Luke 22:44 “And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.”

Jesus Christ was fully God and fully man. It was not the all-powerful spiritual being that was sweating blood in the Garden of Gethsemane that night, but Jesus the man, facing full knowledge of what was about to transpire - knowing the horrors about to be inflicted on him. Knowing that upon his shoulders he was going to have to carry the weight of sin for all times, past, present and future. We can barely carry our own guilt and shame over things we have done. He, who in his very nature was pure, blameless, and sinless, would soon be burdened with every vile, disgusting and unspeakable evil we would commit. As God, he could endure it; but he was going to have to physically suffer it as a man. So terrifying was the coming ordeal, that his mind tried to find a way of escape (“Father, let this cup pass from me”) and his body showed the first signs of physical trauma induced by the extreme stress he was feeling (hematodrosis). When there is stress in your life, remember that you have a Savior who understands stress, who can relate to you in your moments of depression and hopelessness.

Prayer: “Lord Jesus, I understand now that you can relate to me in my anxiety and worry. I know that you can sympathize and empathize with me when I feel hopeless or when I feel trapped because you have been there. It is a comfort to know that you really do understand. And you suffered through those dark moments just so I could put my trust in you. Thank you Lord Jesus. Thank you. Amen.”