03/25/2026
The Hard Truth About Jesusโ Sacrifice
โHe told them, โMy soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.โโ
โMark 14:34
Have you ever felt lonely? Have you ever felt as though your friends and family had abandoned you? Have you ever felt like you were misunderstood? Have you ever had a hard time understanding or submitting to the will of God for your life? If so, then you have an idea of what the Lord Jesus went through when He agonized at Gethsemane.
The book of Hebrews tells us, โThis High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it mostโ (4:15โ16 NLT).
The book of Isaiah tells us that Jesus was โa man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest griefโ (53:3 NLT). But the sorrow He experienced in Gethsemane on the night before His crucifixion seemed to be the culmination of all the sorrow He had ever known and would accelerate to a climax the following day. The ultimate triumph that was to take place at Calvary was first accomplished beneath the gnarled, old olive trees of Gethsemane. Jesus shared His agony with His disciples. โHe told them, โMy soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with meโโ (Mark 14:34 NLT).
Itโs interesting that the very word Gethsemane means โolive press.โ Olives were pressed there to make oil, and truly, Jesus was being pressed from all sides that He might bring life to us. I donโt think we can even begin to fathom what He was going through. Isaiah 53:5 says, โBut he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healedโ (NLT). Thatโs the hard truth of our salvation: Jesus had to suffer and die in our place. He had to endure the punishment that we deserved. He was crushed and beaten for our sake. He could have walked away, but He submitted to His Fatherโs will so that the plan of salvation could be accomplished.
His crushing and beating brought about your salvation and mine. Because of what Jesus went through at Gethsemane and ultimately at the cross, we can call on His name. Though His suffering and death were unfathomably excruciating, they were necessary for Godโs ultimate goal.
Maybe youโre at a crisis point in your life right nowโa personal Gethsemane, if you will. You know what you want, yet you can sense that Godโs will is different. Would you let the Lord choose for you? Would you be willing to say, โLord, I am submitting my will to Yours. Not my will, but Yours be doneโ? You will never regret making that decision.
Reflection Question: How would you explain the hard truth about Jesusโ sacrifice to an unbeliever?
Greg Laurie