Jesus is God, "I AM" (Jn 8:58; Ex 3:14). Human beings have no power over Jesus, unless it is given them from above (Jn 19:11). On several occasions, people tried to kill Jesus, but He avoided death (see e.g. Lk 4:29-30; Jn 8:59; Jn 10:31, 39). Next week, the Church observes the Passion and death of Christ at the hands of men. Jesus could have called down twelve legions of angels to swiftly rescue Him from this gruesome death (see Mt 26:53), but He had freely chosen to lay down His life to save us (Jn 10:17-18).
When the moment arrived for Him to be arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus had the time and opportunity to slip away. A crowd with torches came to arrest him in the darkness of night. Jesus would have been able to see the flickering torches advance up the hill from the Kidron Valley (Jn 18:1-3). He had time to slip away over the top of the Mount of Olives and into the desert country. As the soldiers hiked up the hill to the garden, I picture Jesus thinking of me in danger of dying in my sins, and deciding to remain in that garden so that I could be saved instead of fleeing to save Himself. Can you picture Jesus thinking of you as the soldiers march up the hill to arrest Him? He loves each of us that much.
Jesus came that all might be saved (1 Tm 2:4). Do "not treat God's gracious gift as pointless" (Gal 2:21). Accept Jesus as Lord, Savior, and God.
| PRAYER: | Father, this Lent give me an ever stronger appreciation of how deeply Jesus loves me. |
| PROMISE: | "I solemnly assure you, if a man is true to My word he shall never see death." –Jn 8:51 |
| PRAISE: | Jesse repented of denying Jesus by his silence. |
Reprinted with permission from Presentation Ministries, a lay association of the Catholic Church that focuses on evangelization and discipleship through Bible teaching, daily Mass, the charisms of the Holy Spirit, and Small Christian Community. Their ministries include:
· One Bread, One Body
· Daily Bread Radio Program
· Annual Bible Institute
· Discipleship Retreats
· Guadalupe Bible College