The perfect High Priest who sweated blood for humanity.
“While Jesus was here on earth, he offered prayers and pleadings, with a loud cry and tears, to the one who could rescue him from death. And God heard his prayers because of his deep reverence for God. Even though Jesus was God’s Son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered. In this way, God qualified him as a perfect High Priest, and he became the source of eternal salvation for all those who obey him. And God designated him to be a High Priest in the order of Melchizedek..” Hebrews 5:7-10.
The night before the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, Jesus was in the garden of Gethsemane, along with His disciples. Being God from the very beginning, Christ knew exactly the cruel pain and sufferings He was going to face in the next coming hours for our sin and wrongdoings. He was well aware of the eternal covenant of redemption that was going to fulfill in Him for the salvation and redemption of all humankind. However, in His humanity, He offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears there in the garden to the one who could save Him from death. He prayed this to His Father in heaven, “Father if you are willing, take this cup from me: yet not my will, but yours be done.” It says there an angel from heaven appeared to Him and strengthened him for the task ahead of Him. Then it says His sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. (Luke 22:39-44).
Beloved, Did you notice Jesus Christ, the Son of God, said to Father in heaven, if you are willing, please take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done? Jesus always surrendered His will to His Father’s will. Father God answered His prayer, and that is why an angel appeared to Him to strengthen Him in His agony. Our prayers should be like the prayer of Jesus. We should submit our will to God’s will so that many blessings will be the ultimate result. When Jesus submitted entirely to Father’s will, you see, the worldwide blessing God promised to Abraham (Genesis 12:3) was literally fulfilled in and through Him-the Abraham’s seed, the promised Messiah, Jesus Christ.
Beloved, Sometimes we may not get the deliverance we prayed for, do we? God may have another better plan in store for us. But we can always fully trust God’s, the good heart can’t we?. Besides, God will give us the strength to face our trials and sufferings. Through it all, we would learn the depth of obedience in the midst of our sufferings which would eventually make us also more perfect. We can become the source of blessings for many around us. God will get glory in and through our trials and sufferings.
Beloved, The pain, and sufferings of Jesus were so intense that the Bible recorded His sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. Experts say this condition called is hematidrosis is infrequent and many people do not know if it really exists. It occurs when the human sweat contains blood in it. Not only the thought of severe pain and sufferings grabbed hold on Him, but also the weight of the sin of all people ever lived on the face of the earth from Adam to the last man was on Him. In the garden of Gethsemane, when he was praying to the Father God in heaven, He sweated blood. It was an experience of heaviness, fear, and separation from the goodness and love of God, due to all humanity’s sin. He carried our sins, hopelessness, pain, and all on his body.
Jesus was divine and sinless. He was one hundred percent God and one hundred percent human in his incarnation. By His perfect obedience and full submission to the Father’s will, in the midst of indescribable sufferings, Jesus became the source of salvation and eternal life for all who would come to Him. Our passage also says Jesus was designated by God to be the great High Priest in the order of Melchizedek- a new order different from the order of Aaronic priesthood.
Got a moment for today’s prayer? “Father in heaven, I believe the sweat of Jesus became like drops of blood due to my sins on His shoulders. I am sorry for my sins. Please forgive me. I believe Jesus Christ died and rose again to save me. I turn back from my sins and want to live in submission to your will. Please help me to do that every day and make me a channel of blessings for many around me. In Jesus Christ’s name, I pray. Amen.”
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