ow they might destroy him.
But when Jesus knew it, he withdrew himself from thence."[34]

This avoidance of physical injury may have been due to a desire to
postpone his end until the proper time, as indicated by "Mine hour is
not yet come", but when the time did come, Jesus did not bear his
approaching death bravely, as Socrates did when about to drink the cup
of hemlock. Jesus was much afraid, "and prayed, saying, Father, if thou
be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless, not my will but thine
be done."[35]

He was resolved to go through with the painful experience at any cost
but was much more frightened than many a mortal man, though he had a
greater cause to sustain him than martyrs who have suffered
uncomplainingly; for he believed that his sacrifice would save the
world: "and there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening
him. And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was
as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground."[36]

After saying, "The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified
... He that loveth his life shall lose it", he again showed terror: "Now
is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this
hour, but for this cause came I unto this hour."[37]

It is to be noted that God did not answer the prayer of Jesus, though
Jesus had said that God would always answer prayers in his name. Jesus
recognized his failure to obtain the answer, saying on the cross, "My
God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?"[38]

_Failure_

Many a good man is a failure from a worldly point of view, but failure
is not what one would wish to copy. Jesus sought to save the world.
Surely no one looking at the world today can say that he succeeded. His
plan of salvation was a failure; it did not work out as Jehovah and
Jesus intended. An ideal teacher is needed now almost as much as two
thousand years ago. If the world is gradually improving, as seems
probable, it is in spite of the superstitions of the past, not because
of them.

At one time Jesus denied his own perfection, saying: "Why callest thou
me good? there is none good but one, that is, God."[39]

Christian parents who hold Jesus up to their children as a paragon would
not wish their sons to grow up to be just like Jesus. He is not an
acceptable prototype.

Jesus did not provide the knowledge so much needed by man to enable him
to shape his course through life. No one knows how to li