BEFORE THE CROSS

Scripture: Luke 22:39-46

“And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly:
and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down
to the ground.” Luke22:44(KJV)

The gospel text for today is very blunt in reporting what scientists previously claimed to be an exaggerated report of a questionable gospel writer. It had never been medically reported that any human had become so distressed and in agony of spirit that they broke into a sweat of blood, as Luke
reported about Jesus. But it was recently reported in March 21, 1986 in the Journal of the American Medical Association, that such a condition although not very common does exist; called HEMATIDROSIS. In this condition, severe anxiety releases chemicals that break down the capillaries of the sweat glands, allowing blood to be mixed with sweat drops.
 

Jesus sweated blood in great agony. He was facing the fact of being made sin. He was becoming man's mortal substitute. Adam had sinned in the garden and lost humanity to Satan. Jesus was
confronting sin in the Garden to bring man back to God. It was a tough duel but we were on his mind. He was taking man's spiritual death and disease upon his hitherto perfect body. He who knew
no sin had yielded his will to God to drink that cup of horror until the entire debt that humanity owed was paid.
 

What a loving God. This is what we celebrate in Easter.

PRAYER: Thank you Lord for breaking the curse of hardship. I do not need to sweat to eat. Thanks for being my substitute.
 

FAITH BYTE: Jesus has been made sin for me. I am now the righteousness of God in him.