Agony for Him—Life for Us

Posted on April 11, 2022 by drgause@agause.com

Each of the four Gospels records the agony of Jesus’ crucifixion. Today, medical science gives further insight that far exceeds the observable anguish and sheds light on suffering beyond our comprehension. When Jesus completed the Passover meal, He led His disciples to the Garden of Gethsemane. He prayed, aware of the torment He would endure in the coming hours.

His agony began in the Garden. He knew He must drink a cup containing two bitter components: the sins of the world He would take upon Himself and the bodily torture. And being in anguish, He prayed more earnestly, and His sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground (Luke 22:44 NIV). A rare phenomenon called hematidrosis occurred. It only takes place during times of extreme psychological distress. The surface capillaries dilate, burst, and mix with sweat. The blood coagulates. This made Jesus appear as if He was sweating blood. The mass loss of blood caused His skin to become extremely tender and heightened the pain for His scourging.

A mob came, seized Jesus, and led Him away to Caiaphas, the High Priest, and the religious leaders. They accused and grilled Him, Then they spat in His face and beat Him with their fists; and others slapped Him (Matt. 26:67). When the day dawned, the soldiers led Him to Pilate. Following an interrogation, Pilate conceded to the Jews and delivered him for crucifixion. The Romans scourged those condemned to crucifixion—it intensified the pain. Soldiers fabricated the whip from strips of leather weaving in jagged fragments of lead or sharp pieces of sheep bones. They stripped off Jesus’ clothes and then stretched His hands above His head in order to tighten the skin on his back. The lictor began his work. With each strike, the lead-laced strips of leather gouged out deep gashes across His back. Blood puddled at His feet. This proceeded until completing the prescribed number of lashings (if anyone was counting). Soldiers then began their ‘fun’ time with the man who claimed He was the King of the Jews. They cut Jesus down and draped a purple robe worn only by royalty over His body, then placed a reed in His hand for a mock scepter. The one object missing for their ridicule was a King’s crown. A soldier ran out to a euphorbia bush and fashioned a crown from the branches. This common plant grew razor-sharp thorns two to three inches long. They . . . took the reed and smote him on the head (Matt. 27:30 NIV). The scalp bleeds easily; each strike drove the thorns deeper bringing more blood streaming down His face, coating His hair and beard.

When the soldiers tired of their game, they snatched off the robe, now stuck to the lacerations, reopening His wounds. The half-mile march to Golgotha began. They placed the 100-pound patibulum (crossbeam) of the cross on His raw shoulders. Jesus started His journey, but He was too exhaust and fell under the weight. A soldier grabbed a bystander, Simeon, and compelled Him to carry Jesus’ cross for the remaining distance. Upon reaching Calvary, they stripped off Jesus’ clothes, again stuck to His back, and threw Him to the ground, caking the wounds with filthy dirt. The executioners knew their task with thoughtless precision. One held His arm; another took a pointed square spike. With a single blow of his mallet, they secured the nail in the wood. This severed the median nerve of Jesus’ hand. Doctors say the most severe pain anyone can experience occurs when anything damages that nerve. Unimaginable pain raced through His arm. They proceeded to the other arm—Jesus knew the pain to expect. A soldier laid one of Jesus’ feet over the other; a few strikes fixed the nail. This time it severed two median nerves. Searing pain surged up both legs.

Beyond the torture, He had endured, the greater suffering was still to come. The Romans designed crucifixion to create extended brutality—not a swift death. When they lifted the cross, Jesus’ body sagged and increased pressure on the raw nerves against the nails. The slightest movement multiplied His pain. Because He was drooping, His lungs filled with air resulting in asphyxiation. The one-way air could escape by pushing up on the nail through His feet, however, at the cost of intensifying the pain as the nail pushed against the median nerves. This continued for six hours.

Hours without food or drink, He thirsted. Doctors describe another trauma—the effects of dehydration. This caused His muscles to contract, increasing until every muscle in his body cramped. Now, after the human agony, His final suffering awaited. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” — Which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Mark 15:34). Forsaken by His Father was something that had never occurred in eternity. His spiritual agony began. He was bearing the once-for-all penalty for the world’s sins—yours and mine. With agony in His body, the sins of the world on His sinless self, and the horror of being abandoned by His father, He cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit (Mat 27:50).

Sustaining Word for the Week: Why? He suffered this agony to pay the debt of our sin and give us life. It’s free!

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He Is There with You!

Posted on March 14, 2022 by drgause@agause.com

I imagine some of you have glanced at the obituary checking for my name. To be honest, I looked a few times myself. I published the last Sustaining Word May 2021. I can sum up the time since then as the most difficult period in our lives. My faith has been tested beyond anything I had ever experienced or even imagined. I questioned everything I believed, and many days I lost all hope, which plunged me into total despondency. I didn’t hear the Holy Spirt. Not once did I perceive a sense of God’s presence. The Bible seemed like dead words on the page. Yet, one scripture stayed in my mind, keeping me from absolute despair. Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in Sheol (the nether world, the place of the dead), behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the dawn, If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, Even there Your hand will lead me, And Your right hand will take hold of me (Psalm 139:7-10 AMP).

Let me give a brief scenario of the major events. A biopsy confirmed I had prostate cancer; my doctor scheduled surgery. But a week later, I became extremely ill and collapsed on the bedroom floor. Donna couldn’t get me up and I found myself in an ambulance for the first time and on my way to the hospital for the first time since a tonsillectomy at age eight. I only remember bits and pieces about the first three days. Test revealed the bacterium septic e-coli had developed from the biopsy. It was in my bloodstream and centimeters from infecting my kidneys—doctors weren’t sure I would live. But another doctor was there—Jesus. Apparently, God had more ministry for me. After recovering for a couple of months, the time arrived for my prostrate surgery. Thank God it was successful without complications, and the doctor was able to remove all the cancer.

“End of trials”, I thought, but no, not yet. Two years have passed since Donna again checked me into the hospital—high fever, struggling for every breath, too weak to get out of bed, unable to think clearly. After several days, they ‘believed’ I had bacterial pneumonia from one of our farm animals. I think they tried every antibiotic known to man, but none seemed to help. Yet, praise the Lord. Again, He was there healing—my fever broke. After eight days with no more tests to perform and no type of antibiotic provided a solution; still weak, they sent me home. A pulmonology specialist, a close friend of my son in Nashville, took an interest. He consulted with Donna and I for hours over the phone. After reviewing all my records, he recommended another specialist in Greenville. The new doctor has concluded that instead of pneumonia, I had COVID-19. This happened before the declaration of the pandemic. No test was available at the time. My struggle for the past two years has been the long-term effects of COVID-19, which include fatigue and brain fog among a few others. These have kept me from writing. I’ve battled for two weeks just to write this update.

I won’t share the details, but another nightmare took place during this time. We were trying to sell our house and move. With everything packed and the movers coming the next morning, the first buyers back out at 6 PM. We lived the next three months surrounded by moving boxes. Yet, with darkness all around us, and no sense of God’s presence, He was there working behind the scenes. Thank God for my wife, who has handled the sale and the move from beginning to the end. I am sitting in our newly built home, and it is paid for. I am still fatigued and fighting through brain fog. But I can only believe God has more ministry for me.

Sustaining Word: With your prayer for us, I know we can keep going and serving God. I’ve learned I don’t need to hear the Holy Spirit or perceive a sense of God’s presence. The Bible can seem like dead words on the page. But He promised, For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword (Heb 4:12). He Himself has said, I will never leave you or forsake you (13:5).

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The Microscope

Posted on May 17, 2021 by drgause@agause.com

Search the topic, ‘depression painting images’. It might surprise you at the number of pictures. Some of you will look and say, “that makes no sense; just pictures of sad people, so what?” For others, like myself, think, “Wow!! that artist understands depression.” Before the COVID virus, statistics showed that 18 million adults in the USA (10%) suffer from this illness. Currently, the numbers have jumped to 27.8% because of the pandemic. Depression is not confined to one nation but globally, 300 million people struggle. Depression has been a lifelong battle for me, but most who know me are unaware of my struggle. I call it the silent battle because we learn to hide it and endure alone. My parents and their generation thought the words depression and crazy were synonyms. Being raised around this mindset caused me years of concealed misery before I sought help. People are afraid of being rejected if others know. However, the people you fear who might reject you may also be hiding their suffering.

Depression isn’t a 21st-century problem but is as old as human history. We find examples throughout the Bible and also in other ancient non-biblical texts. As early fifth and fourth-century BC, Plato and Aristotle wrote about the symptoms of depression, then known as Melancholia. Scripture never uses the term depression as we define it today but employs various words and descriptions of the experiences of godly men and women who became overwhelmed with despair and hopelessness, even to the point of wanting to die.

Elijah is a prime example. After his victory over the prophets of Baal, Jezebel threatened to kill him. He became afraid and ran into the wilderness. Physically and emotionally exhausted, he went and sat down under a shrub and asked the Lord to take his life: “I’ve had enough! Now, O Lord, take my life” (1 Kg 19:4 NET). The encouragement for us comes from God’s reaction. Instead of rejecting Elijah as a failure, the Lord sent an angel who baked a bread cake on hot stones and left a jar of water. Elijah ate and drank and lay down again. After a time of sleep, the angel of the Lord came again a second time and touched him and said, “Arise, eat, because the journey is too great for you” (v7).

Note several lessons from these verses and the events that follow. Be aware that depression can happen after great victors—from very high emotions to the deepest low. Try to remain emotionally balanced. These verses show that fear, physical and emotional exhaustion can be factors. Like most depressed people, Elijah wanted to be alone and ran into the wilderness away from people, even leaving his servant behind. Later, hiding in a cave, the Lord asked why he was there; Elijah thought he was alone in the world: I am the only one left (v10). When we begin falling into depression, we typically want to be left alone, but then we arrive in our narrow dark pit; we become overwhelmed with hopelessness and isolated from anyone to help. We think everyone has rejected us; we feel defeated and worthless. The devil causes us to feel guilt, and we believe that we have sinned.

The 40-day journey to Horeb, the mountain of God, didn’t help Elijah overcome his despair. Still depressed, when he got there, he crawled into a cave and went to sleep (v9 MSG). But this time, the Lord woke him with a message. After Elijah’s sob story, God directed him to go outside the cave. Here the Lord showed him a lesson all those who suffer from depression need to know. God caused a mighty wind, then an earthquake, and last a fire to pass by, but the Lord was not in them. Lesson: God doesn’t always work in the spectacular. But then a still small voice. In other versions, the interpreters translate this phrase, soft whisper, gentle blowing, a sound of sheer silence, or absolute stillness. We don’t know what he heard, but he knew it was God. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle (v13). The Lord assured Elijah he wasn’t alone. I have reserved seven thousand in Israel (v18). God still had ministry he wanted Elijah to complete and directs him to go and anoint several leaders.  

God has taught me two important lessons about my depression. We are never alone. If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there (Ps 139:8). A deep depression had overwhelmed me. I felt alone, feeling even God had abandoned me. The Holy Spirit gently spoke into my heart, “I’m right here with you in this dark pit.” The second lesson came recently. When depressed, we look at our problems and fears through a microscope, making them appear larger and much more extensive than they are. The devil will always supply a microscope.

When depression takes us beyond the loss of hope to the loss of the possibility of hope, Jesus is still holding tight because He promised never to forsake us and that nothing can separate us from His love.

Sustaining Word for the Week: When I walk through the darkest valley of depression, you are close beside me, restoring my strength (Application of Psalms 23).

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Where Is Your Focus?

Posted on May 3, 2021 by drgause@agause.com

And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus (Mat 14:29). The typical sermons I’ve heard emphasizes Peter’s failure. However, we shouldn’t overlook the fact he accomplished something no other human (except Jesus) had ever done. Peter. . . walked on the water (14:29). It does not say he stood on the water. Matthew doesn’t tell us how far—a few steps or a hundred yards? We don’t know. But it does not matter. For an unknown distance, Peter walked on water. Then something happened. He took his eyes off Jesus and noticed the fierce wind. The wind hadn’t changed. It wasn’t blowing any stronger or any less than when he stepped out of the boat. What changed? Peter’s focus shifted. At this point, his faith failed; he became frightened, and began to sink (v30).

The Holy Spirit led me to this passage years ago when I was in graduate school. With term papers to write, tests to take, books to read, etc, I became overwhelmed. I was already on a walk of faith just being in a master’s program. I felt inadequate for this level of education. However, the Lord had led me there; I entered the MA program focusing on Him. I did well for three months, but suddenly I was frightened and sinking. The number of assignments hadn’t changed; the number of term papers was the same. Why was I frightened and sinking? The Holy Spirit spoke to me through this scripture, “You’ve taken your focus off Jesus”.

Our journey through life is no different. The Christian must walk by faith in a world full of problems; strong winds are blowing, and storms are always raging around us. All of us at times can become overwhelmed. It seems like the last two years have taken us through a hurricane. If we are struggling to stay afloat, we need to do a personal reality check and ask ourselves, “ Where’s my focus?” The Book of Hebrews tells us to fix our eyes on Jesus (12:2). The Greek word translated fix means to gaze or to stare with undivided attention by looking away from every other object and see nothing thing else. The context in this verse concerns Jesus enduring the cross, despising the shame. How did Jesus do that, because of the joy set before Him? The word set before means to lie before one’s eyes. Jesus endured the cross and shame because His focus was on the joy He could see beyond the cross. Thankfully, He didn’t lose His focus.

The encouraging lesson for us comes after Peter lost his focus and began sinking. He cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately, Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him (v31). The Book of Hebrews tells us one reason Jesus came, For in that which He suffered, having Himself been tempted, He is able to run to the cry of those who are being tempted and bring them aid (2:18 Wuest). The phrase run to the cry, which KJV translates ‘able to succour’ means provide immediate assistance to even the faintest cry. We may feel like it is all over, but Jesus never abandons us. If you are sinking, cry out to Jesus, He will not let you perish, but return you to the boat.

If someone dropped you into the eye of the strongest hurricane and you walked at the same speed it was moving, you would remain in perfect calm while the storm raged around you. When we focus on Jesus in this stormy world, it’s like walking in the eye of His calm and peace. You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you (Is 26:3 ESV).

Sustaining Word for the Week: Where’s your focus today? You may feel like it’s too late. You’re frightened and sinking. Cry out to Him and you’ll find Him reaching out and taking hold of you. And then refocus on Jesus.

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