Called to Rejoice- Part Four

 Matthew 26:36-44

36 Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples, “Sit here while I go and pray over there.” 37 And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed. 38 Then He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me.”

39 He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.”

40 Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “What! Could you not watch with Me one hour? 41 Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

42 Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done.” 43 And He came and found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy.

44 So He left them, went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words.

Just as John stated in his gospel, I don’t have enough pages or enough words to describe how marvelous and awesome Jesus is.  To those of us who believe, we understand this.  We’ve had an encounter with Jesus that has fully changed our life.  Sometimes we as Christians forget though that Jesus experienced every possible hurdle and temptation that we do, even depression.

Hebrews 4:15

15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.

We forget that one of the other reasons Jesus came to us as a man was to give us a true example that we should live by.  The true mark of a Christian is the process of sanctification, the process of conforming into the image of Christ.  He is our example.  

So, what’s the big deal.  Christ is our example, what can we take away from that?  Exactly what today’s verses are.  Today’s verses are the direct response to how we should approach depression.

The verses state that Jesus was “exceedingly sorrowful and full of distress.”  Is this not the very definition of anxiety and depression?  Isn’t this exactly how we feel when we fall into this?  I’m amazed at how many Christians hang their heads in shame or tell me how ashamed they are because they have had to fight feelings of anxiety and depression.  It’s not the experience of these feelings that defeat a Christian.  It’s how we overcome them that define us.  Do we allow those feelings to control our life, or do we let Christ control our life?  

So, how did Jesus overcome these feelings? 

He prayed to the Father.

How often do you pray?  1 Thessalonians 5:17 tells us to pray without ceasing.  Why?  Because this is where our power comes from.  God speaks to heart when we pray.  Prayer is a two way conversation and one that empowers the Christian.  Read the gospels and take account of every time it talks about Jesus praying to the Father.  It’s a great number of times and not every account was recorded.  Jesus was consistently going to the Father for prayer.

Look how Jesus prayed in verse 39.  Jesus in His sorrow actually asked if He could get out of what was about to happen.  He actually said in prayer that if it was possible, to not let the sacrifice happen.  However, Jesus submitted to the Father by saying, “not my will, but yours…”   Jesus knew the will of the Father and He submitted to it.  

We need to realize this and do the same.

This is very hard to hear and very hard to accept, but sometimes, God does allow rough and what we see as horrible things to take place in our life.  Too many people don’t want to accept this fact, but it’s the truth.  As mentioned in the previous devotions, God allows those things to happen in our life to mold us and to shape us.  It’s not because He’s cruel or hates us.  God knows us better than anyone or anything and He knows what it will truly take to transform us.  He always knows best.  Jesus, being fully God, knew that in His heart as well and confirmed it in prayer.  3 times He confirmed it.  Three in the Bible usually reference finality.  Absoluteness.  Three times represented the completeness of the trinity.  Jesus, being sorrowful and distressed, even with His closest friends bailing on Him and preferring sleep over Him, came out of the garden strong and ready for what was ahead.  He took the stripes, He took the thorns, He carried the cross, He took the nails, He took the ridicule, He took the spit, He took the laughing, He took the spear.  He gave so much more.  He gave a calming word, He gave a confirmation, He gave forgiveness, He gave worship.   He rose from depression to be raised on a cross, to rise from the dead, to raise you into glory.  

He conquered depression and gave us eternal life.

When we are down and out.  When we don’t know where to go.  When we just want to give up.  Give up.  Give up to God.  Surrender yourself to Him in prayer and simply say, “not my will but yours be done.”