Thursday.
The day must have felt like eternity for Him. I mean after all, He was the only human who comprehended eternity.
He spent the day teaching. Watching his guys go about “normal” business. He saw them smile, He heard their chatter, and He waited. I wonder what He thought as He heard them laugh throughout the day about things?
Moments ticked by marking time. Hours passed until supper time. They had a room reserved in the upper corner of a building. Their last supper.
For over 1,095 days these 12 men had marked their lives in sync with each other. Their bond was tight. Their quarrels honest. Their love sincere. And it was all about to change. It was their last supper, and they didn’t have a clue. Except for Him. He knew.
Every moment of that day He knew. He knew it would be his last meal on earth as the God-man. His last time around a table with his 12 disciples. His last conversation with them, to impart all He could before EVERYTHING CHANGED!
He broke bread. He poured wine. He knew what it meant. They didn’t. They didn’t have a clue. But He knew.
I wonder what emotions He felt as He bit into the bread and sipped of the cup???
They went for a walk, and found themselves in one of His favorite places. A grove of olive trees. He tucked Himself away from them. He was to be pressed. Poured out like oil. They had no clue, but He knew.
He wrestled with it. He cried over it. He asked, in His most human moments, for it to not happen. I love this about Him. I love the honesty and humanness of seeing Him not want to suffer. He knew exactly what the suffering would involve. And He didn’t want to endure it. When I got this. When I realized this, it broke open my heart. It drew me to Him like nothing else ever could.
You see a battle happened once before in a garden. In Eden Satan whispered lies and Adam believed them. Adam chose his will over God’s will. Now, in a garden once again a battle raged within a man.
He knew it would be His last plea with the Father this side of Heaven. He knew the betrayal around the bend. The kiss coming which would seal his death sentence. He knew, yet He stayed.
He knew every moment ahead. He knew there was no other way, yet He begged for one to come. He knew He could command Heaven to intervene, yet He surrendered to the Father.
Thursday is where the battle gets real. Thursday is where we see Love unfold unlike ever before. Thursday is where we see Jesus wrestle with humanity and divinity.
Thursday is where history changed. In a garden, beneath olive branches, the Vine of Salvation rooted His heart to the Father and surrendered His power.
Thursday is when Satan lost and never even knew it. Thursday is when Jesus said, “not my will, but yours be done.” Thursday the battle of spiritual forces raged within a man and good conquered evil, humility overpowered pride, service defeated self.
Thursday marked the moment when victory began to unfold. The tide turned, but no one saw it happen.
Jesus knew, in those quiet moments alone with God, what the future held. He knew He would suffer. He knew He would die. He knew His blood would cleanse what could not be cleansed any other way. He knew the grave would lose. He knew He would rise again. He had taught it. He had preached it. He now had to do it.
But Thursday, Thursday marked the surrender.
The beauty of Easter is Jesus didn’t have to. In his humanness, He didn’t want to. But He chose to lay down His will, to surrender His life for the ransom of mine.
Gethsemane restored the glory Eden abandoned……total surrender to the Father.
Thursday, in a grove of olive trees He chose me.
With blood seeping from his pores, an angel attending His body to strengthen Him.
He chose me over Him. He knew me. He did it for me.
He did it for you. He already chose you. Now, will you choose Him?
