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Editors’ note: 

Excellent Reformed and Evangelical conferences are held across Africa every year. The TGC Africa Podcast showcases select conferences to encourage and build up the local church across our continent.

 

This sermon was delivered at the 2023 Rooted Conference, which is hosted by GracePoint Church Kikuyu in Kenya. The conference’s theme and title was Rooted in the Cross of Christ. Each talk surveys an aspect of Christ’s death on the cross and the implications for believers today.

In this first sermon from the 2023 Rooted Conference, Daniel Gachuki walks us through Jesus’ intensely sorrowful final hours. For in Gethsemane Jesus prays to God in anguish, entreating God to take the cup from him. Yet as he draws near death, Jesus doesn’t ask for his own will to be done but God’s. Here we see one of Isaiah’s prophecies in its fullest: a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief. But why was he in anguish? How are we meant to understand Jesus’ intense agony?

Jesus’ Agony Before the Cross

Daniel argues that it wasn’t because of his looming death, which he’s been talking about for years. No. Jesus agonised over the purpose of his death, what it would mean for him to die on behalf of sinners, bearing the judgment of God.

The Father distills all the fury of hell and he puts it in this cup and he puts this cup on the lips of his Son.

Daniel puts it like this, “Is Jesus suddenly beginning to grow some cold feet? Is Jesus panicking as he thinks about his imminent death? Was Jesus afraid of death? Is this why Jesus is in agony?” Then he answers, “Listen, Jesus is not agonising over the prospect of death. Jesus is agonising because of the purpose of his death. Jesus is going to die a certain kind of death. He’s going to die a substitutionary death, a sin-atoning death, and this is made obvious by his prayer.”


Other Content On This Topic

The Wages of Sin: The Punishment of Evil at the Cross and in Hell
Suffering Christian, Remember Your Merciful and Affectionate Father
Christ Saves Us From The Penalty Of Sin
Our Glorious Christ: A Vision for Victims and Sufferers


Date: Friday, 7th April 2023

Location: 2023 Rooted Conference, GracePoint Church Kikuyu, Kenya

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