Tag Archives: like great drops of blood

LUKE’S GOSPEL…LIKE GREAT DROPS OF BLOOD – 58

Bible Study, ,

“Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him. On reaching the place, he said to them, “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.” He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down and prayed, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.”

‭‭Luke‬ ‭22‬:‭39‬-‭44‬ NIV

It amazes me how human imagination loves drama and even twists words to paint a picture in the story that the words never intended. Luke’s portrait of the human Jesus under extreme pressure is one of those misreadings which is a detail not found in the other gospel records of Jesus’ prayer in Gethsemane…

“And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.”

One little Greek word, perhaps deliberately omitted in some translations to heighten the drama, makes all the difference to our understanding of Jesus’ suffering!

The word “like”, Greek “hosi”, made up of two Greek words, “ho” and “sei”, clearly implies “like, as if, in the manner of,”. Luke made a comparison between the perspiration that flowed from Jesus’ face and the free flow of blood from a fresh wound. 

Luke’s description is not what some translators imply… that Jesus sweated blood.  The text clearly says that His sweat was   “like”…“as if it were” great drops of blood.  This idea that He sweated blood does not appear to be in the text. A theory and a doctrine has grown out of a possible misrepresentation of the text.  

The fact that Jesus did not sweat blood in no way detracts from the intensity of His suffering. In fact, it heightens and confirms His thirst when He hung on the cross, because He had become severely dehydrated in this crucifixion process.  

Jesus’ blood loss was purposeful, pouring from the open wounds of the beating, the nails, and the piercing. His body was deliberately mutilated to release the blood He poured out for our redemption…therefore, sweating blood does mot seem to be in  keeping with the manner in which He shed His blood for sin as a sin offering…

“For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.”

‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭1‬:‭18‬-‭19‬ ‭NIV‬‬

…our forgiveness…

“This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭26‬:‭28‬ ‭NIV‬‬

and our cleansing…

“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.”

‭‭1 John‬ ‭1‬:‭7‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The blood of Jesus was not pressed out of Him in moments of emotional agony. He freely shed His blood through the breaking of His body so that we may receive and experience all the benefits of His voluntary and substitutionary sacrifice.  

Let us be careful, in our reading of God’s Word, that we don’t blindly follow the notions of men.  Let us read with care, depending on our supreme Teacher, the Holy Spirit, to give us understanding and to lead us into all truth. 

To be continued…

DID JESUS SWEAT BLOOD?

Apologetics, ,

DID JESUS SWEAT BLOOD?

Amazing how people can build a superstructure of belief on a faulty foundation.

Take, for example the words of Jesus in John 10. Not once in His discourse on the good shepherd does He mention the devil. He was teaching the people the difference between the shepherd who loves and cares for his sheep and the hireling who does the job for money, a veiled comparison between Himself and the religious leaders.

When the life of the shepherd is threatened, he willingly gives himself for the sheep. The hireling, on the other hand, deserts the sheep when his life is at risk.

Jesus was clearly comparing Himself with the religious leaders who opposed Him. While He was committed to the care and safety of His sheep, they were in it only for gain. Hence, the hireling, in the end, was not beneficial but destructive, killing, stealing, and destroying for his own benefit. Where, in this story, is the devil involved?

Now let’s look at Luke’s record of Jesus’ agony in the Garden of Gethsemane. Each Gospel writer puts a slightly different slant on his recording of this traumatic time.

Matthew seems to focus on Jesus’ agitation… He prays the same prayer three times, interspersed with going to His disciples to rebuke them for their indifference at this crucial time. Back and forth He went between prayer and checking on them.

Mark, similarly, comments on Jesus’ agitation but also reveals Jesus’ submission to the Father’s will in His prayer.

Luke, in keeping with the theme of his gospel focusing on Jesus, the Son of Man, zeroes in on Jesus’ emotional and physical agony. Let’s look at Luke’s exact words.

“He prayed more fervently, and he was in such agony of spirit that his sweat fell to the ground like great drops of blood.”

Luke 22:44 NLT

“And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.”

Luke 22:44 NIV

“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.”

Luke 22:44 KJV

“And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.”

Luke 22:44 NKJV

Now let’s examine the Greek word “like” in the original text. The Greek word “hosei”, according to Strong’s Concordance, means “like” or “as if”. There is a difference between “like” and “was”. Luke implies a comparison between Jesus’ sweat and blood flowing from a wound.

Medical science has even been drawn in to provide examples of this phenomenon. Possible as it may be in extreme circumstances, Luke’s specific choice of the Greek word “hosei” excludes the fact that Jesus sweated blood.

My point is…? We cannot inject meaning into original words in the Greek text and build a superstructure on a meaning that simply isn’t there. We are, always, required to be absolute faithful to the original text.

Does this change any of the intensity of Jesus’ suffering? Not at all! If anything, it enhances Luke’s description of His agony, perspiration pouring from Him like a river of blood!