We are eavesdropping on Christ's suffering and agony
We are intruding onto the painful conversation between the Father and Son
Jesus had eaten the Last Supper with His disciples
Now an opportunity for Christians to remember Jesus Christ
Jesus knew that Judas was going to betray Him
Jesus often went to Gethsemane to pray
For Jesus this would have been a haven, a time to go for peace and quiet, to meet His Father in prayer
Tonight was to be a different experience
Gethsemane means 'olive press'
Jesus' soul would be pressed
Jesus takes His most intimate companions with Him into Gethsemane
Jesus needed their help and support [in His human nature]
A titanic struggle was about to take place
Jesus' Agony
He entered into the most serious and intense agony
He began to be troubled and deeply distressed (v33)
He is suddenly gripped in His soul
It was as though Jesus had come to hell rather than to heaven
"My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch." (v34)
No escape, no where to turn
His sweat became as drops of blood and He needed angels to bear Him up - so severe was the cause of His distress
Consider Steven's death
It seemed a peaceful martyr's death (Acts 7:59-60)
He prayed for his killers
What a contrast with Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane
Think of Polycarp:
One of the first Christian leaders after the death of the apostles
Sentenced to death AD 155
Would not renounced Jesus, faced death calmly
The reality was Jesus was facing something more terrible that they would ever have to face
Infact because of Jesus' death, the others were able to face their death in the way they did
At that very moment, the cross became a reality in His experience
He had spoken of His cross often to His disciples
His whole life was leading to this reality
However, the cross was only a few hours away - reality was drawing closer
"And He said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will.”" (v36)
This cup is referred to many times in the Old Testament
Psalms 75:8 - "For in the hand of the Lord there is a cup, And the wine is red; It is fully mixed, and He pours it out; Surely its dregs shall all the wicked of the earth Drain and drink down."
Isaiah 51:22 - "Thus says your Lord, The Lord and your God, Who pleads the cause of His people: “See, I have taken out of your hand The cup of trembling, The dregs of the cup of My fury; You shall no longer drink it."
Jesus was to take this cup and drink it to the very dregs
Jesus was to drink the cup of His Father's wrath
Tim Keller - quote
We see that the most amazing transaction about to happen
He who is without sin is about to be made sin
That was the cup He was about to drink
Frederick Lehe - quote
Jesus' Prayer
He came to Gethsemane to pray
He prayed that the hour might pass from Him (v35)
These would be heart rending words, let alone on the lips of the Saviour
This is a real cry that comes from the depths of the real human soul in Jesus Christ
Everything in His human nature shrank back from what was ahead
Jesus is the Divine Son of God
He is the second person of the Holy Trinity
He is of one mind with the Father
He never speaks of His will but of His Father's
Jesus fully human nature
But here Jesus is speaking about His will - this is coming from His fully human nature
There was a real struggle
He doesn't want to do what He finally accepts He must do
This is an encouragement to us
We are often happy to accept God's will
There are times when we face a reality that we cannot come to terms with - it seems to cut across everything that we want and hold dear
To be obedient at this time is going to be painful
We may struggle to accept His will and wrestle with Him in prayer
Donald McCloud - quote
Jesus' Obedience
Jesus concludes His prayer but submitting His human will to His Father's will
His human soul still shrinks back - there is still awful foreboding and blackness
He choose to submit Himself to His Father
This should be an encouragement to us
Obedience was hard for the Lord Jesus Christ
Do no think that because Jesus was God He did not experience any real or painful struggles
The death of the cross:
Phil 2:6-8 - "[The Lord Jesus ] who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross."
Jesus humbled Himself to submit even to the death of the cross
Mark 15:12-14 - "Pilate answered and said to them again, “What then do you want me to do with Him whom you call the King of the Jews?” So they cried out again, “Crucify Him!” Then Pilate said to them, “Why, what evil has He done?” But they cried out all the more, “Crucify Him!”"
The people were calling for the most cruel torture ever devised by man
The people were really asking for more than this
In Ancient times people were often hung on a tree as a warning to others, but God said that any such person would be cursed
God has utterly rejected him
Matt 27:43 - "He trusted in God; let Him deliver Him now if He will have Him; for He said, ‘I am the Son of God.’”"
Gal 3:16 - "Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree)”"
God had not rejected Jesus for His own sins but because He was bearing our sins
When God looked down from heaven He did not see His perfect innocent own Son, but the dregs of sin upon Him
Jesus willingly submitted Himself to His Father's will
There was no other way to carry out God's plan
Why did God plan this awful death?
Father and Son planned that it should be like this from all eternity and they did so for Love
1 John 4:10 - "In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins."
