In the Garden & the Arrest of Jesus

What child has not felt the sting of hateful words directed at him? What about being treated unfairly or falsely accused? What about receiving a punishment he did not deserve, or the fear of physical pain from a bully? Jesus knew that all of these injustices were in store for Him when He came to live among us. Yet He came.

In the garden, Jesus faced what His humanity must have dreaded for years. He would be arrested, though He was innocent. He would be lied about, though He was the Truth. He would be beaten, though He was the Prince of Peace. He would be hung on a cross and left to die–the punishment of a murderer–though He was the Life.

Facing all of this, Jesus did the only thing He knew to do. He prayed. He curled up in the lap of His Father as the two of them revisited the secret pact formed before the first human drew his first breath. Jesus bore His soul to the only One who could possibly understand–the only One awake with Him in the garden, the only One who could not only feel the weight, but bear it for Him. (We have much to learn about rolling our cares onto the shoulders of our Abba.)

And in that battle before the final war, Jesus won through submission. He willingly laid down His right to say, ”No.” He agreed to hold nothing back. He agreed to bear the weight of our sin–and for the first time in all of eternity, be separated from His Father (Matthew 27:46, Isaiah 59:1). There, in the moonlight, Jesus surrendered His will to the Father before He ever surrendered Himself to the guards.

What a beautiful bible lessons for kids. When they see Jesus kneel in compliance to His Father, kids will understand that even in the most dire of circumstances, even when the situation is “not fair,” God is our weight-bearer and His plan can be trusted. Whatever we face, submitting to God is the right response.

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