“The Unselfishness of Jesus”


BIBLE READING: John 17                                                      

            Matthew records Jesus saying, “My soul is very sorrowful…” (Matthew 26.38).  Mark adds that Jesus was “greatly distressed and troubled” (Mark 14.33).  Luke takes it a step farther and says He was “in agony…and His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground” (Luke 22.44).  However, as Jesus is at possibly the weakest point of His ministry, He begins to beg the Father to let this cup of anguish pass from Him.  John… says nothing; he makes no mention of any sorrow, distress or agony.  Yet what John does record should be viewed as priceless to us today.  Where Matthew, Mark and Luke all record the events that led up to Jesus praying in the Garden, John records some of the words of the prayer.  As you read this portion of Scripture, remember these were the words that Jesus Christ uttered to the Father just moments before He was arrested and led away to be crucified.  The most interesting thing about this prayer is that while He was in agony and greatly troubled about the events that were about to take place, He is praying to the Father for us. When we think about Jesus’ willingness to go to the cross on our behalf, it seems even more impressive that as He is struggling within Himself about His struggles…He is more concerned about us.  How can He do that?  I think it is because that is what He has always done.  This attitude of Jesus is not anything that was new to Him.  His entire life on earth has been spent in putting others before Himself.  “Therefore, Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”  (Philippians 2:3-8)
Make sure you make a note to yourself… If Jesus was willing to be more concerned with me and my needs, while He is about to endure the pain and suffering of the cross, then rest assured, He is concerned with you now!

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