The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1906-09-13

shows, on the contrary, the bravery
of our Lord, and does not show any
weakness. I am inclined to think
that Christ had no thought OF the
cross during the time in Which he
made this prayer, save IN His remote
consciousness: but He was, just at
that moment, fearful that His mortal
body would succumb to the terrible
strain He was passing through, DUR
ing this awful hour in Gethsemane.
He felt that lis life would be crushed
out by this terrible agony, before He
reached the cross, for does not one
of the accounts tell us Chrlst's own
words, MY soul is exceeding sorrow
full, even unto DEATH and another
that, being in agony, He prayed
more earnestly; and His sweat be-
came as it were great drops of blood
falling down upon the ground" And
God heard and answered His prayer
by sending an angel from heaven,
strengthening Him.
Jesus was not, here, seeking to
bend His Fathers will, but asking
God for strength to reach the cross,
and God sent an angel in answer to
that prayer. This is the scriptural
account of why our Lord was IL
agon-. This cup, which Christ was
drinking to the dregs, was the cup of
Gods wrath upon the sins of men.
Christ was drinking the bitterness
of the cup in our stead. His bloody
sweat was a sprinkling, an antici-
pated atonement. upon the very
ground which had been "cursed" be-
cause of mans sin. No imagination
can feel, no words can describe the
agony that Christ had to bear in
GethSemane.
So why need we search our imagi-
nations and try to manufacture mys-
terious explanations why Christ
made this prayer when the answer
and reason for the prayer, is given
in the very account itself, in the
necessity of the angels appearance?
When Jesus said, mot My will.
but Thine, be done" He resigned
Himself to Gods will. If He slould
die Of agony, it was Gods will, but
l-e prayed that this cup should pass
from m. But His atoning death
was not to- be there in Gethsemane,
in the night, but He was to be lifted
upon the cross of Calvary in order
that all men would be drawn unto
We know that Christ's was sensi-
tive nature but this isi not saying
that He was not brave. And there IS
no reason to believe that He, in anti
cipation of His death, would Yield
to the thought any more than AMOR
dinary. man. So, therefore, because
He suffered "even unto DEATH" as
He did. in the. Garden of Gethsem-
ane,i is in Itself ahfargument that He
was bearing more than the antici-
patton. \, Z
Christs suffering in Gethsemane to
Hack of fortitude or bravery. Dur
Lord was no stole. He here felt hat
His physical body was, giving way
under an agony which no language
can describe 8
" Throughout the whole Old Testa-
ment period fGod- under the LeTitical
code O., LAWS educated His chosen
people to the fact-tnat without the
asaedding~ef~bloed d~shere1 40, re-
mission cfsins. Allthese forms Of sacri-
fetal atonement 6f the sins OF Israel
v2re typical Of Christ, the Lambs of
God. And can it.-he ~sARpesed for
ore moment that our Lordsdid not
fully realize this in Gethgamane?
=And ,thTsug gnout<the whole New Tes-
lament gospel, it is pfafnly stated
everywhere that our peace is through
the blood Of the cross, Surely then
that great Paschal Lamb of God that
was to take away the sins Of the
world did not hesitate nor falter at
the approach Of the atonement by
the shedding Of His blood upon tie
cross. It was for the joy that yas
set before Him that He endured
the cross and despised shame, and
He won thereby His seat at the right
hand of the throne of God.
The staggering Of Christ's physical
body underneath this tremendous
burden lust not be mistaken <or a
faltering of His will.