Life Capsule for Today Date: 19th January, 2024
Theme: The Divine Triangle (6)
Memory Verse: Rom 8:14-15
4 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. NKJV
Topic: Crossing the Flesh (2)
Today’s Reading: Matt 26:36-43
36 Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples, “Sit here while I go and pray over there.” 37 And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and He began to be sorrowful and deeply distressed. 38 Then He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch with Me.”
39 He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.”
40 Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “What! Could you not watch with Me one hour? 41 Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
42 Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done.” 43 And He came and found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy. NKJV
Words of the Ministry:
Today still on the matter of the divine triangle, we want to again look at man before the two trees, the tree of life which is God in Christ and the tree of knowledge of good and evil which is death. I would want us to consider the account of Jesus at gethsemane. From today’s reading, we see the lord having a conversation with his father concerning the death on the cross, he asked saying if possible let this cup pass me. The Lord Jesus sought the father at two different times to be sure it was his will for him to drink of the cup of death. This is a very serious matter worthy of deep meditation as it naturally would suggest a number of questions. One would want to ask if Jesus never knew it was the will of the father he died on the cross before his ministry began? You may even want to ask that was Christ asking a question or attempting to change the mind of the father. The answer to this is found in the matter of man and the two trees.
Firstly, we need to realize that Jesus was both God and man and in his humanity he was tempted like all of us are but never sinned (Heb 4.15). The story of the Lord at gethsemane is a picture of the flesh and the Spirit in conflict. Although Jesus knew before the foundation of the world that he was the lamb of God willing to lay his life down for mankind, during incarnation in which he became a man and put on the Satan infected flesh of mankind, the flesh also began to suggest a counter opinion. We see a temptation that wasn’t recorded as one, here the devil based on the tree of knowledge must have suggested through the flesh that it was better he lived than die, the flesh must have reminded him of what he has achieved in a 3 years ministry and projected what he could have achieve in many more years to come. The flesh must have suggested that the regard, honor and respect he had would naturally fade away. The flesh must have even suggested that the disciples may even desert the ministry and his labor would be in vain, I imagine Satan saying there is still more work to be done, moreover you are just in your prime and ultimately how can it be said that you carry the sin of the world, dyeing a shameful death despite being the son of God, he may even add, how would you feel on the cross if the father forsakes you for the sake of the sin of mankind which you never partook of.
Saints, this is an imagery of the flesh, it may not come as an obvious temptation, it comes as something good, presenting to you the benefits of your actions and inaction to God, Church and humanity. The devil in his cunning way would always advertise the benefits of taking your independent decision without God. What your disobedience would give without you laboring much. We must keep our guard as God is not looking out for good things we do rather absolute obedience to his command and will. Thankfully the Lord chose the way of the cross, it was a painful path and a solitary one but it ended up in glory. We must learn from the Lord, we must choose God even if it cost pain and temporary hardship. God atimes serves his beloved the cup of pain and death, Our vocabulary of success should be different from that of the world, we should say yes lord to our God regardless of the outcome, amen.
Bible in one year: Exodus 5-7
For further fellowship send us an email on godmanvideos@gmail.com or visit our youtube channel: @godmanmedia. You can also interact with us by dropping your comments on our facebook page. Our physical meeting, Word feast comes up every Wednesday by 5pm and Prayer Gym every Saturday by 7am while PENIEL comes up once a month, every last Sunday of the month from 4pm to 6.30pm at Suite A10, Ahser Office Complex, beside Living Faith Church, Opposite Hassan Stores, Arab Road, Kubwa Abuja.