The Struggle and The Blessing

 

Comparing Jacob and Jesus

Have you ever felt like you’re in the middle of a fight that you can’t win? Like something is pushing against you, and no matter how hard you try, it’s like you’re stuck in the struggle? I know I’ve been there! And when you look at Jacob and Yeshua, both of them were in moments like that—moments when they were wrestling with far more than just what was right in front of them. They were wrestling with themselves, their past, their future, their whole identity. Their struggles weren’t easy, but they were both crucial to their journeys.

Let’s start with Jacob, that guy who was always hustling for something—whether it was his brother’s birthright or his father’s blessing. His whole life had been a series of clever moves and manipulations to get ahead. But when you get to Genesis 32, we see him at a breaking point. He’s about to face his brother Esau, the one he tricked out of everything, the one who had every reason to hate him. Jacob had this deep fear inside him, a fear of what would happen when he faced Esau. Would his brother forgive him? Would there be violence? He didn’t know, but he knew this: something had to change.

Then, in the middle of the night, something wild happens. He’s alone by the Jabbok River, and a man shows up—except, this isn’t just any man. As they start to wrestle, Jacob realizes he’s not dealing with a regular person. This figure has power. And the fight goes on for hours. It’s not just a physical battle; it’s a battle of the heart. Jacob is struggling with more than just his opponent. He’s struggling with his entire life—his guilt, his mistakes, his shame.

Now, here’s something we can really grab hold of. In the struggle, Jacob doesn’t just give up. Even when the man touches his hip and knocks it out of place, Jacob still hangs on. He won’t let go. “I will not let you go unless you bless me,” he says. He’s not just asking for favor—he’s asking for a transformation. He’s asking for something that will change his identity forever. And that’s exactly what happens. God changes his name to Israel, which means “one who struggles with God and prevails.” Suddenly, Jacob isn’t just the deceiver anymore. He’s someone who’s been through the fire, someone who fought for his blessing—and got it.

This isn’t just a story from the Bible. This is a picture of what it looks like to face yourself and your past. It’s about wrestling with your own mistakes and flaws, and refusing to walk away until you’ve had that moment with God. Jacob’s fight was deep, personal, and it left him with a limp. But that limp was a reminder of his transformation. He didn’t walk the same after that encounter. And honestly, neither would we when we wrestle through our own struggles with God.

Now, let’s turn to Yeshua. I can’t help but see the parallel here. Yeshua, in the Garden of Gethsemane, was facing His own struggle. This wasn’t a physical wrestling match, but it was a deep, emotional, spiritual battle. He knew what was coming—the cross, the suffering, the weight of all humanity’s sin. And as He prayed, He was wrestling with what God was asking of Him. “Father, if it’s possible, take this cup from Me,” He prayed (Matthew 26:39). This wasn’t about whether Yeshua could bear the pain. He knew He could. It was about whether He could fully embrace the mission—taking on the world’s brokenness, the rejection, the isolation.

But, just like Jacob, Yeshua didn’t back down. He surrendered. "Not My will, but Yours be done." That’s a powerful statement. It’s not about forcing His way through, or finding a shortcut, or asking for the easy way out. It’s about laying down His own desires, His own fear, and trusting God’s plan—even when it meant enduring unimaginable suffering.

What’s awesome is, that just like Jacob, Yeshua didn’t leave this struggle unchanged. His sweat became like drops of blood (Luke 22:44), a physical manifestation of His internal battle. And He walked out of that garden knowing what He was about to face, with a heart fully surrendered to God’s will.  I can't imagine how His friends (the apostles and disciples) felt when they saw Him! John and Peter, especially. I mean, they were His "besties"! They would have noticed something!

Here’s the thing—both Jacob and Yeshua show us something that’s so crucial. When we face our own struggles, we’re not just battling our circumstances. We’re wrestling with who we are, who we’ve been, and who God is calling us to become. The fight isn’t just against the stuff happening around us; it’s against our fears, our past, and our pride.

Jacob’s fight left him with a limp, a reminder of the night he wrestled with God. And Yeshua’s fight led to the cross, where He bore the marks of His struggle for all to see. Both of them came through those battles with a deeper understanding of their identity and purpose. And that’s what can happen in our lives when we go through the hard stuff. We might walk away with scars, but those scars are reminders of the grace we found in surrendering to God’s will.

When Jacob wrestled that night, he was changed forever. And when Yeshua went to the cross, He changed the course of history. But in both stories, we see that the true victory comes when we stop fighting for control, when we stop trying to make things happen in our own strength, and we let God transform us.

We don’t have to have it all figured out. We don’t have to be perfect. But in our struggles, we have the opportunity to wrestle through our fears, our doubts, and our weaknesses and come out on the other side stronger, more aligned with what God is doing in our lives. So, the next time you feel like you’re stuck in a fight, remember Jacob and Yeshua. Remember that the struggle doesn’t have to be the end. It can be the beginning of a new chapter—a chapter where we wrestle through the hard stuff, cling to God, and come out on the other side changed, marked by grace.