I. Introduction In Gethsemane January 15, 2017 Mark 14:32-42 During His 33 years on earth, Jesus had repeatedly been exposed to the trials and temptations of this life Hebrews 4:15 says, For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are-- yet he did not sin. During those years, Jesus had experienced sadness and tears: in Mark 8:12, He sighed deeply over the spiritual blindness of the people and their leaders; in Mark 7:34 he grieved over the physical suffering of the sick and disabled; in John 11:35 Jesus wept at the grave of a beloved friend. His understanding of the suffering of others caused Him to be moved with compassion. In John 11:33 we read that When Jesus saw her, i.e. Mary, weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. These intense feelings were the result of the death of Lazarus, the grief of Mary and Martha, the doubting of unbelieving Israel, and the understanding of the impact of sin and death on mankind. As Isaiah 53:3 says, He was a man of sorrows and familiar with suffering. This intense pain over sin and its effects was similar to the pain, heartache, and severe anguish Jesus experienced in the garden of Gethsemane. But the depths of His sorrow and suffering in those early morning hours before the cross were infinitely greater than anything anyone else in human history has ever experienced this was a supernatural suffering. The spotless Lamb of God (1 Peter 1:19) would soon be cut-off from His heavenly Father (Mark 15:34) and crushed under divine wrath (Isaiah 53:10) in order to bear the sins of others. Jesus knew that the time had come for Him to drink the cup of God s judgment against sin (John 18:11). So, in preparation for the inevitable cross, Jesus retreated to His usual place of prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives. The name Gethsemane was a forewarning itself it means press or olive press. The happenings in the Garden of Gethsemane can be divided into two parts: Jesus experience and the disciples experience. II. In the Garden of Gethsemane A. Jesus Experience After leaving Jerusalem and crossing the Kidron Valley, Jesus and His disciples came to a place called Gethsemane. John 18:1 says that this was an olive grove. Because of its closeness to Jerusalem and its secluded nature, Jesus and His disciples often used the Garden of Gethsemane as a place of rest and escape from the bustling city whenever they came to Jerusalem. 1
When about to experience great suffering, most people want to have someone with them to help share the burden. Being perfectly human, Jesus wanted companionship as He faced the cross, so after leaving 8 of the eleven disciples near the entrance of the olive grove, Jesus went deeper into the garden, taking with him Peter, James and John. These same men, who had witnessed Jesus heavenly glory at the transfiguration (Mark 9:2), would also witness the agonies of His earthly suffering here in the Garden of Gethsemane. This experience would teach them an important lesson about their own frailty and the importance of prayer in the face of temptation. As leaders of the apostles, they would later pass on what they had learned on that event filled night. Because of Jesus foreknowledge of what would soon take place, he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. This was the deepest sorrow Jesus had ever experienced. The intensity of the pain was so great that He was distressed or astonished by it. The primary cause of His anguish wasn t Israel s rejection, Judas betrayal, or the coming disciples desertion. It wasn t the physical suffering at the mockery and beating of the Roman soldiers or even the coming death on the cross. The agony and astonishment that nearly overcame Jesus in the garden was the contemplation of becoming the bearer of sin and the object of divine wrath turn to 1 Peter 2:21-24. For the first time in all of eternity, Jesus would be forsaken by His Father (Mark 15:34) and crushed by the Father as a guilt offering for sin. This grief was almost too much for even Jesus to survive, He said, My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Luke records in Luke 22:44 that being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. Leaving Peter, James, and John behind to keep watch, Jesus went a little farther and fell to the ground and prayed. He prayed that if possible the hour (of His suffering and death) might pass from him. As He anticipated His suffering and separation, Jesus asked the Father if the cross might be avoidable within the plans of the Father. Jesus called the Father, Abba, an Aramaic term of endearment and intimacy that means papa or daddy. Jesus use of the term showed the sincerity of His heartfelt plea and His confidence in God s nearness and loving care. Jesus request that the cup the wrath of God be removed wasn t a sign of weakness. It was the response of One whose pure, sinless character was revolted at the thought of bearing man s sin and guilt and suffering God s wrathful judgment. If Jesus hadn t acted that way, it would raise questions about His absolute holiness. Here was Satan s final temptation for Jesus to put His own human will above that of His heavenly Father. But Jesus didn t tell the Father what to do. He had perfect confidence in God s will. Three times He prayed about the matter, and each time He yielded to the Father s will in loving surrender. Submission to the Father s will had characterized Jesus entire life 2
and ministry in John 4:34 Jesus said, My food is to do the will of him who sent me and it would characterize Him in death. Knowing that the cross was essential to the redemptive plan of God, Jesus surrendered Himself entirely to the Father turn to Philippians 2:5-8. B. The Disciples Experience In the midst of His suffering and agony, Mark wrote that Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. Simon, he said to Peter, are you asleep? Couldn't you keep watch for one hour? Peter had vowed that he would die with his Lord yet he could not even watch with Him! Luke 22:45 explains that the reason for their sleepiness wasn t just fatigue due to the lateness of the hour but was compounded by sorrow and despair. Realizing that their Lord was about to die, and having been forewarned that they would abandon Him, the disciples were overcome by the weariness of grief. But sadness was no excuse, on such a critical night, they should have done whatever was necessary to stay alert, as Jesus had earlier instructed them. By addressing him as Simon rather than Peter, Jesus may have been emphasizing Peter s yielding to the flesh at that moment. Even in the midst of His deep agony, Jesus was genuinely concerned abut His men. He came to them and woke them up, not to shame them, but to tenderly exhort them to watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. Jesus didn t mean to stay alert physically but spiritually. Later, Peter would write in 1 Peter 5:8, Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Jesus command was necessary because, as He said, the spirit is willing, but the body is weak. If they were going to overcome the weakness of the flesh, the disciples needed to rely on divine power. Undoubtedly, the disciples wanted to stay awake. Yet even though in their loyalty they wanted to support their Lord and Savior, they gave in to the flesh turn to Romans 7:19-25. Once more he went away and prayed the same thing. In Matthew 26:42 we read, He went away a second time and prayed, My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done. After this second time of intense prayer, Jesus returned to check on His disciples. And when he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. They did not know what to say to him. There wasn t a valid excuse for their actions, so they didn t even try to answer Jesus. Jesus then returned to pray a third time. Like the Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:8, who prayed 3 times for the thorn in the flesh to be removed, the Lord Jesus asked His Father 3 times to remove the cup of suffering. After the 3 rd wave of temptation ended, Jesus as the submissive Son of God, returned determined to trust Himself to His Father s will. Jesus had resisted temptation and had remained in perfect step with the Father. When Jesus defeated Satan in the wilderness, God sent 3
angels to minister to Him (Matthew 4:11); Luke 22:43 records that following this time in Gethsemane that an angel from heaven appeared to him, i.e. Jesus, and strengthened him. Now that His final temptation was over, Jesus was ready to endure the cross. Returning to the disciples a third time, Jesus found that they had again fallen asleep. Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough! The hour has come. When they should have been praying for themselves for the coming confrontation, they were sleeping. Now the moment had arrived and they were sadly unprepared. In the hours that followed they would flee into the darkness. Peter would disown His Lord three times with curses. In the morning, Jesus would remain abandoned by the Apostles who were afraid and in hiding. Having yielded completely to His heavenly Father, Jesus left Gethsemane strong in His commitment to do all that the Father asked Him to do. Any temptation to avoid the cross was gone. The time had arrived for the Messiah to fulfill His earthly mission as the Lamb of God. Much to the shock of His sleepy disciples Jesus announced, Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer. Rather than shrinking back in fear or trying to hide, Jesus boldly went out to meet His attackers. Trusting Himself to the One who could save Him from death and raise Him from the grave, Jesus showed no fear in the face of death. The initiative belonged to Jesus. Instead of running away from the cross, Jesus moved toward it with confidence. His death at Calvary was His ultimate act of submission to the will of His Father. III. Conclusion We are told to watch and pray often in Scripture. 1 Chronicles 16:11 says, Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always. In Matthew 7:7 Jesus said, Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. Ephesians 6:18 says, And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people. In 1 Thessalonians 5:17 Paul wrote, Pray continually. James 5:13 says, Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. In today s Scripture we have seen the results of prayer and the lack of prayer. Jesus wasn t a joyful martyr who was bent on self-destruction. If there had been any other way, He would not have died on the cross. But in spite of the dangers that were ahead, through prayer Jesus was strengthened and given the power to do the will of God. As Hebrews 12:2 says, Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Prayer isn t changing the mind of God; it is 4
changing our minds to accept God s will for our lives. Philip Yancy put it this way, The main purpose of prayer is not to make life easier, not to gain magical powers, but to know God and God s will. I need God more than anything I might get from God. As the loving, omniscient God, our heavenly Father knows and wants what s best for each one of His children. When we come to prayer, we need to trust Him as Proverbs 3:5-6 says, Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Jesus said in John 14:14, You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. Asking in his name means asking in the will of God. James 4:3 put it this way, When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. Turn to 2 Corinthians 12:7-10. If you want to walk as Christ walked, if you want to have a victorious life in the midst of this sinful world, you need to spend time in prayer and joyfully doing the will of God. Then, as Paul wrote in Philippians 4:13, you can say that I can do all things through Him who gives me strength. If, on the other hand, you are like the disciples and don t take time to pray and know the will of God, then when hard times come, times that you can t understand, you, like the disciples, will flee and hide away. Your life and witness will not be a testimony to anyone. It s your choice what kind of Christian life do you want to live? Pray or fall 5