The night before Jesus was crucified, He had his last supper with those that were closest to him. He warned them that He would be leaving, but they didn't understand. After dinner, Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray, which was a favorite spot for him. The gospel accounts all describe his mental state as being filled with despair over his impending death. The despair was so deep that his pores were sweating drops of blood. If Jesus lived a perfect life and was able to perform miracles, then why did he struggle so much the night before his death? One of Jesus' primary missions on Earth was to show us how to live and how to love. He demonstrated that in his love for His disciples and others, but He also demonstrated His perfect love for God, his father. While we may attempt to love like Jesus, we cannot fathom the depth and beauty of the complete love between Jesus and his father, God. Jesus, in his humanity, could not stand the idea of being separated from his father, so his despair was real. His reaction to separation from God modeled how we should feel when we are separated from Him. So Jesus, as man, modeled for us how to love perfectly, and by dying for our sins, allows us to have the Holy Spirit inhabit us when we believe. The Holy Spirit is available to lead us and teach us every second of every day. I want to listen more.
These ideas were inspired by Chapter 8 of Tim Keller's book, Encounters with Jesus.
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