After announcing that the time for his crucifixion had come, John 12:27-30 reveals Jesus sharing – very transparently – what he was feeling as he looked ahead to the cross. He confessed that his soul was troubled. That must be the greatest understatement of all time, but I’m grateful for this glimpse into the soul of the Savior. Though none of us can begin to comprehend the horrors he faced, we all can relate to the experience of having feelings of trepidation about a challenging future. And it’s deeply moving to know he understands.
But more important than the comfort this passage provides in the knowledge of Christ’s empathy for our agitated hearts, is the example it records of the Lord’s response to his own. The rightness of the rhetorical question he asked, the truth he proclaimed, and the prayer he prayed was powerfully affirmed by the audible voice of the Heavenly Father providing a divine exclamation point that Jesus said was for our sakes.
So, it would probably be wise for us to listen up.
First, let’s consider the question he asked. In anticipation of the horrors of the cross, Jesus wondered aloud whether he should ask the Father to save him from it. Now, as someone who has experienced saving grace because he didn’t, I don’t want to even entertain the thought that Calvary might not have happened if he had. But it was a real option and one I wouldn’t have hesitated exercising. Whenever I face the prospect of pain of any sort, my first and only prayer tends to be, “God, save me from this!” But he didn’t do that.
And that brings us to the truth he proclaimed. He declared that even in the midst of that dark prospect, he was confident the purposes of God at work in it could be trusted. Contrary to my desire that life never include any form of discomfort, the Bible is clear from cover to cover that sin has unleashed suffering in this world and my faith does not spare me from it. But it does promise that I’ll never face heartache alone or outside the canopy of God’s meticulous, purposeful, and powerful plans for my life.
So, even when staring down the hardest of times, I can learn to pray what Jesus prayed, “Father, glorify your name.” I can confidently welcome him to demonstrate the beauty of who he is in every situation. I can always face the future with the knowledge that no matter what, his name will never be associated with anything that’ll harm me. The path to my tomorrow my pass through some pain, but that’s not the same thing. It may hurt but it won’t harm. And any pain he allows me to experience is always in service of something good.
It’s probably not the best illustration, but I recently added a new component to my exercise routine. It’s forcing me to work some muscles in a new way, and I’m really feeling the burn. It’s not pleasant, but it is good. Although my natural inclination is to avoid the soreness, that pain is the signal that I’m getting stronger.
2 Corinthians 2:17 says, “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.” Let’s cling tightly to that promise as we step forward into every challenge we encounter in this life. And let’s always be sure to ask ourselves the question he asked, proclaim the truth he declared, and pray the prayer he prayed.