A Good Friday Blog

As we take time to reflect on Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross 2,000 years ago today, I think it’s important that, in addition to the physical burden that the cross alone was to bear, we really think about and consider what Jesus had to go through mentally leading up to and within that moment.

The Bible says, in the Garden of Gesthemane Jesus fell on His face before the Father and was in anguish, pleading for this cup to pass from Him, dripping sweat and blood.

The Lord Jesus was in anguish. He was battling severe anxiety in facing what He was about to go through.

But even in this moment of anxiety, anguish, and mental pain, Jesus said “yet not my will but Yours, Father.” Not after the anxiety passed. Not after He got Himself up out of the dirt. In that very moment. In the middle of the battle in His mind He laid down His will for the Father’s. He took the thought captive and made it obedient to the Father.

Jesus desired for the cup to pass from Him. He didn’t want to suffer through the beating, mockery, whips, and the cross. His desire was momentarily to not have to bear that burden. But quickly He surrendered His own desires to the will of the Father.

And every single time afterward when the desire for deliverance came up inside Him, He continually and immediately surrendered that to the will of the Father. Three times in total mentioned in scripture.

A constant surrender, a constant battling of the flesh. A constant mental and emotional sacrifice even before the physical sacrifice.

In that moment, He demonstrated how important it is to quickly take captive and surrender our thoughts and will to the Lord. Not only that, but He also demonstrated His power over anxiety. His power over fear. His power of the voices in His mind. His power over His thoughts. His power over the mind. His power over worry. His power over His desires for deliverance.

Fast forward to when He was going through the physical pain - the beatings, the whipping, the thorns in His skull, the nails through His hands and feet, the fighting through immense pain, pressing all of His weight upon the nails just to earn a breath. And on repeat every time He breathed.

He suffered through all of that while knowing the whole time that at any moment He could call forth an army from Heaven to deliver Him and put an end to the pain. He hung on that cross, bleeding out every last drop of blood His body had to give. Not a quick death. Not an easy end. A long, miserable, painful suffering.

And with every painful breath the, again, surrendering of His desire and power to be delivered from it.

He laid it all down. He bore the excruciating weight of physical and mental torture. Why? Why would Jesus, God in the flesh, allow Himself to suffer through that?

Because He was looking into your eyes while hanging on that cross. Through it all, He had you on His mind. He envisioned eternity with you. Eternal communion with His child whom He so loves. And for the joy that was set before Him, He endured the cross. He endured the physical torture and the mental wars. Because if all of the pain and torment meant that a relationship could be eternally restored between Himself and His child, He would do whatever it took. Just for the slight chance that you would choose Him, He laid down His life.

So, remember friend, when you feel like Jesus doesn’t understand what you’re going through. When you think He doesn’t understand anxiety, when you think He doesn’t know what it’s like to constantly battle the loud voices in your head telling you lies, when you think He doesn’t know what it’s like to deal with mental torment, think again. He knows. He knows exactly what you’re going through. He knows the thoughts plaguing your mind. He knows the fear you’re battling. He knows the exhaustion and the anguish. He knows you’re tired. He sees you, and He understands.

But also know this. He has power over all of it. He rose from the dead. The grave is empty. He defeated sin, death, hell and the grave. He has dominion over it all, forever. In His resurrection, He declared His power over the enemy, His power over death, His power over pain, His power over fear, His power over torment, His power over worry, His power over the lies. He is victorious, and that victory is yours as a child of God.

When Jesus rose from the dead and we accepted Him as our Lord and Savior, the same power that rose Christ from the dead became alive inside of you and I. That same power over death. That same power over sin. That same power over fear. That same power over anxiety. That same power over depression. That same power over the lying voices in your head. That same power over addiction. That same power over doubt. That same power over selfishness. That same power over pride. That same power over sickness. That same power over disease. That same power over cancer.

So rejoice, friend! He doesn’t leave us in our battles alone. He fights our battles for us and He has won the victory. And He intimately knows and loves us, to our very core.

Be encouraged. There is victory on the other side of this! Surrender your will. Surrender the fear. Surrender the anxiety, the worry, the hurt, the pain, the anger. Speak the Word and promises of God. Don’t give up. Keep standing. Keep praying. Keep pressing. Keep praising. Joy, peace, happiness, blessing, abundance, deliverance, breakthrough, freedom are rising up from the dead inside of you! Hallelujah!

Matthew 26:36-46, Mark 14:32-42, Luke 22:39-46, 2 Corinthians 10:3-5, Hebrews 12:2, Hebrews 4:15, Matthew 28:6, Revelation 1:18, 1 Corinthians 15:55-57, Colossians 2:5, Romans 8:11, Hebrews 13:5, Exodus 14:14, 2 Chronicles 20:15

I know this was long, but I pray this encourages and touches at least one person’s heart tonight. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you need prayer! Love y’all!🤍