Jesus in Gethsemane (Matt. 26:36-46; Luke 22:41-46)
Jesus knows that he is
on the way to the cross. How would we expect him to prepare for going there? We
can see from this incident that the preparation was one of prayer with his
Father. Yet he also retained something of his normal practice when he went to
the Garden of Gethsemane. John tells us that Jesus and his disciples often met
there (John 18:2). Apparently, pilgrims attending the Passover had to stay
within the city bounds on Passover Day, which meant that Jesus and his
disciples could not make the short journey to Bethany where they had stayed on
previous nights of this week. Moreover, they were poor in financial terms and
probably could not afford to pay for lodgings in the city.
As far as I know, we
are not told anything about how Jesus prayed during those other occasions when
they met in the garden. We can assume that it was according to his usual
elevated, assured, calm, devout and loving manner that had so impressed his
disciples on other occasions. Now they saw something very different in the
prayer life of their Master.
We should recall that
this set of prayers in Gethsemane was not the only time of prayer he had that
evening. Shortly before he entered the Garden he had prayed the prayer recorded
in John 17. That prayer is in three parts, but it is a prayer marked by
calmness, order and anticipation. If we did not know that Jesus was the person
who prayed then, we would have assumed that they were offered by two very
different people in very different situations.
Gethsemane was a
garden near the foot of the Mount of Olives. The garden contained olive trees
and since its name means ‘oil press’ we can assume that olive oil was produced
there. One can visit the traditional site in Jerusalem, although it cannot be
proved that it is the actual place. Yet even in its name we can see a pointer
to what happened there to Jesus. Olives were crushed there to produce oil for
the benefit of others. Jesus’ soul experienced crushing there even as he was
preparing to be the source of great blessing for others.
It was a cold evening.
Later when Jesus was arrested and taken to the High Priest’s house the servants
had a fire in the courtyard. There was not a fire in the Garden. Yet we see
from Luke’s account that Jesus was sweating to an incredible extent. Something
was happening here that was very different from any other time in the life of
Jesus.
The prayer pattern of Jesus
The description that
is given indicates that Jesus did not pray with his disciples. Since they did
not see anything unusual in his instruction to sit in a spot away from where he
prayed, this may have been his usual method. We can understand why that would
be the case. Inevitably, aspects of his prayers would be very different from
theirs. He would never have included confession of sin in his prayers. Yet it
is striking to observe that the only sinless man regarded prayer as important.
Indeed, we can also observe that the only One with a divine and a human nature
prayed.
On this occasion,
Jesus took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee. The Saviour did not ask
them to pray for him, but he wanted their nearness. He had done this before
when he went up the Mount of Transfiguration. Yet he still ensured that he
moved a short distance from them when he prayed, perhaps to avoid distractions.
It is also the case
that while Jesus did not want his disciples to pray for him, he did want them
to pray for themselves. He rebuked them for not taking seriously the
opportunity for prayer that they had on this occasion. He had warned them of
what was coming later that evening, when all of them would flee and leave him
to himself. They had reasons to pray, but they did not.
How he prayed in Gethsemane
Luke tells us that
initially Jesus knelt to pray on this occasion. As he prayed, his posture
changed to lying on the ground face downwards. Does posture matter in prayer?
Obviously we can adopt a posture without thinking. Jesus did not always kneel
when he prayed, although it is possible that he always did in private. The
point that is being made here is that our posture should say something about
our prayers.
Kneeling in prayer
would say that Jesus acknowledged the sovereignty of the heavenly Father. Is
there a contrast between the way that Jesus prayed and what happened to Peter,
James and John? It had been a long day, and they were tired. They sat, and they
fell asleep. Jesus would also have been tired, but he did not fall asleep.
Instead he knelt. Yet his posture changed to lying on the ground in great
distress, and Luke tells us that Jesus prayed more fervently as time went on. What
do those descriptions mean?
Matthew tells us in
verse 37 that after Jesus had separated the disciples into two groups, one of
the groups saw that he began to be sorrowful. The sorrow was increasing rapidly
because the next verse tells us that Jesus described himself as very sorrowful,
as engulfed in sorrow. Sorrow was all round them. Here we see what it means to
call him the Man of sorrows. He had experienced sorrow before – when the rich
young ruler went away without believing in him, when his friend Lazarus died,
and when he saw the masses of the city travelling on the broad road to a lost
eternity. But his sorrow in Gethsemane was different.
In addition to being
sorrowful, he was troubled. One commentator suggests that the meaning of the
word translated ‘troubled’ means ‘not at home’. Sometimes we meet a person
whose mind is elsewhere, concerned about a matter. Did Jesus seem to be
elsewhere to his disciples? Mark uses a word that indicates Jesus was greatly
surprised at what he was experiencing. Of course, surprise by itself is
neutral. We can be pleasantly surprised or we can have a terrifying surprise.
It is the latter that Jesus had.
Luke adds to the
description when he says that Jesus was in agony. The word was used normally to
describe a wrestling match in which the wrestlers’ muscles and strength were
fully involved. Jesus was not wrestling with a physical opponent, but he was
wrestling in prayer. His holy humanity was appalled by the prospect that he
faced, while at the same time he loved those whose penalty he had to pay.
Yet despite his own
concerns, Jesus showed great concern for the three disciples. Three times he
breaks of from praying and goes to see how they are. It is true that he rebukes
them, yet we can also see his sympathy with them. He knows that they are tired,
that their physical weakness had hindered their capability for prayer.
The petitions of Jesus
We can see from the
account that Jesus used the same petition three times. The repetition indicates
the urgency that he felt in the situation. What concerned him was the increased
awareness he now was given of what was going to happen to him shortly. His
concern was not about his arrest, the ill treatment that he would receive, the
rejection of the people, the shame of him dragging his cross along the roads,
or even the physical distress of crucifixion. Rather, his distress was caused
by the prospect of undergoing divine judgement. How did he pray in such a
situation?
The way he spoke to God
We can see from the
account that he called God ‘Father’ and ‘Abba’. He had taught his disciples to
pray to God using this paternal title. No doubt, he had used this title for God
throughout life. It is a statement of dependency and intimacy. I would suggest
that we can see in this expression the ministry of the Holy Spirit. Paul
informs us in Galatians and Romans that the Spirit leads believers to address
God in this way. And we know that the Holy Spirit was strengthening Jesus in
various ways during his last day of life. So as Jesus prays with unexplainable
longing, we should admire the graciousness of the Trinity. The eternal Son
speaks to the heavenly Father under the influence and guidance of the Holy
Spirit.
The petition he made to God
What is the most
frightening sight we could imagine? I recall visiting the ruins of Pompeii and
listening to the guide describe the moment when the ash from Mount Vesuvius
fell unexpectantly and smothered the inhabitants in a moment. Perhaps they had
a few seconds to see it coming, but as they did they would have realised that
there was no escape. Who can describe the terror that they experienced? Yet it
was nothing in comparison to what Jesus saw in front of him. It was not tons of
ash that was going to engulf him, but the punishment of God that was due to his
people because of their sins.
In this petition we
see the mystery of the person of Jesus. We have always to remember that he is
God and man. As God he knows everything, as man he learns new things. As the
eternal Son, he knew the mind of the Father completely. But as the Mediator,
who is God and man, he asks the Father if it is possible for another way to be
found of delivering his people.
The submission of his prayers
Yet Jesus remained
aware that his request would only be granted if it was possible in the Lord’s
will. In the deepest crisis, he remained devoted to God and submissive. The
Saviour did not try to through the cup away. The petition in verse 42 can be
read as a prayer for divine enablement. He was determined to do the will of the
Father.
The visit from the angel
At some stage in the
process, an angel was sent from heaven with a message for Jesus. We are not
told what the message was, and in a sense there is no point in trying to guess.
From the way Luke describes the incident it looks as if the angel came in
answer to the prayer that the cup be taken from him. Did the angel say that it
could not, but that he would be strengthened for the ordeal? Who can say? The
appearance of the angel was followed by an increase in intensity in the prayer
activity of the Saviour. That was when he sweated, as he wrestled.
Lessons to learn
There are five brief
lessons that we can mention. First, there is the danger of missing moments of significance. Peter, James and
John slept while their Master prayed in desperation. They did not fully witness
his agony and probably did not see the visit from the angel. What could they
say in later years when someone asked them what it was like to be in
Gethsemane? They missed the moment, and it never came again.
The second lesson is the necessity of heartfelt prayer.
Whatever else can be said about the prayers that Jesus made in Gethsemane, it
is obvious that they came from his heart. His prayers were marked by intimacy,
desire and submissiveness.
Third, remember the reality of the humanity of Jesus,
seen in many ways, including his prayers. His need of human company, even
although they did not understand what was happening. His desire to avoid the
awfulness of the judgment of God.
The fourth lesson is
to beware the penalty for sin. What
will it be like to experience it? Beforehand Jesus dreaded the prospect of
experiencing it on the cross. He knew that however strong it would be short for
him. But what about those who will endure it forever.
Lastly, we should come
away from our meditation on Gethsemane with a fresh appreciation of the
greatness of the love of Jesus. How
far he was willing to because he loved his Father and because he loved his
people.
Preached on Sunday, 2nd October, 2016
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