Evangelicals generally believe that their deity — the trinitarian God of the Bible — created everything. Further, he is sovereign and controls everything that happens. These statements apply to God, the Father, God, the Son, and God, the Holy Ghost. If this is so, Evangelicals have a big problem on their hands.
Luke 22: 39-42 says:
And he came out, and went, as he was wont, to the mount of Olives; and his disciples also followed him. And when he was at the place, he said unto them, Pray that ye enter not into temptation. And he was withdrawn from them about a stone’s cast, and kneeled down, and prayed, Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.
Is the Father God? Yes. Is Jesus God? Yes. If God is the super-duper, co-equal, three-in-one Christian deity, shouldn’t the Father and the Son have the same wills? Yet, in Luke 22, we see Jesus’ will at odds with the Father’s. Jesus, the co-eternal, co-equal son of God, didn’t want to die on the cross. Which is odd since Jesus knew from before the world began that the Father would one day punish him on a Roman cross, leading to his temporary, forty-eight-hour death. For thousands of years, Jesus knew that at an appointed time he was going to be executed. Being co-equal with the Father, he knew when and how everything would unfold.
What we clearly see is that Jesus’ will in Luke 22 was different from that of the Father. How can this possibly be? This story seems to suggest that at least two parts of the Godhead were at odds with each other concerning Jesus’ death.
I can’t wait to see how Evangelical commenters explain the dueling wills between Jesus and the Father
Bruce Gerencser, 67, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 46 years. He and his wife have six grown children and sixteen grandchildren. Bruce pastored Evangelical churches for twenty-five years in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. Bruce left the ministry in 2005, and in 2008 he left Christianity. Bruce is now a humanist and an atheist.
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Make it make sense! I remember being told in fundamentalist evangelicalism that it was Jesus’ human side that struggled with the knowledge that he’d suffer and die. The divine part, I guess, was ok with it? Young ObstacleChick never could understand the concept of the Trinity, no matter how hard she tried. Too much thinking. Taking things at face value has never been ObstacleChick’s strong suit.
The genius of it is that it doesn’t make sense. It confuses and makes one abandon the normal instinct to make sense of what’s seen and heard. I submit that it’s supposed to have that effect. You can’t believe your lying eyes and ears so believe what you are told. It’s called gaslighting and it’s no accident that’s the modus operandi of our beoved glorious infallible leader. He may be psychopathic but he knows that sowing confusion works and who is vulnerable to it.
I think it was H.L. Mencken who said that the “perfect” religion (he was a non-believer) is one in which people understand nothing and believe completely. What Bruce described about the father and son is a great example.
Jesus had a choice. He had free will. Just like every other God-created being. You’re just as special as Lucifer, Adam, Eve, every innocent baby God’s chosen people ripped apart…er
Jesus and free will, excellent future blog post. 🤣❤️