This is the cause

"Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say? 'Father, save Me from this hour'? But for this purpose I came to this hour. – John 12.27

Right after the visit by the Greeks who wanted to see Jesus He began a discourse. They may or may not have been there. He starts by saying ‘my hour has now come.’ At least once in the past He had said ‘my hour has not yet come’ but now He says that it is time.  

He speaks of the death, burial, and resurrection. He talks about how life only comes though death. He talks about the cost of following Him.

But then He gets to an intriguing statement. ‘My soul is troubled, but what can I say ‘Father, save me from this hour? No, because this is the reason I came to this hour.’

This gives us such a tender picture of Jesus. I don’t think I will ever fully understand how Jesus could be all man and all God, but He was. He knew what was coming. He knew the agony and shame He was about to face. His soul wanted to ask God to let Him be delivered from what was about to come.

But this was why He came – for this hour. He came to die to give us life. That was the purpose. So He laid down His life for us and moved on.

He would experience the same feelings in the garden, but He said ‘not my will, but God’s will be done.’

He willingly, knowingly, understandingly went to His death for us.

Greater love has no man that this.