Lessons from Easter: Blood, Sweat, and Earnest Prayer

While for most of the world "Easter" begins with chocolate bunnies and hunting for colorful eggs in the front yard, for Jesus, it began with fervent prayer, agony, sweat, and blood.

"And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground." Luke 22:44

The night of His arrest, Jesus went to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray. He brought along His disciples- Peter, James, and John (Matthew 26:37) to wait, watch, and join Him in prayer. The scripture says that Jesus was "sorrowful and very heavy" and He was driven to fall on His face in prayer.

Jesus was fully God, in the fullness of man, and yet He was so moved that He sweat drops of blood and prayed with His face on the ground. He was in the greatest battle that He had ever known up to that moment. Jesus was suffering.

Then saith He unto them, 'My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.' And He went a little further, and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, 'O My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me: nevertheless not as I will, but as Thou wilt.' Matthew 26:38-39

Agony

Jesus was under immense pressure as He participated in the greatest spiritual battle He had ever encountered. In Luke 22:44 (from the first photo) the word agony comes from a form of the Greek word agonidzo. This word depicts a fight, a struggle, great effort, or great exertion. This word was used throughout the New Testament to illustrate deep pain, distress, anguish, and conflict. Additionally, the word agonidzo comes from the word agon, which the Greeks used to display intense athletic conflicts and competitions that were incredibly strenuous in the ancient world. This word was chosen by the Holy Spirit to be used in this scripture to really show us the battle that Jesus was experiencing in Gethsemane on the night of His betrayal and arrest. Jesus was in the midst of the fight of His life- it was not easy, He was not comfortable, it was not convenient, He was not smiling or laughing. He knew what stood before Him- the Cross and the grave. It was such an agonizing event, that He cried out to God and asked if there was any other way. And yet despite the suffering, He was obedient unto death.

And having been found in appearance as a man He humbled Himself, having become obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Philippians 2:8

Prosperity?

I want you to understand that the Cross was the most prosperous event that Jesus ever endured, while simultaneously being the most painful. It was so stressful on His soul and body, that He was "in agony" sweating "great drops of blood." But what Jesus did at Calvary was the most prosperous transaction that has ever been made in history. The Christian life of faith is not about what feels good. Biblical Prosperity is not about the comfort of our emotions and the convenience of our flesh. When we wholly devote ourselves to the WORD and the will of GOD, we shall prosper. But it will not always benefit our flesh. We will face tribulation and persecution because it is already written. We will have problems and trials to overcome and conquer because it is already written. We will undergo hardships and may even face great suffering just as Jesus did, because it is already written. The spiritual warfare is a given, because we have an adversary who we must take a stand against. We may lose family and friends as we pursue the call of God on our lives. Even Jesus' closest friends forsook Him in the toughest time of His life-

And He went forward a little, and fell on the ground, and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him. And He said, 'Abba, Father, all things are possible unto Thee; take away this cup from Me: nevertheless not what I will, but what Thou wilt.'

And He cometh, and findeth them [Peter, James, and John] sleeping, and saith unto Peter, 'Simon, sleepest thou? couldest not thou watch one hour? Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak.'

And again He went away, and prayed, and spake the same words. And when He returned, He found them asleep again, (for their eyes were heavy,) neither [knew] they what to answer Him.

And He cometh the third time, and saith unto them, 'Sleep on now, and take your rest: it is enough, the hour is come; behold, the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.'

Mark 14:35-41

Jesus wasn't one to ask for assistance from His friends. It was them who usually needed Him. But in this spiritual battle Jesus was enduring, He asked His closest friends to pray for Him... for just one hour. But instead of praying when Jesus needed them the most, they kept falling asleep again and again.

Wake Up, Sleeper

No matter what we endure for the Gospel's sake, we shall prosper in the will of GOD. If we prosper financially, it is not for the purpose of our own lusts and to comfort our flesh- it is for spreading the Gospel. If we prosper relationally, it is for spreading the Gospel. Our prosperity, is for the sake of the Gospel. It is all for JESUS CHRIST.

Will we be found spiritually asleep at the return of Jesus? Will we sleep through this life as we live for ourselves, and miss the call of GOD for our lives?

Will we sleep through the spiritual battle that wages around us? Will we remain in the deception of following only what makes our flesh comfortable, and deny the leading of the Spirit?

And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. Romans 13:11

Answer the Call

I believe the LORD is raising up a people in this hour that are willing to be obedient even unto death. I believe that GOD is calling people out of darkness who will not sleep through the co-mission, but will remain awake and clear-minded. I believe that there is a remnant of believers who are answering the midnight call of the Holy Spirit and who are willing to lay down their comforts, their conveniences, and their own lives, for the sake of the Gospel.

As we approach Easter this year, or what we like to call "Resurrection Day" here at Kingdom Victory, our prayer for you is that you will forsake all for Christ. We hope and pray that you will deny the carnal wants of the flesh, and answer the call of the Spirit. We exhort you to commit your life to the WORD of God and to grow deep roots in Him, so that you can bear fruit that actually lasts.

Many today seek the outward "appearance" of the fruit, without digging deep in the WORD of GOD and in relationship with JESUS to have a root of great depth. The WORD of GOD is a seed, and all true abiding fruit in your life shall come forth from that seed. Anything that does not come forth from the seed of the WORD is not of GOD, and not only will it not last, but it will be burned up in the last day.

For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, you are God’s building. According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.

1 Corinthians 3:9-13

Peter, James, and John did not yet have the Holy Spirit living within them to empower them to press through the tiredness of their flesh. This is why Jesus said to them,

The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak.

Mark 14:38

We, however, are new creatures in Christ Jesus. We are a new class of born-again believers that have the Spirit of God living inside of us. We can now be led in life by the Spirit, not by the flesh. Still, the conscious choice of which we follow, is ours.

Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us walk in step with the Spirit.

Galatians 5:24-25

Divine Assistance

Just as God provided Jesus with divine assistance in the Garden of Gethsemane when his friends failed Him, we too have divine assistance. We have the Spirit of God living inside of us, we have the WORD of God that gets written on our hearts as we study it and meditate upon it. We are triune beings- spirit, soul, and body (1 Thessalonians 5:23)- and we can now walk in the power of a spirit fully united with GOD, and not succumb to the desires of the flesh.

How do we discern the leading of the Spirit vs. the leading of the flesh? The WORD of GOD. The WORD is our food, our water, our life, and our sword. It is both our sustenance and our weapon. It is alive. By speaking the WORD of GOD, we can overcome every assault and attack of the devil that comes against us just like Jesus did when He was tempted in the wilderness.

"Supernatural assistance is a part of your inheritance as a child of God in Christ, and you can lay claim to it any time you need it. All you have to do is receive it by faith and walk in obedience to what God tells you to do - and as you do, God will supernaturally empower you to victoriously tack and overcome whatever is before you."

-Rick Renner, "Easter: The Rest of the Story" (p.17)

The Lord has established His throne in heaven, And His kingdom rules over all. Bless the Lord, you His angels, Who excel in strength, who do His word, Heeding the voice of His word. Bless the Lord, all you His hosts, You ministers of His, who do His pleasure. Bless the Lord, all His works,In all places of His dominion. Psalm 103:19-22

Victory

No matter the agony you are facing, no matter the attack on your health, your finances, your emotions, your family, your identity... if you stick to the WORD, stay awake in prayer, and remain obedient to the call of God on your life, you will stand in victory over it all. Even if you are surrounded by "sleepers" or you are losing friends and family as you pursue the leading of the WORD and the Holy Spirit, GOD will never fail. He will lead you to triumph in every single battle if you continue to follow Him.

Perhaps you are in a season of looking around at your life and seeing a lot of emptiness and loss that has yet to be filled. This is exactly what it looked like when Jesus was nailed to the cross. The disciples had forsaken all and given up everything to follow His call on their lives, and then He was gone, and their lives were nothing but loss and sorrow. I say to you what Jesus said, Have faith in GOD. The way to biblical prosperity is giving up, to go up. The way to promotion in the kingdom of God, is humility. The way to increasing in Christ, is decreasing in vanity and all that is of the flesh. The way of multiplying the life of the Gospel, is subtracting a life of carnality and self-seeking. You are on your way. You are following the leading of the Spirit. You are on the path of righteousness.

So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.

Luke 14:33

You are walking the path of victory. Continue to press on. Continue to choose the WORD over the world. Continue, continue, continue. And you shall stand in the palace of freedom triumphing in victory through our LORD Jesus Christ! When we give up all of the world for JESUS, we begin our journey of going up in the Kingdom of GOD.

This is the narrow path, and it is good.

Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. John 8:31-32

Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. Colossians 3:16

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. ...

Put on the full armor of God, so that you can make your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this world’s darkness, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore take up the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you will be able to stand your ground, and having done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness arrayed, and with your feet fitted with the readiness of the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray in the Spirit at all times, with every kind of prayer and petition. To this end, stay alert with all perseverance in your prayers for all the saints. Ephesians 6:10-18

Jesus understands pressure. Jesus understands the intense heat of navigating through a seemingly impossible trial with no one else to lean on...

BUT GOD.

We have the resurrection power of the Cross now, and we have the finished works of Jesus to stand upon. We have all things that we need pertaining to life and godliness. Because of JESUS, we are fully equipped. And because of JESUS, we have the victory. Do not lose heart, but continue pressing into the LORD and continue seeking GOD with all your heart, soul, body, and mind. And in the appointed time, you shall reap a bountiful harvest.

Pray without ceasing. 1 Thessalonians 5:17

But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit Jude 1:20

But thanks be to God, the One always leading us in triumph in Christ, and through us in every place making manifest the fragrance of the knowledge of Him. 2 Corinthians 2:14

Just as an angel appeared to Jesus from heaven and strengthened Him in a time of His greatest spiritual battle and unbearable pressure, so do you have the supernatural assistance you need to get you through the battle you are currently facing. Stay alert, stay vigilant, continue in the WORD, pray without ceasing, and press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of GOD in Christ Jesus. Don't quit the race. Your victory is already finished. Keep standing, and you shall see God's call fulfilled and completed in your life.

Today's blog was made possible by Rick Renner's book, Easter- The Rest of the Story. If you enjoyed this Easter blog, we recommend digging even deeper into Rick Renner's book here, Easter- The Rest of the Story.