HOLY WEEK REFLECTIONS
Monday 25th March
Jesus is arrested - Luke 22:39-53
'Father,’ he said, ‘if you wish it – please take this cup away from me! But it must be your will, not mine.'
Luke 22:42
Rev. Wayne Dulson writes:
This year we will be spending the whole of Holy Week on Jesus’ final hours, instead of thinking about what happened on each day the week following Palm Sunday. This is to give us more time to focus deeply on what happened to Jesus in his final hours and to see what this might speak to our lives.
As a family we have really enjoyed the reboot of the TV programme, ‘Gladiators’. We love explaining to our children what used to happen, and Gem enjoys retelling stories of what it was like when she went to watch ‘Gladiators’ live when she was younger.
On the first episode we explained the different events such as ‘Duel’ with the pugil sticks, ‘Gauntlet’, ‘Hang Tough’, to name a few, and then how the final was the ‘Eliminator’, which is an obstacle course with the infamous ‘Travelator!’
While the Gladiators barley break a sweat, the contestants, who themselves are extremely fit individuals, often display extreme lack of breath and you can see that after each event they are physically and sometimes mentally exhausted. This is because each event is a real trial that pushes them to the limits of what their bodies are capable of.
The definition of a trial is -
a test, usually over a limited period of time, to discover how effective or suitable something or someone is.
It is fair to say that in most events the contestants are nowhere near as effective as the Gladiators but they all do well on the final ‘Eliminator’ round, probably because that is the only event where there are no Gladiators involved.
Today we start our week of Holy Week reflections thinking about Jesus’ final hours that include his death on a cross.
Our bible reading today from Luke’s gospel recalls the account of Jesus praying before he was arrested. This time of prayer shows how much of a trial Jesus was under as Luke, with his medical background, explains that Jesus sweated drops of blood. Medical research confirms that when a person is under extreme stress and horror, this can and does sometimes happen.
I, like you, have been through many life trials that have brought me to breaking point but none of these have caused me to sweat blood. This gives us an understanding of the extreme trial that Jesus went through. For in the garden as Jesus prayed he not only was fully aware of the human trial he was about to undertake, and indeed was already walking through as he knew that people were on their way to arrest him, as he had told Judas to go and do what he knew he was about to do when they had eaten the Last Supper a few hours ago. The thought of being arrested, being beaten and then the agony of crucifixion would cause anyone to feel extreme stress as this is the most extreme physical trial in all of human history.
But on top of this there was the ‘spiritual trial’ that Jesus was going through. From his birth Jesus knew that God’s plan of spiritual redemption was through him. The death and resurrection of Jesus was to offer a way for all of human history, not just Israel, to be reconciled to God. In all of Jesus’ ministry there had been those who were against him and simply didn’t believe him. This caused Jesus huge spiritual and emotional stress as the spiritual trial that Jesus would go through carried so much – knowing that the salvation of the world rests on you will do that!
Going back to the definition of the word trial –
Jesus was supremely effective and suitable for what he was looking to accomplish through his death. This is because Jesus understood fully what was at stake, after all, this was a trial to see who would win in the battle between good and evil. No wonder the stress caused him to sweat blood.
While we will never face this kind of trial, we do face trials throughout our lives. Yes these trials vary in their degree of difficulty and severity, but they are trials that impact upon our lives nonetheless.
Jesus has gone through the extreme trial that he went through so that we would not have to. This is something to give him praise for. And in doing so we can claim the promise that in the trials that we will face in life, he will walk through them with us. If Jesus has gone through the extremeness of all that he endured he is perfectly placed to have a deep understanding of how tough life can be.
And here is the wonder – Jesus came out the other side of his trial! This means that he will bring you through the trials that you face, if you will keep putting your trust and hope in him.
May this give you strength and resilience as you face the trials of life and may you walk in the power that Jesus gives.
Pray.
Jesus thank you for the way you endured your trials for my benefit. While I will never fully know or understand all you went through, I am thankful that your trials have given me my freedom. When I face trials may I never walk away from you but instead find the way you overcame your trials to be the source of my strength in all that I face, so that together, with you, I may overcome. Speak to me this week more about your love and your power. Amen.