Blood, Sweat & Tears
When people hear this title, they usually think of a pop or rock band! Or, they think of it as an aphorism, used as an expression to mean, “Giving the task all their energy, putting everything into the job at hand”. But I have a different message about this title for you in this story.
Passover
This is the time of Passover and this weekend is the time of Jesus’ crucifixion and then on Sunday the 12th April, we celebrate Christ’s resurrection from the grave. This is the most important celebration for Christians in the entire year. Jesus was crucified immediately before the Passover (Pesach).
You might be thinking: why is this Christian pastor talking about Passover, isn’t this a Jewish thing? Absolutely, Jesus was Jewish, and in fact, the word Easter is actually derived from a pagan festival and is pagan in origin. Contemporary Christianity uses this term Easter to describe the time of Jesus’ death and resurrection. Interestingly, although we as Christian churches celebrate our “Easter” around the Roman calendar, the actual accurate dates of our Christian celebrations revolve around the 3 major feasts in the Old Testament and are based on the Jewish calendar, not the Roman calendar we use today. In other words, the contemporary Christian calendar is set by the solar calendar, the Roman system. The Jewish calendar is set by the Lunar cycle. So “Easter” is movable. No worries, I am not getting cultic on you. There is no Christianity without Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
Gethsemane
What about the blood sweat and tears?
On the night that Jesus was to be betrayed, just before his death, he went into the garden of Gethsemane, to pray. The bible says that Jesus agonised in prayer as he prayed to God. Mark 14:32-34, (34) "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death," he said to his disciples.
Jesus was in such anguish, so overwhelmed, he was in intense spiritual agony. Being the Son of God, he would know everything that was about to happen to him. He knew he was about to face not only torture, pain and suffering, but also death.
As he was praying in the garden and cried out to God, his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground (Luke 22:44). This mixture of sweating blood is a known medical condition called: “hematohidrosis.” Around the sweat glands, there are multiple blood vessels in a net-like form.” Under the pressure of great stress, the vessels constrict. Then as the anxiety passes, the blood vessels dilate to the point of rupture. The blood goes into the sweat glands. As the sweat glands are producing a lot of sweat, it pushes the blood to the surface - coming out as droplets of blood mixed with sweat.
Our Gethsemanes
Many of us today will more than likely never experience such pain and torture as Jesus did. Remember that Jesus was perfect in every way, without any sin, but in human form on the earth for the express purpose of dying for you and me. But many people are going through their own “Gethsemanes” today.
The stress levels of the fast pace of the 21st Century, the expectation to achieve more, to work harder, to move faster, is killing people. The suffering, rejection, abuse, selfish ambition and lack of love for others, leads people into their own gardens of Gethsemane, of anguish, pain and loneliness. Some people feel trapped in a never ending circle of anxiety, the lists get longer, and people are overwhelmed just trying to get through their daily tasks, let alone spending time with their families. Children are forced into this frenzied pace to be competitive from the age of 2 years old. In my day there was nursery school and pre-school; that was it. Now there are about 3 or 4 grades for kids before they even get to grade 1!
For some, Gethsemane is a place of betrayal from friends, family and spouses. Much pain has been caused by our fellow human beings; unnecessary pain. Many GLBTI people experience their Gethsemane through the rejection of the Church, which represents Christ.
That is never the unconditional love of God at work, but the conditional love of human beings. Gethsemane culminated in the cross and into Jesus being raised from the dead.
Jesus said the most beautiful word in the bible, “WHOSOEVER believes in me will not perish but have ever lasting life.” That means all people including GLBTI people.
We hurt each other, because human beings are by our very nature sinful. That is a fact no matter how good we like to think we are.
Good News
His resurrection, which we celebrate on Sunday the 12th April, was to show that death (including spiritual death) has no hold over us if we make a decision to commit our lives, our anxiety, our Gethsemanes to Jesus. He takes away our pain and our suffering through the pain he endured. We are no longer to be subject to a “yoke of sin” or the bondage of it.
Jesus is alive today and will return
Jesus Christ, the incarnate Son of God, who gave up his divinity (Kenosis of Christ in Phil chap 2), and died on the cross for our sins, and was raised to life by the power of God on the third day. His death has brought us life! Jesus is the “soon and coming King!” He will return to earth once again to take his people back. What a day that will be!
Jesus the Passover lamb
When Jesus celebrated the Jewish time of Passover with his disciples two thousand years ago, it was to remember the freedom from captivity in Egypt, led by Moses. Today, it is a reminder for us that Jesus became the once and for all atoning sacrifice for the sin of all humanity. Jesus became the “Passover lamb” the eternal sacrifice for you and me.
John 1:29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”
Will you make the change today? Ask Jesus to take control of your life, confess your sin, acknowledge Christ as Lord and Saviour, and as the one who died and rose again for your wrongdoing. Get into a Bible based church that will love and accept you and see your life change.
Blessings during this time of Passover
Rev. Deborah Bell
Senior Pastor
Deo Gloria Family Church