Ocean of Grace (44): THURSDAY – Mental Anguish (p146ff)

 Lent Book: https://www.thegoodbook.co.uk/an-ocean-of-grace

 

My jottings:

 

(Comments welcome)

 

Ocean of Grace (44): THURSDAY – Mental Anguish (p146ff)

 

Reflecting on Jesus’ experience in the Garden of Gethsemane on this Maundy Thursday evening might complement our reading from John 12. See Matthew 26:36ff / Mark 14:32ff / Luke 22:39ff. Jesus goes willingly to his agonising death because he knows it is the only way for him to save his people. He chooses to drink the cup of God’s wrath to the dregs so that we don’t have to.

 

Hebrews 12:1-4 is also relevant as we think about how Jesus contemplated the cross. He endured the agony for the joy set before him.

 

* * *

 

For the early church fathers, the full and true humanity of Jesus, along with his divine nature, was essential to our salvation. They often appealed to the principle Cyril sets out here: “for that which has not been taken into your nature has not been saved”.

 

Gregory of Nazianzus said the same thing about Jesus’ true humanity: “For that which He has not assumed He has not healed”.

 

https://earlychurchtexts.com/public/gregoryofnaz_critique_of_apolliniarianism.htm

 

Hymn: From heaven you came helpless babe … The Servant King

 

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0FSZ_iSYO8

 

Words: https://www.worshiptogether.com/songs/the-servant-king-graham-kendrick/