He came to His disciples with a yearning desire to hear some words of comfort from those whom He had so often blessed and comforted, and shielded in sorrow and distress. The one who had always had words of sympathy for them was now suffering super human agony, and He longed to know that they were praying for Him and for themselves. How dark seemed the malignity of sin! Terrible was the temptation to let the human race bear the consequences of its own guilt, while He stood innocent before God. If He could only know that His disciples understood and appreciated this, He would be strengthened.

Rising with painful effort, He staggered to the place where He had left His companions. But Jesus "Findeth them asleep." Had Jesus found them (disciples) praying, He would have been relieved. Had they been seeking refuge in God, that satanic agencies might not prevail over them, He would have been comforted by their steadfast faith.

But they had not heeded the repeated warning, "Watching and Pray." At first they had been much trouble to see their Master, usually so calm and dignified, wrestling with a sorrow that was beyond comprehension. Just before Jesus bent His footstep to the garden, Jesus had said to the disciples, "All ye shall be offended because of Me this night." They had given Him the strongest assurance that they would with Jesus to Prison and to death. But peter had added,

"Although all shall be offended,
yet will not I." Mark14:27, 29.

The disciples awakened at the voice of Jesus, but they hardly knew Jesus, His face was so changed by aguish. Telling Peter, Jesus said Simon, sleepest thou? Could not thou watch one hour? Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. Even in Jesus great agony, Jesus was seeking to excuse their weakness. The spirit truly is ready, He had said, "But the flesh is weak." (To be contd)

See the son of God was seized with superhuman agony, and fainting and exhausted. He staggered back to the place of His former struggle. His suffering was even greater than before. As the agony of soul came upon Him, His sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground." The cypress and palm trees were the silent witness of Jesus agony and anguish. From their leafy branches dropped heavy dew upon Jesus stricken form, as if nature wept over its maker Author wresting alone with the powers of darkness - Satan.

Our human redeemer Jesus Christ's
"Visage was so marred more than any man,
and His form more than the sons of men." Isa. 52:14.

His disciples saw Jesus face marked with the bloody sweat of agony, and they were filled with fear. Jesus anguish of mind they could not understand. The humanity of the son of God trembled in that trying hour. It was so sad that the son of God supreme agony for you and for me and also whole the world.

For Christ, the awful moment had come that moment which was to decide the destiny of the world. The fate of humanity trembled in the balance. Christ might even now refuse to drink the cup apportioned to guilty man. It was not yet too late. Jesus might wipe the bloody sweat from His brow, and leave man to perish in his iniquity. He might say, let the transgressor receive the Penalty of his sin, and I will go back to my Father.

Will the son of God drink the bitter cup of humiliation and agony? Will the innocent suffer the consequences of the curse of sin, to save the guilty? The word fall tremblingly from the pale lips of Jesus, "O My Father, if this cup may not pass away from Me except I drink it, thy will be done." Three times has Jesus uttered that prayer. Three times has humanity shrunk from the last, crowning sacrifice.

But now the history of the human race comes up before the world's redeemer. Jesus sees that the transgressor of the law, if left to themselves, must perish. Jesus sees the helplessness of man. He sees the power of Sin. The woes ad lamentation of a doomed world rise before Him. He beholds its impending fate, and His decision is made. He will save man at any cost to Himself.

He accepts His baptism of blood, that through Him perishing millions may gain everlasting life. Jesus has left the courts of heaven, where all is purity, happiness, and glory, to save the one lost sheep, the one world that has fallen by transgression. And He will not turn from His mission. He will come propitiation of a race that has willed to sin Jesus Prayer now breathes only submission. "If this cup may not pass away from Me except I drink it, They will be done."

Almighty God suffered with His beloved son. Heavenly Angels beheld the Saviour's agony. They saw their Lord enclosed by legions of satanic forces, His nature weighted down with a shuddering, mysterious dread. By this time there was keep silence in heaven. No music instrument like harp was touch. Could mortals have viewed the amazement of angelic host as in silent grief they watched the Father separating His beams of lights, love and glory from His beloved son, they would better understand how offensive in His sight is sin.

The world unfallen and the heavenly angels had watched with intense interest as the conflict drew to its close. Satan and his confederacy of evil, the legions of apostasy watched intent this great Crisis in the work of redemption, The powers of good and evil waited to see what answer would come to Christ's thrice repeated prayer. Angels had longed to bring relief to the divine suffer, but this might not be. No way of escape was found for the son of God.

In this awful crisis, when everything was at stake, when the mysterious cup trembled in the hand of the sufferer, the heavens opened, a light shone forth amid the stormy dark of the crisis hour, and the mighty angel who stands in God's Presence, occupying the position from which Satan fell, came to the side of Christ. The angel came not to take the cup from Christ's hand, but to strengthen Jesus to drink it, with the assurance of the Father's love.

To be continued...