“He knew that when God would lay on Him the sins of us all, it would mean a terrible moment of separation from the face of God… nevertheless He turned aside to comfort these unhappy followers of His.” — Martyn Lloyd-Jones, from his book “Let Not Your Heart Be Troubled”
If I ever have a difficult time being absolutely marveled by Christ’s incredible love for me (and that is more often than I like to admit), there are many verses in the Bible that I look to for refreshment and a good swift kick to my rear-end (aka conviction). John 14:1-3 is one such passage. Dr. Martyn Lloyd Jones wrote a beautiful 137 page commentary about it. Within this book Dr. MLJ points out Jesus’s soul being “exceedingly sorrowful” (Matthew 26:38) at Gethsemane knowing that He was about to drink the full cup of The Father’s wrath that we deserve so that we, His elect, can be imputed with Christ’s perfect righteousness. Yet, Jesus’s disciples, who had become utterly dependent on Him and grew to have dear affection for their Master, were disconsolate with the realization of what was awaiting Jesus the next day. Jesus knew the unfathomable physical, spiritual and emotional pain He was about to endure, but He who was without sin, didn’t fall into the tendency we would by feeling sorry for Himself nor was He paralyzed by His grief. In His truly selfless nature, He was concerned only with the hearts of His beloved followers. Jesus sets aside His own sorrow to be gentle and lowly/radically-humble to His disciples. Jesus offers hope — He gives Himself: “Let not your heart be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.” In your times of sorrow, be consoled that Jesus not only remembers you today and beyond but He had you on His heart at Gethsemane. When He was “exceedingly sorrowful” to the point of sweating blood, He thought about nothing else but to give you assurance found in Him. He gave His all for you to have your eternity secure and to be set apart for Him, becoming a holy people because He is Holy. His heart is to sustain you, to purify you, and to be your rescuer, your anchor. He loves you with a love that is matchless, more than any person ever could in a thousand lifetimes. That is the Lord that died and resurrected for you. So let not your heart be troubled.
Questions to ask yourself:
- What are some things that are troubling your heart where you need Jesus to shine His light into that darkness? Confess them now and believe that Jesus will heal and transform you.
Prayer Prompt:
(free prayer)