More than you can bear Part I

By

Apostle Anthony Berry

How many times do we think about our pain; how our pain is more painful to us than to anyone else around us?  How many times do we say that we are comfortable with death, but just don’t want to die in pain.  What gratitude would you give to anyone that would take pain for you?  Have you considered the suffering of Jesus before he was nailed to Calvary’s cross?  Here are some words for thought; the pain of Jesus was across the board.  He suffered every type of pain imaginable for one time.  He experienced mental, spiritual, and psychological pain all surrounding his body at once.

The Mental pain:  Jesus went through his whole life, until the time when he entered ministry, preparing himself to be about his father’s business.  Even from a young age (12) he is proving himself to be wise beyond his years and also confident; so confident that he stays behind when Joseph his step-father and family are in Jerusalem for the Passover. They travelled a day’s journey before they realized that Jesus was missing.  They questioned all of their family about the whereabouts of Jesus.  I can imagine them going to everyone in their procession asking “Have you seen my baby Jesus?” and getting a negative answer. They find him with the doctors; hearing and asking them questions.  When I ponder this I realize that even the pain of wondering where his parents are is not recorded.  When he is confronted by his mother, and she tells him about the torment they went through trying to find him, he says, “Don’t you know I have to be about my Father’s business?”  Most of us parents today would have slapped the taste out of his mouth; but the punishment he received is not recorded (Luke 2:41-50).  Jesus is tempted by the Devil after he has fasted for forty days and forty nights, and boldly resists him (Matt. 4:1-11).  The pain of Jesus begins in the Garden of Gethsemane, where he becomes depressed because of the coming sacrifice of his life.

Philippians 2:5-11:  When Jesus finds himself in the fashion (body and life) as a man he humbles himself to death on the cross.  Who being in the form of God thought it not robbery to be equal with God.  Excuse the digression here, but this is the reason why Jesus is able to make such statements concerning his father.  When he finds himself in the body of a man (Heb. 10:1-11) he humbles himself totally, and leaves the one-ship that he had with God in the beginning (John 1:1-17, I would like for you to pay strict attention to the 14^th verse where the Word is made flesh) he becomes for all intents and purposes a man.  While in the Garden of Gethsemane his human nature tries to take over completely when his human nature realizes the impending crucifixion (or lifting him up) is near.  He is in the hold of the mental pain and anguish at this time.  He asks the inner circle (Peter, James, and John) to pray with him a little while, Jesus says that he is sorrowful unto death.  It is at this time that he utters the famous prayer “Father I would that this cup would pass from before me, but not my will, but thy will be done.” He then returns to his inner circle and discovers that they are asleep this increases his sorrow.  He asks them: “What, can ye not watch with me one hour?”(Matt. 26:37-45). It is a scientific fact that a person can be so depressed that they sweat blood (Luke 22:40-46).