The war in Ukraine is like a modern-day David-versus-Goliath conflict. The Russian aggressor vastly outnumbers and outguns Ukraine. Despite being outnumbered, the Ukrainians have shown incredible bravery. They have not backed down but have stood their ground against the Russian onslaught.
The war in Ukraine has shown us what true bravery looks like. We hear stories about every-day, ordinary men and women taking up weapons to fight for their freedom. Young and old alike are joining the battle to save their country. These brave men and women are giving their lives because they want to keep their homeland free from communism and Russian control.
I don’t know what I’d do if I was in their shoes. Obviously, we all believe we would fight to defend our homeland, but none of us knows what we would do when the bombs start falling and the bullets start flying. None of us knows for sure what we would do if we were faced with death.
The Bible tells us a very interesting story of how Jesus faced death. The Bible says Jesus faced death with bravery. Jesus was willing to go to the cross, but his willingness was tempered by reluctance. When Jesus was faced with his impending death by crucifixion, he asked God to spare him. Let’s read the story from Matthew 26:36-44:
Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.” Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour?” he asked Peter. “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.” When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. So, he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing.
Jesus asked his father to spare him from death by crucifixion. Now, what’s going on here? How should we understand what happened?
Some theologians have tried to explain Jesus’ aversion to the cross by saying that it wasn’t death or crucifixion Jesus was afraid of but rather his becoming a sin-bearer. These theologians say that Jesus asked to be spared from taking sin upon himself and suffering God’s judgment for that sin. The Bible says, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21).” In other words, Jesus, who from eternity past was sinless, became sin when, on the cross, he took your sins and my sins upon himself so that he could deliver us from God’s judgment.
In comparison to death and crucifixion, becoming sin seems to be immensely worse. As appealing as this explanation may be, I don’t think this is what the gospel writers had in mind when they wrote about Jesus’ request to be spared from the cross. As I read it, Jesus seems to be asking his father to spare him from death on the cross. The letter to the Hebrews, seems to confirm that Jesus was asking God to spare him from death on the cross: “During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with fervent cries and tears to the one who could save him from death (Hebrews 5:7).”
Jesus did not go to the cross happily, but he did go willingly, and thank God he did because his death on the cross paid the price for your sin and for my sin. Jesus died so that you might live. Jesus took your judgment so that you can be forgiven.
The war in Ukraine shows us that the battle between good and evil is still going on. The good news is that someday, God will win the war, evil will be vanquished, and peace will prevail. Because Jesus didn’t run from the cross, God is able to win the war against sin and darkness and we will live forever in his eternal kingdom of light and life.
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