Season Five Episode Eight - Surrendering His Will

[Dr. Shane]

Jesus pleads and suffers in the garden. His disciples sleep while He prays. This episode takes the series to the beginning of His trial. The writers of The Chosen decided to show Jesus having visions while He pled with the Father to let the cup pass from Him. The sentiment in this episode is the humanity of Christ. Giving His life wasn't something simple like a super hero bending a steel beam or flying through the air as fast as a bullet. Jesus was emotional as humans are... as God is. Today is Easter.

The non-religious world celebrates the day with chocolate bunnies and colored eggs. Families gather together, drink beer and eat ham. Devote Christians go to church, listen to a sermon and sing hymns. But very few of them focus on the suffering of Christ that started in the garden. The writers of The Chosen tried to capture some of that in this episode but as much as they did, it is only a small glimpse of what He really went through to save each of us - to save me. I think of the horrible fear Jews must have felt as they were hunted by Nazis and put to death in concentration camps. I cannot imagine the fear a kidnapped child feels as they are tortured to death by a serial killer. Yet nothing that has ever happened to one of us is worse than what He went through for us. I believe the worst part was in the garden. It is there that Ellen White says His face was so disfigured He was not recognizable. He gained His composure before the arrest happened.

I was touched by the vision in the valley of dry bones with Ezekiel. I was also touched with the vision of Joseph. I think the writers of The Chosen have done a good job at other times of bringing Joseph into the story. He is normally overshadowed by Mary. Joseph was a step-dad. For much of the world's history, men became step-dad when they married widows with young children. It is believed that step-children were normally not valued as much as biological children. When God chose Mary, He chose Joseph too. Step-dads are called to a ministry, called to a duty, called to a responsibility. The advancement of medical science and job safety has greatly diminished the number of widows in society today. However the rise of divorce has resulted in as many step-families as what has been throughout history. I am a step-dad myself and am blessed by my step-son. Joseph comforts the suffering Jesus in the vision in this episode. That drew tears to my eyes. Ezekiel embracing Jesus and reassuring Him also brought a tear to my eye.

Do we realize the sacrifice that happened in the garden? It is rarely the focus of art. The physical sacrifice happened on the cross. The emotional pain and turmoil happened in the garden. I am going to paste the words here for a hymn that Johnny Cash made famous. What should have been the first verse was never written: Were you there in the garden with His pain? Were you there when He surrendered His will? Oh! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble. Were you there when He surrendered His will?

 1. Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Oh! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?

2. Were you there when they nailed him to the tree?
Were you there when they nailed him to the tree?
Oh! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they nailed him to the tree?

3. Were you there when they pierced him in the side?
Were you there when they pierced him in the side?
Oh! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they pierced him in the side?

4. Were you there when the sun refused to shine?
Were you there when the sun refused to shine?
Oh! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when the sun refused to shine?

5. Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?
Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?
Oh! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?

6. Were you there when he rose up from the dead?
Were you there when he rose up from the dead?
Sometimes I feel like shouting 'Glory, glory, glory!'
Were you there when he rose up from the dead?