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The Spirit of Prophecy Volume 3
He went a short distance from his disciples—not so far but that
they could both see and hear him—and fell prostrate with his face
upon the cold ground. He was overpowered by a terrible fear that God
was removing his presence from him. He felt himself being separated
from his Father by a gulf of sin, so broad, so black and deep that his
spirit shuddered before it. He clung convulsively to the cold, unfeeling
ground as if to prevent himself from being drawn still farther from
God. The chilling dews of night fell upon his prostrate form, but the
Redeemer heeded it not. From his pale, convulsed lips wailed the
bitter cry, “O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me;
nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.”
It was not a dread of the physical suffering he was soon to endure
that brought this agony upon the Son of God. He was enduring the
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penalty of man’s transgression, and shuddering beneath the Father’s
frown. He must not call his divinity to his aid, but, as a man, he
must bear the consequences of man’s sin and the Creator’s displeasure
toward his disobedient subjects. As he felt his unity with the Father
broken up, he feared that his human nature would be unable to endure
the coming conflict with the prince of the power of darkness; and in
that case the human race would be irrecoverably lost, Satan would
be victor, and the earth would be his kingdom. The sins of the world
weighed heavily upon the Saviour and bowed him to the earth; and the
Father’s anger in consequence of that sin seemed crushing out his life.
In the conflict of Christ with Satan in the wilderness of temptation
the destiny of the human race was at stake. But Christ was conqueror,
and the tempter left him for a season. He had now returned for the
last fearful conflict. Satan had been preparing for this final trial during
the three years of Christ’s ministry. Everything was at stake with him.
If he failed here his hope of mastery was lost; the kingdoms of the
earth would finally become Christ’s who would “bind the strong man”
(Satan), and cast him out.
During this scene of the Saviour’s anguish, the disciples were at
first much troubled to see their Master, usually so calm and dignified,
wrestling with a sorrow that exceeded all utterance; but they were
tired, and finally dropped asleep, leaving him to agonize alone. At
the end of an hour, Jesus, feeling the need of human sympathy, rose
with painful effort and staggered to the place where he had left his
companions. But no sympathizing countenance greeted him after his
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