The author is bringing Christ back from His glorified place in heaven where he has now ascended. He brings him back to that time when he walked as a man on the earth. He brings us back to the garden of Gethsemane on the night before his execution. There he is praying and supplicating. The Greek words are doubled to give the idea that he is begging in prayer and this is again further intensified as he is found making his plea with strong crying and tears to one who could save him from death. Stories of Christians executed for their faith facing their death with with comfort and courage is not unusual.
Therefore verse 7 of our text should come to us as quite shocking and quite the surprise. Here the author of Hebrews describes the attitude of the Lord Jesus facing his death the night before his execution. There are no brave words at this moment as he takes it in. Instead there are "vehement cries and tears...prayers and petitions" to the Father who could save from death. He is weeping profusely. He is pleading with God to take away the death that lies before him. The stress is so great blood begins to stream from his pores. Not quite the bravery in the in the face of death that we might expect. This is a meltdown of agony. Why? Answering this one question will be the sole point of our message this morning...
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