39 “And he came out, and went, as he was wont, to the mount of Olives; and his disciples also followed him. 40 And when he was at the place, he said unto them, ‘Pray that ye enter not into temptation.’ 41 And he was withdrawn from them about a stone’s cast, and kneeled down, and prayed. 42 Saying, ‘Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.’ 43 And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him. 44 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.” (Luke 22:39-44 KJV).
In our daily walk with Christ, whether we realize it or not that Christ is walking and talking with us and to us, we all experience at some point in our life the ravages of racism, classicism, sexism, discrimination, physical and/or sexual abuse, or some horrific circumstance or pain.
Through all of this we still come to our plateaus of what I call the “nevertheless.” Through our suffering we manage somehow to reach some plateau of our “nevertheless” or our **”in spite of that” plateau, or our “however” or “yet” plateau. Therefore, in coming to these plateaus of “nevertheless” we suffer and then we may go to a food pantry or a shelter, we go to seek love, sexual or not, or we go to seek a laugh or smile from someone to ease our suffering and pain. We seek out our plateaus of “nevertheless.”
In this scripture, Christ starts out by saying to His disciples to “Pray that ye enter not into temptation.” (Luke 22:40b KJV). Temptation here means *experience of evil, solicitation or **incitement, allurement, *provocation or **action or speech that makes someone annoyed or angry, especially deliberately, or *adversity or **difficulties; misfortune. To enter not into temptation cannot always be accomplished by man, woman or child. However, when we say the Lord’s prayer we say “lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil” (Matthew 6:13a KJV) as God gives us a way of escape to eternal life on earth and in heaven.
Jesus withdrew from the disciples to be alone to pray to the Father even though He asked the disciples to *watch or be vigilant or **keeping careful watch for possible danger or difficulties. (Matthew 26:38 KJV)
In Luke 22:36-38 KJV, we see where Jesus tells His disciples to bring 2 swords so as to *watch or be vigilant or to **keep watch for possible danger or difficulties (Matthew 26:38 KJV) as Jesus struggled through His pre-Cross suffering, His knowledge of His upcoming ordeal on the Cross.
In Luke 22:37 it says that it was written in Isaiah 53:12 KJV (“because he hath poured out his soul unto death”) that Jesus would be *reckoned or **viewed “among the transgressors” or as the *”lawless” as if He were one of the lawless Himself. So, Jesus told His disciples that night to bring 2 swords, “It is enough.” (Luke 22:36-38). When Judas and the multitude came to seize Jesus, the disciples asked Jesus, “Lord, shall we smite with the sword?” Immediately, “one of them smote the servant of the high priest, and cut off his right ear. And Jesus answered and said, ‘Suffer ye thus far.’ And he touched his ear, and healed him.” (Luke 22:47-51 KJV). Jesus rebuked the multitude and said, “Be ye come out, as against a thief, with swords and staves? When I was daily with you in the temple, ye stretched forth no hands against me: but this is your hour, and the power of darkness.” (Luke 22:52b-53 KJV). Jesus put away His swords. He said “Suffer ye thus far.” He healed the man whose ear was cut off. He rebuked the multitude who came with swords. Jesus had come to His plateau of Nevertheless!
Jesus had a lot to struggle with as he prayed to the Father in the garden as we also come to the garden alone with Jesus with or without anyone with us keeping watch, as we come to Jesus, to the Resurrected God with our struggles and suffering.
His sweating, as of drops of blood, symbolizes the forecast, the **future event, of His blood shed on the Cross, the atoning, reconciling blood of Christ.
Christ went to His plateau of “nevertheless” and willingly laid down His life for us. The Cross and thus our salvation and act of forgiving us all was His “nevertheless” to us. He agonized over His Cross like we do as humans, as we agonize over our past, present or future pain and suffering, our Cross. However, unlike us Jesus laid down His life for all of us or as some say that Christ would have laid down His life for just one of us for our good!
So as believers and non-believers we come to our stance of “nevertheless” when faced with the ravages of life as we are all faced with at some point of our lives. Ravage meaning that which **”causes severe and extensive damage to” our minds, bodies, loved ones, homes, jobs, whatever. But to take on the mind of Christ we have to come to our share of saying “nevertheless, not my will, but thine, be done.” (Luke 22:42 KJV). We must come to the will of the Father, and not to our own will!
We must and should know that God’s will for us is for our good and not for our demise: 28 And we know [with great confidence] that God [who is deeply concerned about us] causes all things to work together [as a plan] for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to His plan and purpose. 29 For those whom He foreknew [and loved and chose beforehand], He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son [and ultimately share in His complete sanctification], so that He would be the firstborn [the most beloved and honored] among many believers. 30 And those whom He predestined, He also called; and those whom He called, He also justified [declared free of the guilt of sin]; and those whom He justified, He also glorified [raising them to a heavenly dignity]. 31 What then shall we say to all these things? If God is for us, who can be [successful] against us? 32 He who did not spare [even] His own Son, but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against God’s elect (His chosen ones)? It is God who justifies us [declaring us blameless and putting us in a right relationship with Himself]. 34 Who is the one who condemns us? Christ Jesus is the One who died [to pay our penalty], and more than that, who was raised [from the dead], and who is at the right hand of God interceding [with the Father] for us. 35 Who shall ever separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 Just as it is written and forever remains written, “For Your sake we are put to death all day long; We are regarded as sheep for the slaughter.” 37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors and gain an overwhelming victory through Him who loved us [so much that He died for us]. 38 For I am convinced [and continue to be convinced — beyond any doubt] that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present and threatening, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the [unlimited] love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:28-39 Amplified Bible).
And this good will of God is for everyone, we all are God’s chosen elect!
Have courage and come to your “nevertheless” in Jesus. He stands with you as you go through boldly and/or humbly to your “nevertheless,” to your Cross, through and to Jesus, the Way, the path to wholeness in God! Let Christ be your Nevertheless!
*The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, James Strong, LL.D., S.T.D.
** Google definition.
God Bless You All!
Brenda A. McGee has attended New York Theological Seminary in New York, NY, and Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, CA as a Master of Divinity student.