PERFECTION

PERDITION

OR

`Now we know that God heareth not sinners' (John 9:31).

This does not and cannot mean that God is unable to hear what a sinner says, it means He does not hear with

approval or acceptance. `I knew that Thou hearest Me always' (John 11:42) said the Saviour. Whatever therefore

was the subject of Christ's supplication in the garden of Gethsemane was acceptable, was heard, and was answered.

We learn moreover that Christ was heard `in that He feared', which the A.V. renders in the margin `for His piety'.

This is a most necessary correction. On the surface the A.V. gives the impression that the Saviour's prayer was the

result of `fear', of His being `afraid', but `piety' points entirely to the opposite direction. Eulabeia is found in

Hebrews 12:28:

`Let us ... serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear'.

Not only is such service `acceptable', the godly fear is echoed by the word `reverence'. Whatever the Saviour

asked for, therefore was heard, and that for His godly fear or piety. The burden of His petition is realized in the

character given to the Hearer and Answerer of His prayer. He prayed `unto Him that was able to save Him from

death, and was heard because of His piety'. Here, however, we must anticipate an objection. It may be objected,

Christ was not saved from death, He did die on the cross, He was not spared. In this objection lies the root of all the

misunderstanding and misrepresentation of the blessed Lord. What He dreaded, and what was threatened was

physical collapse in the garden of Gethsemane. The bloody sweat is a physical accompaniment and sign of intense

agony and exhaustion, and had the Saviour collapsed in a fatal seizure in the garden, the Devil would have

triumphed! Let us remember the emphasis that is laid upon the `weakness' of that hour. It is written `He was

crucified through weakness' (2 Cor. 13:4) and Paul said `We also are weak with Him' and could say also `My

strength is made perfect in weakness' (2 Cor. 12:9) using the same word teleioo that is used of His Lord (Heb. 2:10;

5:9). The suffering Saviour turned to His disciples and said `What, could ye not watch with Me one hour? Watch

and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak' (Matt. 26:40,41).

Whose spirit was willing? whose flesh weak? Most think He addressed these words to the disciples. No, He

spoke of Himself and His bodily weakness in the hour of His agony. The evidence of physical weakness is seen in

that the rough soldiery who manifested no traits of human kindness, were obliged nevertheless to transfer the cross

from the Saviour's shoulders, to that of a man of Cyrene, Simon by name (Matt. 27:32). Again, death by crucifixion

was a lingering death, lasting four, five, or six days, and consequently Pilate `marvelled' and could not readily

believe that Christ had died so quickly, and called the centurion to get confirmation (Mark 15:44). The Saviour

indeed was crucified through weakness. His spirit was always unalterably willing, it was the flesh that was weak,

and the flesh in its physical sense, not in any moral way.

It has been assumed that the `cup', which the Saviour asked might pass from Him, was the death of the cross.

This is monstrous and contradicts the whole tenor of the life of Christ. The `cup' was the possibility that it would be

the Father's will that He should die in the garden and the cross never be reached. `Nevertheless' if His life's work

were to end in such apparent failure the Saviour still as the perfect Servant and obedient Son bowed before the

Father's will. He had done this earlier. When rejection instead of acceptance by Israel was made manifest He said

`Even so Father: for so it seemed good in Thy sight', and called upon all who labour and are heavy laden to take His

yoke upon them and learn of Him, for said He `I am meek and lowly of heart'. We can get some confirmation of

this by observing the balancing members of the structure of Matthew's Gospel:

A 1:1 to 3:1. Birth to Baptism Ministry of John the Baptist.

`Born King of the Jews'.

B 4:1-16.  Threefold Temptation of the King. Triumph.

B 26:36-44 Threefold agony of the King-Priest. Triumph.

A 27; 28.  Baptism of suffering to Birth in Resurrection.

Ministry of those who are to baptize all nations.

`This is Jesus the King of the Jews'.

This structure is not complete, but the temptation in the wilderness and the agony in the garden perfectly

correspond. Will any one dare to suggest that the word `triumph' be altered to temporary hesitation, drawing back