Daily devotion – days before the Cross
John 12: 27 “Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour. 28 Father, glorify Your name.”
Then a voice came from heaven, saying, “I have both glorified it and will glorify it again.”
29 Therefore the people who stood by and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to Him.”
30 Jesus answered and said, “This voice did not come because of Me, but for your sake. 31 Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out. 32 And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.” 33 This He said, signifying by what death He would die.
Jesus’ soul was troubled, not because He was about to endure the Cross at Calvary because Hebrews 12:2 tells us – looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
But because He was anticipating bearing the shame of sin, experiencing God’s wrath, and being separated from the Father!
The word troubled here means, to shake or to stir up – it’s a strong word that depicts that of a severe mental or spiritual agitation; of being disturbed, upset, unsettled or horrified.
Jesus did not go to the Cross in some stoic robotic manner, He went to the Cross in His humanness, along with the pain associated with what it would bring.
But Jesus knew this was the very hour He had come for, to fulfil the wonderful plan of salvation that would lovingly include you and I to receive God’s grace and forgiveness.
Easter is such a significant moment for us to reflect on and continually come before God with hearts full of thanksgiving.
Easter is the story of God’s great grace, that would be free to all who would believe and accept it – and a significant reminder of the great cost for our free gift!