In Luke's account of Jesus' last few days before the cross, we read in chapter 22 of how Jesus withdrew up the Mount of olives to pray with his Father. In this moment of intimacy, Jesus knew the absolute horror of what lay before him. Looming large ahead was not the fear of beatings, torture, rejection, betrayal, denial, piercing or mortal death, but it was the absolute terror of knowing that his Father's presence was near to being ripped apart from him. The deep intimate union that Jesus and his Father shared was such that Jesus' ministry was littered with phrases such as, "the Father and I are one" and, "I only do what I see my Father doing" and, "I am in the Father and the Father is in me". He and the Father were so inextricably linked that the mere thought of separation from that closeness lead to verse 44; "And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground".
And it is because of this that we can take heart.
Because Jesus submitted to his Father's will, and did not give room for his very legitimate fear to dictate how he would respond, 2000 years later we can take courage from the fact that though we may face moments of fear and anguish, the presence of God will never be removed from us again. Romans.8:35 throws the almost mocking rhetorical taunt, "who shall separate us from the Love of Christ?" right into the face of the enemy.
In light of this, the question is how will you and I respond when fears and anguish's grip our soul? Do we submit to the presence of fear and become victims of our circumstances, or do we submit to the never departing presence of the Father?
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