Word Count: 499

The Most Important Word in the Bible

As Easter approaches I think about Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane, for it is here that our Savior began the redemptive act for humanity. How fitting that the site was a garden, since the fall of humanity began in a garden, Eden. In that First Garden, sin entered and its entrance brought a curse related to the ground and man’s sweat. To Adam God declared: “…cursed is the ground…In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground” (Genesis 3:17, 19).

It is recorded that Jesus is the Second Adam, the God-Man reconciling fallen mankind unto Himself. As Second Adam, the Divine Blood of the Perfect Son of God was sweated in Gethsemane and fell to the cursed ground in His first act of securing humanity’s redemption from the original curse. Gethsemane’s Passion was a preordained event by a Sovereign God of meticulous order Who would begin taking the curse at every point for His beloved creation.

However, we often overlook the fact that the success of the Divine orchestration of Gethsemane and consequently, Calvary’s cross, hinged upon Christ’s battle and utterance during His exquisite garden agony—specifically upon “one” word. It was one word—and one word only—upon which the fate of untold billions of souls rested. That word preceded His bloody sweat and His strengthening from the angel sent from Heaven to His Garden. That one word dealt the lethal blow to Satan’s head just as God had faithfully promised to First Adam in Eden thousands of years prior. That one word of unquantifiable, glorious victory which would free mankind from Death, Hell, and the Grave is found in the following poignant passage:

“Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me; nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done” (Luke 22:42).

It was the most blessed word to ever fall from His lips—this precious, Divinely authoritative word of “nevertheless.” It is paradoxical that His moment of surrender with “nevertheless” was, indeed, His moment of greatest strength, that in submitting to His Father’s Will, He would become Calvary’s willing “victim,” thereby enabling those who believe to become “victors!” With a word, His voice pierced the stillness of the Garden’s demonic darkness and consummated the integrity and purpose of the entire Scriptural Canon.

Unlike any other, His “nevertheless” would be eternally efficacious for the repentant sinner, for it was predicated upon that which will abide forever: The Love of God. Jesus said it Himself:

“Greater Love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”

His “nevertheless” was testimony to Agape Love’s indefatigable Divine Strength. Yes, the battle for souls was won in Gethsemane, for it was there that Calvary’s crucifixion became inevitable with just one word but, oh, what a word it was! For those who believe, it is the most cherished word for all Eternity and, undisputedly, the most important word in Holy Scripture! Without it where would we be?

Joanne Carraway, a community columnist, resides in Oak Grove. Her book, “Windows Into The Third Heaven,” is soon to be released by WestBow Press, Thomas Nelson Publishing, and will be featured at the International Christian Booksellers/Retail Show in Orlando in July.