John 12:27–36
Father Save Me From This Hour?
“Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? 'Father save me from this hour'? No, It was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!”
The passage for today tells us of Jesus' prediction of his impending death. After his miraculous raising of Lazarus from the dead, many Jews became believers and throngs of others became intensely interested in Jesus and his teachings. The high priests and Pharisees, understanding Jesus' growing influence and power, began plotting his death. Jesus is aware of this, and states for the first time in this Gospel of his inevitable demise. Though afraid and "troubled" Jesus does not ask his father to save him from this, instead he understands that for this "very reason" God has sent him to this "hour".
As Tupper has been teaching in his "Bible Basics" Sunday school class; so much of the Bible and God's message to us all, is that so many things that occur in the Bible and in our lives- the world intends as bad. But that the "Kingdom of God" intends to use as good. Jesus understands this greater than anyone. He understands that in his death, his Father will use him in a much more profound and higher purpose than in his living.
How about us? Can we understand this in our "hours” of darkness? Can we conceive, even a little, that God will use our suffering for his good? Can we ever trust enough to stop pleading to be delivered from our turmoil and pain, and instead pray for the faith to follow him through it all - trusting that the Kingdom of God will use it all to his purpose? I haven't… but I am trying. Really, really trying. Trying not to understand my immeasurable pain… my turmoil, but to trust in His undying grace that my God will use it all (and somehow me) to his glory.
Father, help me to trust in your Grace.
Clare Crawford
No comments:
Post a Comment