DEVOTION: In a society that avoids pain at all cost, Jesus actions are hard to grasp. We’re surrounded by medications to relieve pain. Many turn to drugs, abortion, euthanasia in an effort to eliminate discomfort and inconveniences from life.

But rather than run away from pain Jesus ran headlong into it. In the garden of Gethsemane, we glimpse the mental anguish Jesus experiences before his betrayal. He told his disciples, "my soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death" Matthew 26:38 and Luke describes Jesus distress as so intense that his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground Luke 22:44.

Knowing full well the suffering that awaited him, Jesus pleaded with the Father to consider an alternative plan. The physical suffering, He would have to endure alone would be enough to cause any one of us to turn away, and we know enough about the Romans cruelty during crucifixions to be shaken by their brutality. But Jesus also suffered in emotional agony of being forsaken by his Father, and the spiritual anguish of bearing all the ugly inhumane horrific sins of the world on his shoulders. It was enough to make anyone want to flee in the opposite direction

But Jesus knew that there was no “plan B” to satisfy God's righteous wrath. Only He could secure salvation for his beloved creatures, so He willingly accepted the hard road before him even though He did not deserve any of it: the betrayal, the mocking trial, the beating, the scorn, the humility and the torturous death through suffocation on a cross.

Amazingly, Jesus had the power to stop it all with just one word, but His love for us compelled Him to step forward. He willingly walked into this His suffering, humbly allowing Himself to be ridiculed by the very ones he came to safe. Every agonizing moment he hung on the cross was another whispered “yes” to his painful course. He who commanded the universe and enjoys the worship of angels step down from heaven to despise and reject the rejected by humans. And he did it all for love.