Christ's Sufferings Revisited

It's taken from an email sent to me, by Soo-Inn Tan, on a Good Friday. Here goes:

I have been revisiting Gethsemane in preparation for Maundy Thursday*. I am struck fresh by the prophetic force of Jesus' travail in the dark. Jesus was no eager suicide bomber rushing to his martyrdom. Instead He wrestles with His Father to see if there was anyway He could get out of going to the Cross.

"Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, 'My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.'" (Matt 26:39 TNIV)

Jesus did not suffer martyrdom. His was a unique death and a unique anguish. As D. A. Carson mentioned,

"Jesus went to his death knowing that it was his father's will that he face death, completely alone (Matt 27:46) as the sacrificial, wrath-averting Passover Lamb." ¹

There’s no indication that Jesus would disobey the Father; He only asked if there was any other way. Once it was established that the Cross was the only way, Jesus embraced it. In doing so, Jesus practiced what He had taught His disciples in the model prayer—Matt 6:10. This then is one key lesson from Gethsemane: followers of Jesus are to obey God even when it is difficult. The lesson is clear but hard to hear in today's consumerism-dominated world.

Consumerism tells us daily, and in many creative ways, that the customer is king. We are encouraged to make choices that make us feel good. As Benjamin Barber points out, the modern consumer society has trained us to choose the easy over the hard.

"Our [society] rewards the easy and penalizes the hard. It promises profits for life to those who cut corners and simplify the complex at every turn. Weight loss without exercise, marriage without commitment, painting or piano by the numbers without practice or discipline, internet "college degrees" without course work or learning, athletic success through steroids and showboating . . . morality without sacrifice, and virtue without effort." ²

Interestingly, Satan also offers a similar deal—salvation without the Cross (Matt 4: 8-11).

Thank God that Jesus made the right choice. His obedience lead to the Cross and opened the way for life and birth of God's new humanity.

As members of this new humanity, we are confronted by choices that involve choosing between God's way and the Devil's way. If indeed the "the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak" (Matt 26: 41), how do we find the strength to make the tough, right choices in this world that encourages us to take the easy way? We find 2 clues from Jesus' victorious choice.

First, Jesus always trusted in the love of His Father. Even as He agonised over the prospect of the Cross, Jesus always knew that God was His Father (Matt 26:39). R. T. France points out,

"The relationship of trust and loyalty between Father and Son which was put under scrutiny at the outset of Jesus' ministry (4:1-11), proves able to survive even this ultimate test." ₃

We must choose to obey God, even when it is tough or when we don't understand, because we can trust our Abba Father. His love is perfect, and all his ways are just. Jesus knew that and chose accordingly. At some point or points of our Christian pilgrimage, we need to know and remember the absolute trustworthiness of the love and purposes of our Father so that we would free fall for Him if He were to ask us to.

The second clue from Gethsemane may be somewhat negative; and that is: we need a supportive community. Jesus made it clear that He wanted His three closest disciples to be with Him during His time of testing. Jesus is no unfeeling stoic. He freely tells His friends: "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me." (Matt 26:38b TNIV). The fact that His three friends fell asleep does not negate the principle that we are meant to face the challenges of life with the company of faithful and godly friends.

Though we will never fully understand all that happened at Gethsemane, we know that Jesus had to make a tough decision, and He chose the right path. Now, He invites us to take up our crosses and follow Him—fully trusting the Father and in the company of faithful friends. This Maundy Thursday* let’s echo the words from Gethsemane: "Not as I will, but as you will."

* "Maundy Thursday" is basically a commemoration of the day before Easter (or Easter-Eve if you like). It's to remember the following events: the washing of the Disciples' Feet by Jesus Christ, the institution of the Mystery of the Holy Eucharist at the Last Supper, the agony of Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane, and the betrayal of Christ by Judas Iscariot.

¹ Matthew, The Expositor's Bible Commentary, Vol 8, Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1984, 543.

² Consumed, New York, NY: W. W. Norton & Company, 2007, 87-88.

³ The Gospel Of Matthew, Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2007, 1002.