Jesus Didn't Want To, But He Did

Here is another one of my favourite pictures from the Christian Children's Book I recently bought.

Jesus was fully God, but He was also fully man. The Bible says that while Jesus was on earth, He offered up prayers and petitions to His Heavenly Father with loud cries and tears for God to save Him from dying a tortuous and agonizing death.

"During the days of Jesus' life on earth,

He offered up prayers and petitions

with loud cries and tears

to the One who could save Him from death,

and He was heard because of His reverent submission."

Hebrew 5:7 (NIV)

Jesus didn't go to the Cross without fear and trepidation. He went to the Cross with love for us and obedience to His Father in Heaven. Jesus didn't want to suffer the extreme pain and agony of being beaten, tortured, and crucified. It terrified Him and at times when He would think about what laid ahead of Him, He would cry out loudly with tears to His Father to stop it from happening. His Father heard His Son's prayers, but didn't stop it, however, and when the day came for Jesus to die, Jesus never fought the soldiers, cursed the people, or even whispered a complaint. He endured all of the pain and suffering because He focused His thoughts on us. In His mind and heart, we were worth every strike of the whip and every nail that penetrated through Him. He loves us that much! Jesus didn't want to, but He did!