Strength for
depression!
We are all familiar with pain, tiredness, weakness, hunger,
thirst, anxiety, temptation and even death? These sort of things
are common to us all as the result of the curse of sin upon
mankind.
But did you ever wonder why Jesus Christ, the Son of God,
experienced these kind of things too?
It was not a great honour for Jesus to be born of a virgin called
Mary. What Jesus got through being born of a woman was a human body
that would be "tempted in every way just as we are" 1*. - a body that would experience
pain, tiredness, weakness, anxiety, and even death! But because He
was conceived of the Holy Spirit He was very different from
the woman who gave birth to Him, and from every other human being.
The One who was miraculously born of a virgin was "holy"
2*. - He alone was
"without sin". 3*.
In today's story we find this man Jesus in a terrible state
of mental and physical depression! He went to the Mount of Olives
with His disciples and said to them, "Pray that you will not fall
into temptation." Then He withdrew about a stone's throw beyond
them… "overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,.. He fell to
the ground " 4*.
We cannot even begin to imagine the depression that was crushing
Jesus as He knew what was about to happen to Him: His betrayal by a
"friend" whom He had loved and cared for; then He would be deserted
by all His friends; followed by a mock trial at the hands of
religious hypocrites and unjust judges; and then He would be
cruelly abused, mocked and insulted by wicked soldiers; and then to
be crowned with thorns and viciously beaten before being put to
death by horrible crucifixion!
Jesus knows the awfulness of depression - depression that
even brought Him "to the point of death"! 5*.
But all was not lost and hopeless with Him! In His terrible
distress Jesus was praying to His Heavenly Father. "Father, if You
are willing, take this cup from Me; ..And being in anguish, He
prayed more earnestly, and His sweat was like drops of blood
falling to the ground." 6*.
Jesus longed for this bitter "cup" to be removed from Him.
But worst of all for Jesus must have been the knowledge that He was
about to be forsaken by His Father in Heaven because of sins -
although He had never sinned! It was the
Father's will and plan that Jesus would take the blame and the
punishment for our sins. 7*. Jesus was not asking to escape from that!
He prayed, "Not My will, but Yours be done." 8*.
"An angel from Heaven appeared to Him and strengthened Him".
9*.
The Good News for us today is that Jesus willingly took the
punishment for our sin so that He could bring us to God.
10*. Will you love
and trust Jesus to forgive and save you just now? You will
then have the privilege of turning to God as your "Father" and
asking for His strength for depression
"so that you will not fall into temptation."
Read about Jesus finding strength for
depression in Luke's Gospel, chapter 22, verses 39-46.
Bye for now,
John Nixon, Ballincollig, Cork, Ireland. P31HD98. Contact: jnixonj@gmail.com
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commentary for Luke's Gospel check out the review index.
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Bible quotations from N.I.V.
1Galatians 4:4.
Hebrews 4:15.
2 Luke 1:34-35. Revelation
15:4. 1st Samuel 2:2.
3 1st John 3:5.
4 Mark 14:34-35.
5 Matthew 26:38.
6 Luke 22:42, 44.
7 Matthew 27. 2nd
Corinthians 5:21.
8 Luke 22:42.
9 Luke 22:43.
10 1st Peter
3:18.
