IN GETHSEMANE (NOT ALONE) (Hymns for Worship #170) A. Gethsemane (gheth-say-man-ay ) was a garden at the foot of Mount of Olives.

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1 IN GETHSEMANE (NOT ALONE) (Hymns for Worship #170) A. Gethsemane (gheth-say-man-ay ) was a garden at the foot of Mount of Olives. MOUNT OF OLIVES a north-to-south ridge of hills east of Jerusalem where Jesus was betrayed on the night before His crucifixion. This prominent feature of Jerusalem s landscape is a gently rounded hill, rising to a height of about 830 meters (2,676 feet) and overlooking the Temple. The closeness of the Mount of Olives to Jerusalem s walls made this series of hills a grave strategic danger. The Roman commander Titus had his headquarters on the northern extension of the ridge during the siege of Jerusalem in a.d. 70. He named the place Mount Scopus, or Lookout Hill, because of the view it offered over the city walls. The whole hill must have provided a platform for the Roman catapults that hurled heavy objects over the Jewish fortifications of the city. (Nelson s New Illustrated Bible Dictionary on Logos) 1. The name is derived from two Aramaic words: gath, a press, & shemen, oil. 2. It was a place where the produce of the Mount of Olives was prepared for use. It was the garden of the oil-press, olive-press. 3. How fitting a name considering that in that garden Jesus was pressed by anxiety over His fate AND over concern for His disciples. Gethsemane is a synonym for ADVERSITY. B. In Gethsemane, we are allowed to see the most moving event recorded in Scripture. 1. We see a struggle between the human & the divine natures of our Lord. a. Jesus showed us HOW the two can coexist in the body. b. Peter showed us that we take part in the same struggle; he said that we are partakers of the divine nature (2 Pet 1:2-4). 1

2 2. But in order for the divine nature of Jesus to shine through, Jesus had to overcome some powerful human emotions. a. He was grieved (sorrowful) & (deeply) distressed (Matt 26:37). - Jesus put words to those emotions, My soul is deeply grieved (exceedingly sorrowful), even to (the point of) death (Matt 26:38). b. Grieved (sorrowful) means to dissolve of the natural vigor, & threatens to separate soul & body. c. (Deeply) distressed denotes the most extreme anguish that one can feel: his mind is being tortured; he feels excruciating anxiety. d. He was in such agony that His sweat became like drops of blood (Luke 22:44). - Luke, being a physician, would have been familiar with this condition. - It is the very rare condition known as Hematidrosis, Hematohidrosis: multiple vessels form a net like configuration around the sweat glands, & under great stress the vessels can dilate and rupture. C. There were others who faced their Gethsemanes. Job 14:1-2 - Man, who is born of woman, is short-lived & full of turmoil. 2 Like a flower he comes forth & withers. He also flees like a shadow & does not remain. Romans 9:2-3 - I have great sorrow & unceasing grief in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh, 2 Kings 20:1-3 1 In those days Hezekiah became mortally ill. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came to him & said to him, Thus says the Lord, Set your house in order, for you shall die & not live. 2 Then he turned his face to the wall & prayed to the Lord, saying, 3 Remember now, O Lord, I beseech You, how I have walked before You in truth & with a whole heart & have done what is good in Your sight. And Hezekiah wept bitterly. 2

3 Luke 22:62 62 And he went out & wept bitterly. [Whatever our Gethsemane happens to be: loss of possessions or health (Job), or watching those we love die in their sins (Paul), or losing our grip on life (Hezekiah) --- we can learn from the example Jesus showed us in His Gethsemane.] I. JESUS TURNED TO HIS FRIENDS Matthew 26: Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, & said to His disciples, Sit here while I go over there & pray. 37 And He took with Him Peter & the two sons of Zebedee, & began to be grieved & distressed. A. When Jesus went through His Gethsemane, He wanted to be with His friends. 1. He knew that of all the people He had been acquainted with over the years they would attempt to sustain Him through His ordeal. B. There are 2 aspects to the friendships of Jesus that helped Him face His adversity. 1. They were the right friends: disciples. 2. He had worked to build those friendships by giving them adequate time, advice, a listening ear, etc. (Prov 18:24; 17:17). [What a tremendous blessing friends can be if we have chosen the right ones, & if we have tried to build a deep relationship of trust with those people. But not only did Jesus turn to His friends in His Gethsemane, He was also concerned about them.] II. JESUS WAS CONCERNED FOR HIS FRIENDS 3

4 Matthew 26:41 41 Keep watching & praying that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. A. Jesus took His mind off of His severe trial to help His friends. 1. His admonition is embedded in the consciences of most of us what an important truth to remember! 2. The flesh is always weak, but when we stop watching for the Lord & stop praying fervently -- the flesh seems to easily overpower the spirit. B. Often we can t see beyond our own problems to be any help to others. 1. As we magnify our own problems, the problems of others seem not to exist. [But if we want to lighten our burden, the way to go about it is to show an interest & concern in the spiritual welfare of another as Jesus did. Jesus wasn t just wrapped up in His friendships either; in His Gethsemane He went to His Father.] III. JESUS PRAYED TO HIS FATHER Luke 22: And He withdrew from them about a stone s throw, & He knelt down & began to pray, 42 saying, Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done. 43 Now an angel from heaven appeared to Him, strengthening Him. Hebrews 5:7 7 In the days of His flesh, He offered up both prayers & supplications with loud crying & tears to the One able to save Him from death, & He was heard because of His piety. A. The Gethsemane of Jesus was an adversity of immense magnitude. 4

5 1. There was no family member or friend that could have pulled Him through it. 2. The Father sent the angel in response to Jesus prayer. B. Jesus was teaching here that we cannot endure our Gethsemane - with our faith in His Son intact - without prayer. 1. The parable of the persistent widow was given in the context of the destruction of Jerusalem. Luke 18:1 Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray & not to lose heart, James 5:13 13 Is anyone among you suffering? Then he must pray. Is anyone cheerful? He is to sing praises. James 5:16 16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another, & pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much. Ephesians 3:20 20 Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, [It s overwhelming to consider the fact that such power is given to the children of God. We have the same power available to us that Jesus had in His Gethsemane to aid us in overcoming our trials. But do we use that power, or do we trust in family & friends? George Scriven (HFW #69) O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear, all because we do not carry everything to God in prayer. ] IV. JESUS ACCEPTED HIS FATHER S WILL 5

6 Luke 22: And He withdrew from them about a stone s throw, & He knelt down & began to pray, 42 saying, Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done. A. When Jesus went through His Gethsemane, He placed His desire beneath His Father s will. B. When we suffer, we think that it should be God s will to make our unhappiness go away 1. We don t often stop to think that He has a purpose in allowing it (Jas 1:2-3). 2. Think about it: If the Father had granted Jesus request then we would have no Savior & no Hope! 3. Jesus did not insist that His Father change His will to gratify the feelings of His Son. 4. In fact, Jesus prepared Himself to accept the inevitable God s Will Was Done! Romans 15:1-4 3 For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, THE REPROACHES OF THOSE WHO REPROACHED YOU FELL ON ME. CLOSING A. Hymn #65 (Supplement) - read the verses. B. We can all expect a Gethsemane in our lives. 1. But we have the Lord s examples on how to handle those difficulties and we can be led to victory through them & despite them. 6

7 2 Corinthians 2:14 14 But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, & manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place. 1 John 5:4-5 4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; & this is the victory that has overcome the world our faith. It s faith that the human side of Jesus demonstrated in Gethsemane (trusting, obedient faith). 5 Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? 7