Dear Friends, I’m sorry I haven’t written in the last few weeks. Brad and I have been traveling and when we arrived home last week I headed for the hospital. Brad’s mom had been admitted for what they feared was pneumonia. I spent 3 nights with her in the hospital. (Hospital lounge chairs were definitely not designed for over night visitors…I’m just say’n!) When we brought her home I continued to spend the night. Yesterday she came to stay at our house for Easter. Needless to say, it’s been a bit disruptive but we’re thankful she’s doing better. She’s an amazing woman. I’ve learned some poignant lessons the last week and a half. I’ll share them with you next week.

Today I want to pass on something God drew to my attention this morning. Because it’s Good Friday I read Luke’s account of the Last Supper and the Garden of Gethsemane. The “mom” in me was deeply moved by Jesus’ plea to His Father in Luke 22:42

Father, if You are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from Me. Yet I want Your will to be done, not Mine. (NLT)

God’s Perfect, Holy Son was about to face incredible suffering but not for any fault of His own. The physical suffering was daunting enough, but Jesus knew far worse was in store. In order to pay the price for our sins Jesus would have to endure the weight of all our sins and the separation from His Father that those sins require. The anticipation of such suffering was almost more than He could bear. He asked His Father if there was any way to avoid what was coming.

What would you do if your child were sentenced to death for a crime they didn’t commit? Any parent would do everything in their power to stop it. God the Father had the power, but He said, “No”. I can’t image there being a more heart wrenching “No” ever pronounced.

If there was any other solution to our sin problem, Jesus was asking His Father to choose that road…but there wasn’t. God had to say ‘no’ and let the suffering continue to the end. Jesus was willing to obey His Father’s will and do what had to be done. They both love us that much.

For God loved the world so much that He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 (NLT)