Fully God, Fully Man

Matthew, Mark, Luke, John

...the glory of the children are their fathers.

Proverbs 17:6 GNV

My father and mother believed in correcting, disciplining their children. The last time my father physically corrected me was in the woods on the back forty (acres). I was supposed to be picking up wood and stacking it in the trailer behind our John Deere tractor. It was mid winter and we were gathering firewood. Yes, I was supposed to be... But I wasn't. There were other things that I let distract me for I loved being in the woods, in the snow, in the winter season. But as an older teenager as I said I wasn't doing what I was supposed to be doing. My father, who was near me, with his chainsaw cut a length of a branch maybe an inch to two inch in diameter, picked it up with one hand, and grabbed me with his other hand, swung the shortened branch across my backside, just once. He then told me to get picking up wood. Honestly it didn't hurt my physical being, but it had great affect on me inside. I was ashamed that I wasn't doing what my father had told me to do, and that made me feel apart from him, distant. I was hurt that I had chosen to be enjoying other things than what I was needed to be doing at that moment. More than this I had disappointed my father, and again felt that separation.

Jesus had just prayed His high priestly prayer for the eleven remaining disciples and those who would believe on the Father from the words Jesus had given them from the Father. They headed out to the garden where they would often resort for a refreshing time of relaxation. But tonight wasn't to be one of relaxation. As He did at times Jesus asked Peter, James, and John to go on a little further with Him. He implored them to pray. They should have seen He was struggling physically from something agitating Him internally. They had missed many obvious bold direct statements about the suffering that He was about to endure. Yet as He went about a stone's throw further these three disciples hadn't grasped the urgency of this request for prayer He made.

And he was drawn aside from them just a short distance, and kneeled down, and prayed, Saying, Father, if thou wilt, take away this cup from me: nevertheless, not my will, but thine be done. And there appeared an Angel unto him from heaven, comforting him. But being in an agony, he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was like drops of blood, trickling down to the ground.

Luke 22:41-44 GNV

These three disciples had no clue from their limited spiritual comprehension of what was taking place no further than a fisherman could throw a stone. It was there what was later to be written in Philippians 2 being played out, Jesus becoming obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. But much deeper was that father and son relationship.

These my disciples need to be, must be reconciled to You Father. Please make it happen without my needing to be separated from You. You must be satisfied. Your holiness must be satisfied. You must be glorified. Father, my precious Father, if it be possible some other way. I don't want to be separated from you. No matter how loving (or distant) our relationship with our father might be we cannot know the depths of the agony Jesus was enduring talking to His Father. To have communed with His Father often, daily, praying more often, having prayed for what was ahead for Peter, prayed that the Father had been glorified and would be glorified Jesus life came down to this, "nevertheless not my will but yours be done".

In less than twelve hours Jesus would be nailed to a cross praying, Father, forgive them for they don't know what they are actually doing. The only teaching during this time on prayer, though just in passing back in the garden when Judas had led the soldiers to arrest Jesus, was when Peter had tried to defend Jesus with a short sword, and Jesus had said, "Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and He shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be?" (Matthew 26:53-55 KJV)

Now it was 9:00 o'clock in the morning the next day and through all the accusations, beatings, torment since the time in the garden there is very little that Jesus said. It was the same way as Jesus hung there on the cross. In the next three hours people mocked Him, even at first the thieves on crosses next to him. Yes, but one of those changed his mind as he hung there. And Jesus would place the care of His mother into John's care.

Now from the sixth hour was there darkeness over all the land, unto the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lamasabachthani? that is, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

Matthew 27:45-46 GNV

The separation was deafening to God in the flesh of man, but His concern even then was the terror of being separated in spirit from His Father. His constant fellowship with the Father was His total dependence of His life. Jesus could tell the disciples less than twenty-four hours ago, "Without me ye can do nothing” knowing that without His Father, that constant continual communion with His Father He Himself could do nothing. This verse should have been Adam's first cry when he bit into that fruit in the garden, but he covered himself and ran and hid just like we often do when we sin. Jesus Christ the Son of the living God never had sinned, was without sin, so this was the first of His last three prayers, one of anguish, of deepest separation from everything He had always known.

The next was recorded by John only and it follows what Jesus had prayed before the garden.

I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.

John 17:4 GNV

So John records,

Now when Jesus had received of the vinegar, he said,

It is finished, (PAID IN FULL)

and bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.

John 19:30 GNV

With His last breath He of His ownself, of His own choice prays His final commitment to His Father,

And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and said,

Father, into thine hands I commend my spirit.

And when he thus had said, he gave up the ghost.

Luke 23:46 GNV

After this there is only one last time that Jesus emulates His thought on prayer. After His Father raised Him from the dead He was walking with two of His disciples. Just like the disciples before His crucifixion they not only didn't recognize what Jesus had told of His pending arrest, trial, crucifixion, and death, they didn't even recognize Him. But they did ponder in their hearts, meditate as He told them all the Scriptures that testified of His coming, moreso of who He would be and is. Still they were blind to who He was. And it was His last recorded prayer that opened their eyes, the blindness of their minds.

And it came to pass, as he sat at table with them, he took the bread, and blessed, and brake it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they knew him: and he was no more seen of them. And they said between themselves, Did not our hearts burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and when he opened to us the Scriptures?

Luke 24:30-32 GNV

May we have heart burn in our spirits as we read and hear the Scriptures, may we have our blindness lifted, as He still prays, and may we know Him, He who remains fully God, fully man.