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Jesus and His Teachings About Bravery
June 7, 2014

Last week we learned that the Bible is a textbook that can help us on our path to righteousness. It is not an easy path to be on and sometimes can feel lonely and intense. When I think of intense, I think of the events of 70 years ago that unfolded on beaches in France on June 6, 1944. It must have been very lonely to be the first troops to storm the beaches and to face the intensity of the enemy gunfire. It must have been scary to see death all around. It is those times that we have to rely on bravery and internal strength. On that day in the heat of the battle the soldiers fought for each other and their own lives. Many died and are buried nearby in the American cemetery in Normandy and most of their graves are marked with a cross. There are few times now in the Western world when a Christian faces death because of their faith; death for Christians was once more common, and this began with the death of Jesus. Facing a certain death, Jesus made a request of the Father.

Matthew 26:36-42
Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder. And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy. Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me. And he went a little further, 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. And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.

Jesus showed that it is normal to desire to avoid that which is bad, including those things that may lead to our death. Jesus also showed that at these times that may be out of our control, we need to surrender ourselves to the will of the Father in an incredible act of bravery. Another person who had to surrender to the will of God was Mary who was pregnant with Jesus through a miracle at a time when death could haven a real possibility for her. Notice what an Angel said to Mary from the onset.

Luke 1:26-31
And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.

Mary was reminded to fear not and when we face difficult situations we need to also fear not because what happens is according to God's will. Paul reminded early Christians of this during a time when death continued to be an option.

Romans 8:31-39
What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

When God is for us because we surrender ourselves to the will of God like Jesus, nobody can impact us by going against the will of God. What happens in our life is a result of the will of God. It is with this knowledge that we draw our bravery knowing that in the end God is for us, and when God is for us, that is what matters.

All verses are from the King James Version.
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