a gift at 11:00, 2:00 and 6:00

#308  11:00am applying soothing aloe from very sunburned legs and feet

# 309  2:00pm  shopping with daughter trying on Easter dresses

#310  6:00pm  preparing for communion at the Last Supper as we remember what Jesus did for us…

“Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, ‘take, eat; this is my body.’ And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.’”                           Matthew 26:26-28

And when the supper was over, Jesus left and went to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray.  Jesus knew what was about to happen.  He was awaiting crucifixion. If Jesus didn’t do that for me, and I had to be condemned for my sins of which I’m guilty, would I rather not know what was about to happen the way that Jesus knew?  

I think if I knew before it all happened…the pain, mocking and torture I was about to take on like Jesus did, I would have had a heart attack before it even started.   I would have begged for my death to be over quickly. 

Would I rather not know what was about to happen to me…so I could grasp onto hope that the torture would be over soon?

But Jesus knew it would not be quick and not be easy.  The next 12 hours of his life I think would have felt like it would never end. 

But Jesus still asked his Father to let that cup to pass from him - be it God’s will… as his disciples sleep.  Jesus simply asked the disciples to pray for him because he was in deep anguish.  But to add to his anguish, Jesus’ close friends can’t even stay awake to pray for him! 

“Father, we sinned against You in the first Garden, rebelling in that Garden of Eden.  And Your Son meets You in this Garden, the Garden of Gethsemane, to perfectly submit to Your perfect will to pay for all our gaping sins.  Jesus’ heart fractures and breaks under the anguish of it all, of what He must bear for our sins.  And we, like the disciples, sleep.  We cannot stay awake, awake to You, awake to so great a salvation.  Daily, we sleepwalk.  Father, forgive us.  Our spirit is willing, but our flesh is weak.  You know.  You see.  And yet You intercede, sorrow unto death, for us who drowse on.  Father, wake us!  Let us rise, see, pray!”             (prayer by Ann Voskamp)