In our series, ‘I see a victory’, we are learning about the 7 times Jesus shed his blood for us, and the significance and application this has for our lives today.
The first shedding of the blood of Jesus took place in the Garden of Gethsemane.
“And being in agony He was praying very fervently; and His sweat became like drops of blood, falling down upon the ground.” Luke 22v44
As you may imagine, sweating blood only happens under exceptional circumstances of extreme suffering and stress. We know that this was true of Jesus, as it is recorded He prayed in this moment of anguish, “My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death.” Matthew 26v38
What caused such deep distress to the Son of God? It was the cup from which His Father was asking Him to drink.
“My father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me.” Matthew 26V39
Can you imagine this cup? A cup containing the wickedness of the whole world, past, present, and future! Every curse, every betrayal, every form of selfishness, abuse, impurity, and rebellion would be taken upon Jesus as he chose to drink from that cup.
We see in the book of Genesis chapter 3, that it was in a garden that Adam was unfaithful to the will of God, bringing sin and curse upon all the earth. It is no coincidence therefore, that once again in a garden, heaven and earth held its breath, as like Adam, Jesus wrestled with the choice set before Him… then he prayed something that would change everything forever, “Not my will, but Yours be done.” (Luke 22v42)
In His greatest moment of agony, Jesus was faithful. What Adam had lost in the Garden of Eden, Jesus won back for us in the Garden of Gethsemane. By being faithful to do the will of God above His own, Jesus took upon himself our rebellion and conquered our redemption.
Remember the curse that came upon Adam after his rebellion? “By the sweat of your face you will eat bread, till you return to the earth.” Genesis 3v19
Jesus sweat drops of His precious blood from His brow, not only to heal us from betrayal, but to set us free from every generational curse caused by disobedience.
This first shedding of the blood of Jesus enables us to live with a forgiving heart, free from hatred, resentment, bitterness, or a desire for revenge. It enables and empowers us to have a faithful heart that is obedient to the word of God.
I invite you to declare with me today,
“By the blood of Jesus I am redeemed from the power of the enemy. I have been rescued from the dominion of darkness and brought into the kingdom of Jesus, the Son of God.”
The ‘I See a Victory’ series is based on the teaching from the book, ‘Just One Drop of the Blood of Jesus’, by Pastor Cesar Castellanos, available to buy on iBooks.