This week Pamela Polanco penned our devotional thoughts. She’s written for us before, but if you’ve not yet met her, just check out the contributor’s page to learn more about her.

When I was six years old, I witnessed a gruesome, nerve-wracking altercation. My mom and I were caught in a crossfire. To this day, I remember everything before and after it, but I don’t recall the moment in question. I banished it from my memory because it was an unpleasant event. 

In a sense, repressing a memory can be an automatic response when we don’t like something, perhaps because we don’t want to think of things that bring distress or pain, or do we? We tend to do that with the cross of Christ.  As Christians, we ought not to forget about our Savior’s painful surrender to the cross. 

Matthew 26:39 tells us, “And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.” 

I am often quite taken by this moment. I can almost imagine it. As God, Jesus had the dreadful, unsettling knowledge of what was to come when He said, “As thou wilt.” Knowing that Jesus was also human, I can only imagine how overwhelming Gethsemane had to be. 

Had it been me in Jesus’ place, I’d think of a way to flee Jerusalem (certainly, I would’ve done everything on my part to stop Calvary from going forward). Humanly speaking, surrender is not easy —and it’s even less easy to surrender unto death. 

At that moment, Jesus was called to submit to the Father’s will —to be at peace knowing that He would suffer greatly. Later on, He was wrongfully accused and tried. Beaten. Humiliated. Mocked. Tortured. What He went through has no comparison, and He willingly took it all so that we could gain from His pain. 

Similarly, many of Christ’s disciples and followers had to suffer considerably for their association with Him. Peter knew before the Lord departed of his future demise. Yet, they did not consider their lives of value because Calvary was fresh on their mind. 

Christ commanded His disciples to remember His sacrifice. Calvary should never be an afterthought for us, for it must be ever-present in our minds. It is unlikely that we will be willing to surrender ourselves fully to God’s will unless we do it with our eyes on Christ and consider His own suffering.  

We are called to ponder Christ’s surrender to remember that it can be wearing and taxing to relinquish control of one’s own future. Our pain does not make God’s will any less perfect (Christ’s life showed this). 

To Christ’s followers, the crucifixion was an incomprehensible event, but when Sunday came, they knew it was necessary. Likewise, surrendering to God’s will might sometimes be painful, but Christ set the greatest example. 

We must consider Him as we envision the future. No suffering compares to the glory that will be revealed (Romans 8:18). Let us keep our eyes on Christ as we determine to surrender entirely unto God.