Even Fear

When was the last time you were afraid? Maybe you’re afraid of bugs,
heights, or needles. Maybe you have emotional fears, such as being afraid
of loss, pain, or rejection. Everybody is afraid of something. Personally,
I have a big fear of needles—I can’t even look at one without getting
chills down my spine. Not only am I afraid of needles, but I also have
other fears, like losing my family or friends.

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God understands all our fears. When Jesus was praying in the garden of
Gethsemane, the Bible says Jesus felt “deeply distressed and troubled
overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death” (Mark 14:33-34). Jesus was
in anguish. Even after an angel strengthened Him, “his sweat was like drops
of blood” (Luke 22:44). Can you imagine being so anxious that you sweat
blood?

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Jesus is fully God, and He is also fully human and experienced human
emotion. This is one reason we know that He can relate to us. Jesus sweat
blood in the garden because He knew the excruciating pain He would soon
experience on the cross, and it caused Him anxiety and anguish. However,
Jesus ended His prayer by accepting God the Father’s will over His own.
Jesus, God the Son, surrendered everything over to God the Father and
trusted the Father to provide and take care of Him.

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Even though Jesus trusted the Father to raise Him from the dead after three
days in the grave, going to the cross was still incredibly hard and
painful. Whenever we are afraid, we can remember that Jesus knows just how
we feel, and we can trust Him with everything. Because Jesus faced the
terrors of death for us when He died on the cross and rose from the grave,
we can now be in relationship with God. If we’ve put our trust in Jesus, we
can come to God with everything we experience—including fear. He
understands, and He longs to draw us near in His arms and empower us to
follow Him, even in the face of fear. • Lydia Lancie

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• According to Hebrews 12:2, why was Jesus willing to endure the cross?

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• What kinds of things make you afraid? How could it be comforting to know
that Jesus doesn’t just know how we feel, He also empathizes with us?
(Hebrews 4:14-16)

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• Consider taking a moment to thank Jesus for what He’s done for us, and
talk to Him about any fears that come to mind.

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And being in anguish, he [Jesus] prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was
like drops of blood falling to the ground. Luke 22:44 (NIV)

Read Verses:

Luke 22:39-Luke 22:53; Hebrews 12:2; Psalm 34:4-Psalm 34:5