Jesus Sweat as it Were Great Drops of Blood

(Luke 22:39-44) And he came out, and went, as he was wont, to the mount of Olives; and his disciples also followed him. And when he was at the place, he said unto them, Pray that ye enter not into temptation. And he was withdrawn from them about a stone's cast, and kneeled down, and prayed, Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done. And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him. And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground. Jesus was preparing for the moment when he would have to lay his life down on the cross for mankind's sin. Jesus was about ready to do something he had never done before since the dawn of time. I've personally never known of anyone to sweat as of drops of great blood, but Jesus knew he would have to partake of that bitter cup. He was in anguish. He was willing to be in the perfect will of his Father. He was at a moment of struggle. He wasn't engaged in unbelief. However, what Jesus had to encounter was something that he never had known before. For the very first time in his life, he would have to taste death for mankind.

Hebrews 2:9 mentions about Jesus tasting death for mankind. When we read about Jesus' death on the cross, we think of the cruel, physical torture that Jesus had to experience for mankind. There's no doubt Jesus was in great agony physically. He was beaten beyond recognition. He was beaten to a pulp. There was a crown of thorns placed on his head. There were nails driven in the palms of his hands to hold him to the cross. The soldier took a spear to his side and blood and water came out. Jesus experienced the most horrible death mankind ever experienced. When he was on the cross, he showed his love for mankind. He said in Luke 23:34 "Father, forgiven them; for they know not what they do." In the midst of the most horrendous beating he had to take upon himself, he still asked the Father to forgive them. That's love. That's love unexplainable.

As horrible and cruel as the physical torture was on Jesus, that was not the death Jesus was agonizing over. It was tasting spiritual death that Jesus was struggling over. Before the foundation of the world was laid, Jesus was chosen to be that spotless lamb to die on the cross for the sins of mankind. In order to be that lamb, he had to be without sin. In the Old Testament, when the priest performed sacrifices to atone for the sins of Israel, the lamb that was offered was an offering for sin. The lamb was to die in the place of those that were sinners. Jesus was made a sin offering. He became sin for us that we might be redeemed from sin for time and eternity. Jesus had to know what sin tasted like. That's what he experienced on the cross. He bore all of mankind's sins when he died that day on Golgatha's Hill. He took on the sin of lying, cheating, fornication, crookedness, or any other sin imaginable. All of mankind's filthy sins were heaped upon Jesus. Jesus bore all that on the cross. Jesus had to experienced separation from God the Father for the first time. When you read scripture, it's evident God hates sin. God can't look on sin. Even though it was his own son on the cross, God the Father couldn't stand to look at Jesus. That's why Jesus said in Matthew 27:46 "And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, la-ma sa-bach-tha-ni? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" Jesus had to experience separation from the Father in order for the process of salvation to be complete. He had to experience the sting of death and separation from the Father. That's what he did when he was upon Calvary. What a Saviour! Just imagine what it would be like if your earthly father decided to not look upon you and turn his back on you. It would be a sad sight. That's what Jesus had to experience on the cross for the sins of mankind.

I was reading some of the reasons why Jesus was sweating as it were great drops as of blood on the ground on a website. It was saying that Jesus was sweating great drops of blood because the whole nation of Israel whom he came to save had rejected him. Other reasons given were that Judas was about to betray him. The other reasons were that Peter was about to deny him three times and his disciples were asleep in the garden. Jesus knew what was to come before him. The most important reason for his coming to this earth was about to be fulfilled. He knew he had to partake that bitter cup. He needed strength from the Father. That showed that he was man. He was perfect and sinned not. However, he also had a human body. He needed to pray for the affirmation of God's perfect will. Some people would consider that weakness. However, Jesus knew what the bitter cup would contain. He didn't relish the thought of having to be separated from God the Father. Thank God that Jesus was obedient unto death. We'll never realize until we get to heaven the magnitude of the price that Jesus paid on Calvary. We'll understand what Jesus did on the cross more fully when we get to heaven. If we could ever catch a glimpse of the price Jesus paid on Calvary and recognize what he had to endure for our sakes, it would humble us and help us to recognize what a great Saviour we serve. We should serve him willingly when we recognize the price Jesus paid on Calvary. As the song goes, he traded "His Life for Mine."