For me it was in the garden
He prayed not My will but Thine
He had no tears for His own griefs
But sweat drops of blood for mine
My Savior’s Love 1905
By: Charles H. Gabriel (1856-1932)
Listen to this modern version of this hymn as you prepare to ponder the lyrics. Please make certain to enjoy the podcast below.
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Transcript may be found below, at the end of the blog.
As we begin our journey through this wonder-filled hymn take an assessment of the level of wonder and amazement which characterizes your relationship with Jesus. We all have room to grow in response to His love for us. Let’s think about this.
No Tears
Jesus was about to take the sin of the world upon His shoulders. He knew that moment was coming. No surprise that the sorrow that consumed Him seemed like death approaching.
His soul felt it. Yet he did not shed tears for the weight He felt, but the weight that was ours to bear without any capacity to do so. The look on His face portrayed in the image above seem to fall woefully short it trying to capture that anguish. He bore it all for the glory of God and for our good.
He had no tears for His own griefs
And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.” Matthew 26:37-38 ESV
Though He was filled with sorrow, even to the point of death, He shed no tears for his griefs. Instead He asked His disciples to stay with Him and pray. He would need divine strength as He prepared to carry the weight of humanity’s sin to the cross. Marvelous love!
It seems very reasonable that Jesus would not only have cried out in prayer from the sheer pressure of this event, but would have shed tears in the process. Even so, He was not feeling sorry for Himself, but being crushed under the incredible weight of becoming sin for us.
RESONATE!
Take a few moments think about this sorrow. Recall the deepest sorrow you have ever known and then try to imagine shedding no tears over it because you are consumed with the sadness of others. Thankfully, you did not have to bear it. Make this your simple prayer “Jesus, thank You for bearing my grief.”
Drops of Blood
This anguish is simply unfathomable. We lack the capacity to even begin to imagine what Jesus felt in the garden. Even His closest friends could not stay awake while the pressure on Him was so great He was sweating blood.
Seem far-fetched? It is not.
But sweat drops of blood for mine
And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground. Luke 22:44 ESV
So great was His grief that it produced a strain in His body forcing blood into His drops of sweat. He literally was sweating blood. This is a real physical condition and one certainly the humanity of God endured as He took on the sins of the world: our sin, His grief.
I can not fathom this. Was He mentally processing the events unfolding? Was He emotionally anticipating the separation from the Father that eternally had never occurred? Was He spiritually grappling with salvation’s cost? Yes, and all the while physically sweating blood.
RESONATE!
Take a few moments and imagine you are there in the garden. Jesus returns from a period of prayer so intense He is sweating blood to find you asleep. Though He rebukes you He is not angry. Simply thank Him saying “Lord, be glorified for Your marvelous love.“
Jesus, thank You for bearing my sin. The weight of it was more than I could handle. Knowing that you made a way to lift that burden, and you did so willingly. Thank You. In Jesus name. Amen.
Sorrow-filled Thinking!
Podcast 48.2 Transcript
Welcome to Thursday Thoughts at Resonant 7, where we reflect on the reality of God and resolve to let it resound in our lives, repeatedly. Let’s think about this.
For me it was in the garden
Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go over there and pray.” Matthew 26:36 ESV
Jesus knew what was coming. Judgment, and the satisfaction of the price for sin. He had come in the flesh to pay that penalty, and had come to the garden to pray for the strength to endure it. He had no price of His own to pay for He was perfect, but willingly paid for ours.
He prayed not My will but Thine
And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” Matthew 26:39 ESV
He went to the garden to pray for the cup to pass. What cup? The cup of judgment that had to be consumed for us to know the love of God. He asked His Father to let it pass from Him, but was willing to surrender to the Father’s will if it could not. Of course it couldn’t, so He drank it.
He had no tears for His own griefs
And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.” Matthew 26:37-38 ESV
Though He was filled with sorrow, even to the point of death, He shed no tears for his griefs. Instead He asked His disciples to stay with Him and pray. He would need divine strength as He prepared to carry the weight of humanity’s sin to the cross. Marvelous love!
But sweat drops of blood for mine
And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground. Luke 22:44 ESV
So great was His grief that it produced a strain in His body forcing blood into His drops of sweat. He literally was sweating blood. This is a real physical condition and one certainly the humanity of God endured as He took on the sins of the world: our sin, His grief.
Take a few moments to talk to Jesus about what has come to your mind, or listen to what He is saying to you, then I will read our text once more.
For me it was in the garden
He prayed not My will but Thine
He had no tears for His own griefs
But sweat drops of blood for mine
Take the mindfulness of God’s presence cultivated in these last few minutes into the next ones and beyond. Until next time,
Be Resonant.
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