Gleaning from the Garden

It is interesting to think two of the greatest spiritual battles on earth took place in gardens. Adam lost the battle to sin in the Garden of Eden giving in to temptation. He chose to disobey God. However, the “Second Adam” – Jesus Christ – chose to submit to His Father’s will in the Garden of Gethsemane. The fate of humanity spins on the axis of these two gardens.

Jesus had just taken the last supper (see blog post “The Last Supper”) and washed the feet of His twelve disciples when they started toward the Garden of Gethsemane. Before the meal, Judas had already bargained with the chief priests to betray Jesus for thirty pieces of silver (Matthew 26:14-15, Mark 14:10-11), and at this point he slipped out (John 13:26-30) to finalize his deal knowing where Jesus and the others were headed.

The Garden of Gethsemane was at the base of the Mount of Olives which meant as you might guess there were olive trees in the garden. Its name literally translates “oil press” signifying a place where they would trod olives to make the oil. It was a fitting place as Jesus was about to be bruised and crushed so that fresh oil (which represents the Holy Spirit throughout the Bible) would flow to all believers.

Sometimes you need to be with those you love and sometimes you need to be alone AND then sometimes you need to be alone with those you love. That is the situation Jesus was in when the eleven disciples walked with Him to the garden but He only took three – Peter, James, and John – to the innermost area.

These three had been chosen for other special “privileges” such as being present when Jarius’ daughter was raised, witnessing the transfiguration, and beholding the radiance of His glory. With these three with Him, He left them telling them, “My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me” (Matthew 26:38). Our Lord was filled with grief knowing God’s wrath would be on Him.

The way Jesus prayed in the garden has aspects we can apply to our own prayer life. Prayer is showing our dependence on God whether we are asking for guidance, strength, deliverance, etc. Jesus’ prayer in the garden was the same, even though He is all God, He is also all man (see blog post “All God, All Man”).

HIS PRAYER…

1. He sought GOD’S WILL.

Jesus asked His Father, God, if it is possible to take “this cup” from Him. The cup was God’s wrath (Isaiah 51:17, Jeremiah 21:15) that would come on Jesus when He took the world’s sins as His own. He willingly submitted to God’s will.

In what areas do we need to say, “Not my will, but Thine” (James 4:15)? Jesus told Peter when the guards had come to get him, “The cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it?” (John 18:11) because He was going to carry out His Father’s will.

“Even that which we cannot expect to be done for us, we ought yet to believe that God is able to do and when we submit to His will, and refer ourselves to His wisdom and mercy, it must be with a believing acknowledgment of His power, that all things are possible with Him.”

Matthew Henry

2. He EARNESTLY pled to His Father.

Addressing God in prayer, Jesus fell on the ground and prayed. Just a little before this, He had “lifted up his eyes” in prayer (John 17:1), but now facing this solemn affair, He is down on His face in humility.

Jesus was so anguished with grief He was sweating blood (Luke 22:44). This is a rare condition known today as “hematidrosis” or “blood sweat” which is caused by intense fear or stress. This was not just physical suffering but spiritual as well.

We are fighting a spiritual battle all the time (Ephesians 6:12). Prayer and God’s Word are our spiritual weapons. We have to have His help. It’s beneficial to have our own “Garden of Gethsemane” to pray – a secret place, a place to get alone with God (Matthew 6:6, Mark 1:35). We also need an inner circle of friends to lift us up in prayer when needed and hold us accountable (Proverbs 27:17).

3. He beseeched God as HIS FATHER.

Jesus used the words to call to God as “Abba, Father” which you may have heard translates to an intimate form such as “Daddy” (Mark 14:36). He called upon God as not only His Son but also as a representative for humanity – as the Son of God and the Son of Man.

As believers we should go to God in the same way calling upon Him as our Father just as Jesus taught (Matthew 6:9). He is our Heavenly Father, and the more we pray to Him, the closer we will feel. He loves us more than any earthly father could love their child (Matthew 7:11, Luke 11:13).

4. He entreated the Lord REPEATEDLY.

Jesus – Who we know is God’s Son – went to His Father in prayer not just petitioning Him once, but three times (Mark 14:39. As mentioned before going to God in prayer shows our dependence on Him. He went from praying for the cup to pass to asking the Lord to give Him triumph in drinking it. The Bible gives guidance on persistent prayer in several places such as Paul praying for the “thorn in the flesh” to be removed (2 Corinthians 12:8-9), the parable of the widow and the unjust judge (Luke 18:1-7), and the parable of the friend repeatedly knocking on the door of his neighbor in the night (Luke 11:5-13).

If we are unclear on something, it is appropriate to pray frequently until you know the Lord has answered or until you have peace about the situation. However, you should accept the answer God gives as discussed above in point one (God’s will). Some things such as spiritual matters should be prayed about daily. (This is a whole other topic in which a post could be written!)

5. His prayers took Him from FEAR TO PEACE.

Strengthening His Son, God sent an angel. Jesus was facing great physical and spiritual battles. As bad as the physical pain He was about to experience, it was nothing compared to the spiritual agony coming. To strengthen His Son, God sent an angel (Luke 22:43).

When Jesus was finished praying, He came back to Peter, James, and John in a new frame of mind, ready to confront and endure the battle ahead. Waking the three He doesn’t say anything about running or hiding from what He knows is about to happen, but “Rise, let us be going” (Matthew 26:46). He had accepted God’s will and went from fear to peace.

Questions to Ponder

• How does God want us to respond to overwhelming experiences or trials in our lives?
• What role does prayer play in our lives when we are experiencing difficult times? Is it our first response as it should be?
• In what areas do we need to say, “Not my will, but thine”?
• Is there someone going through a trial that you could encourage or strengthen whether by prayer or helping in some way? (See blog post “Living Like a Barnabas”.)

Final Thoughts

As a believer when you think about what Jesus Christ did for us, it’s humbling and sobering even when we contemplate all the little things we can glean from His time in the Garden of Gethsemane. It can be hard emotionally if you consider fully Who He was and what He did because of His love for you and me. However, I think it’s important to meditate on the events; it needs to be remembered to make us appreciate the gift or Gift we have! Please make sure this Easter season, you think on what our Savior went through for us. The conclusion – His resurrection – is what makes us celebrate! 💕