It is a sheer impossiblility
for man with sin grained into his fibre through centuries, to understand the horror with which a sinless one thinks of actual contact with sin.

As Jesus enters the grove that night it comes in upon His spirit with terrific intensity that He is actually coming into contact - with a meaning quite beyond us - coming into contact with sin. In some way all too deep for definition He is to be "made sin."

The language used to describe His emotions is so strong that no adequate English words seem available for its full expression. An indescribable horror, a chill of terror, a frenzy of fright seizes Him. The poisonous miasma of sin seems to be filling His nostrils and to be stifling Him.

And yonder alone among the trees, the agony is upon Him. The extreme grips Him. May there not yet possibly be some other way rather than this - this!

A bit of that prayer comes to us in tones strangely altered by deepest emotion.
"If it be possible - let this cup pass."
There is still a clinging to a possibility, some possibility other than that of this nightmare vision.

The writer of the Hebrews lets in light here. The strain of spirit almost snaps the life-thread. And a parenthetical prayer for strength goes up. And the angels come with sympathetic strengthening. With what awe must they have ministered!

Even after that some of the red life slips out there under the trees. By and by a calmer mood asserts itself, and out of the darkness a second petition comes.

It tells of the tide's turning, and the victory full and complete. A changed Petition this!

"Since this cup may not pass - since only thus can Thy great plan for a world be brought forth - Thy-will" - slowly but very distinctly the words come - "Thy-will-be-done."