Luke 22 | Beloved Son, Obedient Savior
I feel the weight of the times in Luke 22.
Looming before our Savior as He prayed in the garden was the greatest act of obedience the world would ever know. In just a few hours, the Son of the Most High God would subject Himself to the brutality of the cross. It seems unthinkable—that so perfect a Being, so spotless a Lamb, would be so tragically tortured and killed.
And why?
For the payment of our sins.
For the redemption of His people.
For the restoration of all things.
For the future glory of His eternal kingdom.
For the steadfast love of God.
Christ’s agony in the garden before His suffering moved me to tears this morning, as I read of Jesus pleading with His Father, “if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done” (Luke 22:42).
Surely if there had been any other way, the Father would have removed this cup of suffering from His beloved Son.
But there was no other way.
The steadfast, abounding love of our faithful God would stay on course to accomplish the salvation of His people. But at such great cost! The cost of His beloved Son.
This moment came as no surprise, however. The Father, Son, and Spirit knew the path before the first step was ever taken.
Our incomprehensible, magnificent God knew the weight behind the glorious words announced by the angel to Joseph when the incarnation became reality and the Son slipped into His body of flesh:
“Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” Matthew 1:20-21
No one else could do what Jesus came to do. And so, in full obedience, Jesus, with blood and sweat-stained brow, submitted to the Father, and fixed His eyes on the joy that awaited Him on the other side of the cross.
“Jesus…for the joy set before him endured the cross…” Hebrews 12:2
“Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief…out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities.” Isaiah 53:10-11