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The Garden Of Gethsemane

by Anna Wood  
12/04/2008 / Bible Studies



Matthew 26: 38, 39, "Then saith He unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me. And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt."

The night is young when the Teacher and His disciples enter the edge of the Garden. "Stay here," He says to most of them. His eyes sweep over His three most intimate disciples, Peter, James and John, "You three, come with Me,." Going into the Garden itself affects a change in the Teacher. Visibly upset, He shows emotions that His friends are unused to seeing in Him. Turing to them, He asks them to wait while He alone goes further into the Garden in order to pray. Telling them that His soul is "exceeding sorrowful", He asks that they stay awake and "Watch with Me,." He says to them, "Pray that you do not enter into temptation." Settling down under a tree to wait for Jesus, with every intention of praying as He has said but not understanding the significance of the night or of the events, the disciple's eyes grow heavy and sleep overcomes them.

Meanwhile, the young Man goes into the interior of the Garden of Gethsemane, a name that means the place of pressing for it is the a place where olives are crushed for their oil; stumbling, He falls to His face. His distress is obvious if anyone is watching; they aren't. He faces His greatest struggle bereft of human companionship. "Father, Father, please," He prays desperately. On His hands and knees, He cries out to the One Who has always been there for Him. "Oh, please, Daddy, My Father, if there is any way, any other way at all, please, remove this cup from Me. But, Father, no matter what I want, let Your will be done." Deafening silence answers Him. His fingers dig into the ground that He Himself created. Pulling up clumps of earth in His anxiety, He bends His head forward, gulping air. After long moments of anxious prayer, He gets up and returns to His disciples. A great sadness floods over Him when He sees them sleeping. "Peter, why did you sleep? Couldn't you watch with Me for one hour? Pray that you do not give into temptation." Shame floods over the three disciples as they awaken at His words and feel the full force of their failure to do as He has requested. "Oh, Jesus, Lord, I", they begin, but there are no words adequate to describe their failure. Instructing them again to "Pray," He once again goes further into the interior of the Garden. The three disciples search each other's eyes out, trying to make sense of the last several hours. At the Passover supper in the Upper Room earlier that evening, Jesus had spoken of betrayal by one of their own and of His own arrest and death. He spoke so often in parables and stories that they just knew, they hoped, that the unsettling monologue at supper was yet another onethey hoped but now observing Him in His agony of spirit, they feel fear descend into their hearts and souls. It, however, is not enough to keep them awake as Satan is determined that they will let the Savior down in His hour of deepest need. Once again in the interior of the Garden, Jesus gets down on His face before His Father and His God and prays. Again He begs for the cup and the hour to pass from Him; again, He agonizes before His Father, seeking relief but putting Himself into His Father's hands. "It's Your will that I want done, Father, not Mine own," He prays. After a while, He once again gets up and goes back to His disciples. Disappointment floods through Him all over as He again finds them asleep. Turning away, He returns to the interior of the Garden more alone than He has ever been in His life upon this earth. He staggers again under the weight of the emotional strain and falls hard to the ground. The silence of heaven is weighing upon Him. As much as the physical pain and the shame of what is to come to pass daunts Him it is the greater pain of being made sin and bearing His Father's wrath that He cannot stand the thought of. He has known unbroken fellowship with the Father from the beginning; even on earth, He has always been able to turn to His Father for comfort and direction. Now that is slipping away from Him. What He has to do, He has to do alone without the aid and comfort of His Father. Before this night is over His God will begin the process of making Him sin and then judge that sin as He pours His wrath out on His only Son in an unbelievable display of love for mankind. "Please, Abba, Daddy, Father, remove this cup from Me," He prays once more. As He cries out in prayer, He writhes in agony on the ground, crying and begging but resigned nevertheless to see the task through if that is what His Father wants Him to do. Suddenly an angel appears next to Him, offering Him strength and direction: the created one strengthening the One Who had created Him. He reassures Jesus of His Father's love for Him and His joy at His obedience; perhaps He tells Him that God had said that this, indeed, is the only way. As Jesus listens, He seeks to accept and obey His Father's will as His own. Once again turning to prayer, His struggle becomes so great that, though it is cool, He sweats profusely and the small capillaries in His head begin to burst and mix with His sweat and drop to the ground. The angel continues to stay beside Him and offer what comfort he can; finally Jesus surrenders the struggle and His Father's peace floods through Him, a peace that those around Him will later be unable to fully comprehend as He willingly faces His captors and executioners: a peace that assures Him that although His Father will indeed pour His holy wrath out on Him, it is borne of love for mankind and, when it is over, He will be welcomed back home. Jesus rises up and perhaps wipes His face with His robes. He once again goes back to the disciples. Again, He finds them asleep. "You might as well sleep on now," He tells them, "but the hour is at hand, so arise. The one who will betray Me into the hands of sinners is here."

A large crowd is gathering in the garden. Jesus, dusty, bloody and exhausted from a battle that no one but Him can understand goes forward to meet them. Salvation of mankind is at stake and this was why the young Man was born. He will obey His Father as He always has. He will not fail. Boldly approaching the group and knowing the answer ahead of time, He inquires Whom they are seeking. The soldiers reply, "Jesus of Nazareth,". Identifying Himself to them, Jesus surprises them and they fall backwards to the ground in confusion. Blustering with the ignominy of it all, up to 600 hundred soldiers, accompanied by the Jewish chief priests and temple guards, quickly right themselves, determined to take control of the situation that the One Whom they have come to capture seems to already have well in hand.

John 13: 2, "And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas
Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him;"

Night is heavy as one lone man pushes through the group and approaches the Teacher. Pretending that the angry mob isn't at his back and that he is a friend come in greeting rather than a traitor come to betray, Judas kisses Jesus on the cheek. Even though the One betrayed has always known that this moment would one day come, still to be betrayed by a friend hurts. "Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?," He asks. It would have hurt Him less if Judas had struck Him in the face to identify Him, rather than to pretend to show Him affection.

Certain that they have their Man, the soldiers move in to take Him. If He were attempting to struggle and fight to get away they would have known what to do; that He stands quietly, readily offering Himself for arrest, throws them off and, in a strange way, frightens them. This is either a madman or Someone with a plan. Either way they simply want to get the arrest over with. Some of them know that the young Man has powers and they don't want Him using them against them. But, looking in His eyes, and observing His demeanor, they know that there is no way that Jesus will try to retaliate against them. His followers, however, can't be counted on to be so cooperative; several of them are angry and aren't about to simply allow their Master to be taken into custody without a fight. Incensed by Judas' betrayal and shocked at the rapidly unfolding events, they are in no mood to stand by and do nothing. Swords drawn, ready for a fight, they strike blows wildly against the group before them. Then the young Man speaks, surprising everyone; searching out His followers eyes, He tells them to put their swords away. Then, turning to Peter He asks a question, "The cup which My Father has given Me, shall I not drink it?" Confident that His disciples will obey Him and seeing the blood that has already been shed, Jesus does again what He has done so many times before; something that shakes the soldiers who witness it. Bending and retrieving an ear severed by Peter's sword, Jesus places it upon the bloody head of the High Priests' servant and with tender selfless hands, and then does what none other could do and probably wouldn't do even if they could: He heals. Those who witness the healing pause for a moment trying to pretend that a miracle hasn't just taken place in their midst. To Jesus, it is just part of being Who He is; that this man means Him harm doesn't seem to matter: He is in the business of changing lives and He will do it until the end--and right into a new and glorious beginning that, no matter how many times and ways He has explained it, none of His followers can seem to comprehend. He no longer expects them to understand. That's why this night will be so hard on His disciples; before the dawn, they will think it is the end of everything, including them. To see the confusion and fear of His disciples breaks the young Messiah's heart but it is all in His Father's hands now, as is He. It is time to finish the task at hand. The order to continue onward is given and, hearing it, the soldiers do what soldiers are trained to do: they follow orders. Some of them know of this Man, perhaps a few have witnessed His miracles before. Maybe some have had the lives of those that they love changed forever by this Man's ability to heal--and His ability to love. His power frightens them. Maybe that's why they now rush into action, binding Him perhaps tighter than they need to and, as they do so, slap Him and shove Him. Even as the ropes cut into the young man's wrists, and as they place a rope around His neck with which to pull Him along, He doesn't struggle. His whole demeanor seems to give them permission to do what they feel that they need to do. It is unnerving to them, so they hurry. The soldiers secure Him as most of His disciples, seeking to protect their own lives, flee in fear and shame. The unwieldy group then begins the walk through the town in the late night hours. It will be a long day for all involved.

Anna Wood is a Christian wife, mother of 9 children, homeschooler and writer. Her desire is to know, love, and obey God and bring Him glory and help others to do the same. Her website is called The Apples of Gold and is at http://theapplesofgold.com

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