HE SWEAT BLOOD

HE SWEAT BLOOD

Luk 22:44 And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.

He sweat blood.

Can you imagine sweating blood? Can you imagine being in such emotional pain and stress that your physical body starts to suffer not from external affliction but internal affliction?

The clinical term is "hematohidrosis." "Around the sweat glands,

there are multiple blood vessels in a net-like form." Under the

pressure of great stress the vessels constrict. Then as the anxiety

passes "the blood vessels dilate to the point of rupture. The blood

goes into the sweat glands." As the sweat glands are producing a lot

of sweat, it pushes the blood to the surface - coming out as droplets

of blood mixed with sweat.

Why did Jesus sweat blood? was it because he knew he was going to be totally mutilated in the next few hours? was it because he knew that he was going to be physically afflicted beyond recognition?

Physically Jesus had enough reason to sweat blood. Here is a short description of what crucifixion entailed.

The number of nails used seems to have been indeterminate. A tablet, on which the feet rested or on which the body was partly supported, seems to have been a part of the cross to keep the wounds from tearing through the transfixed members (Iren., Adv. haer., ii.42). The suffering of death by crucifixion was intense, especially in hot climates. Severe local inflammation, coupled with an insignificant bleeding of the jagged wounds, produced traumatic fever, which was aggravated the exposure to the heat of the sun, the strained of the body and insufferable thirst. The swelled about the rough nails and the torn lacerated tendons and nerves caused excruciating agony. The arteries of the head and stomach were surcharged with blood and a terrific throbbing headache ensued. The mind was confused and filled with anxiety and dread foreboding. The victim of crucifixion literally died a thousand deaths. Tetanus not rarely supervened and the rigors of the attending convulsions would tear at the wounds and add to the burden of pain, till at last the bodily forces were exhausted and the victim sank to unconsciousness and death.

That was more than enough for him to sweat blood. But really did he sweat blood for that? Many people went through the physical pain of the crucifixion. Romans used to do it all the time. Physical pain can only last so long. We all know that emotional pain lasts MUCH longer than physical pain and has much more longer lasting reprocussoins in our life.

Does a woman remember the licks that her father gave her or the horiffic experience of the man that raped her?

Does a man remember being beat up by the gang of men or the loss of his single mother that he was so close too?

The emotional feeling that we go through when things happen to us with respect to another tends to do so much more than we can see at the point in time.

The pain that Jesus suffered emotionally was farrr greater than the pain he would have felt physically. Keep in mind here that Jesus KNEW what he was going into, both PHYSICALLY AND EMOTIONALLY.

He would not sweat blood for the physical pain. He sweat blood becasue he was going to wilfully allow himself to be cursed and be DISCONNECTED from his father.

PICTURE THIS

You are the model student. You go to class everyday, you do all your homework, you hand in all your assignment and you do well in all your exams. You deserve the best right. You deserve your A+ or your 100% in your final examination.

Or picture, you are the model worker, you do your work on time, you work overtime with a smile and you are a excellent team player.

For the student, awards day comes around and you know you deserve nothing less than the highest award because you have met all the requirements. Instead of getting an award you get expelled from school and you are treated as if you were the worst student on the face of the earth. No school will take you and you are forced to become a vagrant. You deserved it all ... but you got nothing.

For the worker, the day of you appraisal comes up. You know you deserve to be given a promotion and a large bonus and the boss hands you a letter saying you are fired and they also told everybody else that may be willing to hire you that you were the worst worker in the world and you don't deserve to be hired.

In ALLLLLLL aspects of his life JESUS WAS PERFECT. He did is all right. He was the perfect Jew. He was the model human being. He was everything Abraham wanted to be, Everything David wanted to be, everything Ezekiel wanted to be, everything Samuel wanted to be!!! He was the only one to do it right.

You know what happens when you do things right for God.... YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO BE REWARDED.

Exo 19:5 Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine:

Exo 19:6 And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.

Deu 4:1 Now therefore hearken, O Israel, unto the statutes and unto the judgments, which I teach you, for to do them, that ye may live, and go in and possess the land which the LORD God of your fathers giveth you.

1Ki 2:3 And keep the charge of the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and his testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, that thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest, and whithersoever thou turnest thyself:

1Ki 2:4 That the LORD may continue his word which he spake concerning me, saying, If thy children take heed to their way, to walk before me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul, there shall not fail thee (said he) a man on the throne of Israel.

God promises his reward to all those that keep his commandments. There is a blessing in obedience.

SO HOW WAS CHRIST SO OBEDIENT AND HE DID NOT GET THE BLESSING? How could he have fulilled the law and still be cursed?

Gal 3:13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:

The keys is the substitution. The switching of roles BECAUSE OF LOVE.

We deserved the CURSE and he deserved THE BLESSING. But he switched it and gave us the opportunity to have his blessing........ while he took OUR CURSE.

so why did Jesus sweat blood? Because his father did not just send him to die, his father TURNED HIS BACK ON HIM.

Imagine the REJECTION, the HURT, the SCORN.

Isa 53:10 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him;

God was happy to kill him. God was happy why? Because he saw the punishment of sin.

God likes to see 2 things... the things he likes, to be rewarded and the things he hates, to be punished.

BOTH THESE THINGS BRING HIM GLORY.

Because he delights in the praises of his people. He loves to recieve Glory.

Because he is just, evil must be punished because the evil if left unchecked takes away from his glory as the creator of man.

HE HAD TO SCORN HIM CUZ HE CHOSE TO TAKE ON THE FORM OF SIN. There was only one man who had that Choice..... only one man fit the criteria to make that choice. And even though he knew he what would happen if he made that choice he still made it.

How many of us think twice when we have to do something for someone and we would be inconvenienced. We might be the only people that meet the criteria that that particular person needs..... what do we do?

Jesus knew he would be pysically afflicted.

HE SWEAT BLOOD

Jesus knew he would be betrayed

HE SWEAT BLOOD

Jesus knew that his Father would hate him

HE SWEAT BLOOD

Jesus knew that he had the right to go to heaven and no one else

HE SWEAT BLOOD

Jesus knew that he would be giving up his right for A SINNER NAMED ANDRE

HE SWEAT BLOOD

A sinner like me has the opportunity to be right with God and go to heaven and live with him forever

HE SWEAT BLOOD

I understand the fact that I deserved to die but he died in my place

HE SWEAT BLOOD

When I think my world is caving in and everyone is against me and I want to sweat blood

HE SWEAT BLOOD.

don't waste the blood of Jesus.....

NO PLATES IN YUH CRATE??

So you should know by now that I am a dj. I am going to delve into a topic that is touchy and tricky but the word of God will be the final WORD on the matter.

Dub Plates.

A dub plate is a specialized version of a song (most often a popular one) where a dj is 'bigged up' in the song by the performing artist. It is often used by dj's in sound clashes where dj's go head to head playing songs in a battle where the crowd response for the particular dj/sound system determines who wins.

This plate is requested by the dj and most often paid for so that the dj would have the upper hand in the clash. It is particularly used in the dancehall culture where dj's play a prominent role in how a party goes.

A Christian dj is definitely called to be set apart in his field which is the delivery and mixing of music. As is understood when evangelizing to any culture, you have to analyze it and what can and cannot be used for the Glory of God.... now the Glory of God is God's main purpose for existing.. for his glory.

Rom 11:36 For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.

Now the flow of music and the mixing and scratching and mic man and everything that comes with being a dj can allllll be used for the Glory and honor of God because it can ll be pointed back to him in some form or fashion.

A plate now by it's definition substitutes part of the song with the name of the dj in an effort to 'big up' the dj for the explicit purpose of glorifying the dj especially in a clash situation where another dj is competing for the crowd's response.

Issues:

1. SUBSTITUTION

A gospel song is generally a song that speaks about the saving work of Jesus and promotes the agenda of God by virtue of his son and in the power of his Spirit. If the name of a dj is substituted into that song I believe it takes away from the glory that God deserves to get from that song.

(check out when God kept a remnant of Israel and did not allow them to be destroyed)

Isa 48:11 For mine own sake, even for mine own sake, will I do it: for how should my name be polluted? and I will not give my glory unto another.

2. PRIDE

If a gospel dj who's agenda is to glorify God specifically goes and asks an artist to sing a song bigging them up then they don't really have God's glory on their mind. The sheer thought about substituting MY name in a song that was designed for GOD......... i just got a headache.

(check out Nebuchadnezzar in the book of Daniel)

Dan 5:20 But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him:

HOW CAN A PLATE BE USED?

The only way I see a plate being possibly used for the glory of God is this way.

Php 2:3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.

If for some reason an artist comes and says,

"Aye, i LOVE YOUR MINISTRY.... and I decided to do a song dedicated to your ministry. I pray you accept it and love it so that others would know what you are doing and who you are"

They take one of their songs and remix it and pay tribute to you in the spirit of Philipians 2:3 ALONG WITH POINTING TO JESUS AS THE REASON FOR BROTHERLY LOVE, HUMILITY ALL THINGS THAT ARE GOOD.... FOR THE EXPRESSED GLORY OF GOD..." (which is what Phil 2 is about)

Then and only then would it be biblically sound in my estimation. I hope this makes biblical sense and we are challenged by it. I of course don't need to say that this is in no way intended malicious or 'call out anyone', it is simply applying the word of God to culture which is what we have to do.

I appreciate all comments and I don't condemn anyone... but let the Word of God do the speaking.