THE OLIVE GROVE rustles softly in the night air. Mist rises from the damp earth where He lies prostrate before His Father. Fingers that once touched blind eyes, healed deaf ears, and tenderly held children are now clenched white in anguish.

“You don’t have to do this, hisses an all too familiar voice. Even if you give your life for them, they won’t want you. They’ll run away. They’ll deny they even know you. They want a political savior, a miracle man, someone to heal them and feed them and give them ease and comfort. You will disappoint them, you betray their trust, you lead them all like sheep to the slaughter!”

Dark clouds drift silently over the moon, and the shadows deepen. “Father,” He whispers hoarsely, “Father, if you are willing, let this cup pass from me.”

“Ha! Yes, let it pass!” Hisses the voice. “This is too much to ask. You cannot bear the weight of the whole world! One hot breath and all your miserable creatures can be gone, swept into hell with me. You don’t have to do this!”

Drops of blood bead on his brow and trickle down into his beard. He raises his body from the earth and looks up into the night sky. “Father, not my will but yours be done.”
The voice slithers away beneath the darkness and angel wings sweep down and around, comforting, worshipping, loving Him.

The last test, the last temptation, and in the final victory He leads the way to victory after victory over selfishness, self-righteousness, self-gratification, self-sufficiency, and self-worship. No, he will not lead them as sheep to the slaughter. He leads them to victory and eternal life!

~

Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, ‘Father?’
‘Yes, my son?’ The fire and wood are here,’ Isaac said, ‘but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?’
Abraham answered, ‘God Himself will provide the lamb…’

…Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide. And to this day it is said, ‘On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided.’

—Genesis 22:7-8