Luke 22:44

The mental pressure arising from our Lord’s struggle with temptation so forced His body to an unnatural excitement that His pores sent out great drops of blood which fell down to the ground. This proves how tremendous must have been the weight of sin when it was able to crush the Savior so that He shed great drops of blood!

This demonstrates the mighty power of His love. It is a very fine observation of old Isaac Ambrose that the gum which exudes from the tree without cutting is always the best. This precious camphor tree yielded very sweet spices when it was wounded under the knotty whips, and when it was pierced by the nails on the cross; but see, it yields its best spice when there is no whip, no nail, no wound.

This shows the voluntariness of Christ's sufferings, since without a lance the blood flowed freely. No need to put on the leech, or apply the knife; it flows spontaneously. No need for the rulers to cry, “Spring up, O well;” of itself it flows in crimson torrents. If men suffer great pain of mind, it seems the blood rushes to the heart.

The cheeks are pale; a fainting spell comes on; the blood has gone inward as if to nourish the inner man while passing through his trial. But see our Savior in His agony; He is so utterly unmindful of Himself, that instead of His agony driving His blood to the heart to nourish Himself, it drives it outward to moisten the earth. The agony of Christ, since it pours Him out upon the ground, illustrates the fullness of the offering which He made for men.

Do we not perceive how intense must have been the wrestling through which He passed, and will we not hear its voice to us? “Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.” Behold the great Apostle and High Priest of our profession, and sweat even to blood rather than yield to the great tempter of your souls.