Think of the film THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST. Jesus was a tough, courageous warrior who went to the cross for you and me. He was scared enough that He sweat blood (an actual condition known as hemahydrosis)—but He did not run. He did not call 10,000 angels to rescue Him. He went forward boldly, in spite of the fact (as I believe), the Father had revealed to Jesus most of what would happen during His final week.
You can tell by the things Jesus says to His disciples that He already knows every detail of the days ahead, such as what stranger will give them a “safe house” in which to eat the Passover meal without interruption. He knows Judas will betray Him and Peter will deny Him. I don’t think there is any time in His ministry when Jesus predicts the future in more precise terms than He does in the days before His arrest.
“Then Jesus, knowing everything that was about to happen to Him, went out…” John 18:4.
The Father had shown the Son what was coming. And Jesus, though terrified on some level, said, “Not my will but Thine be done.” Strength is COURAGE in the face of a TERRIFYING FUTURE.
Has anyone faced anything more terrifying? Could there be a stronger man than this One, WHO HAD A CHOICE, and chose to bravely submit to His Father’s will?
This is a Man of incredible integrity—which gave Him INCREDIBLE STRENGTH.
And you know what He did after the Last Supper with His disciples, His dudes? He led them in singing. They sang together. Imagine that—twelve men singing church songs. And that was the encouraging, comforting sound Jesus took with Him into the Garden of Gethsemane. SINGING MEN.
This strongest of men was a SINGER.
Wrap your mind around that. There is nothing unmanly about singing, though parts of our culture seem to think so. Singing is powerful and the robust singing of deep-voiced men—there is nothing like it.
“After singing psalms, they went out to the Mount of Olives” Matthew 26:30.
“Ours is a singing faith.” –Billy Graham.
Dear God, may the men among us SING LIKE MEN! Teach us to worship as Jesus worshipped.
ΑΩ
Household Words: 