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Text: Mark 14:32-42
Title: “Jesus in the
Garden--Face to Face with Death”
Thesis: Jesus in the garden faced death in His humanity
The Bible says;
“O death, where is thy sting? O
grave, where is thy victory?” (1 Cor. 15:55)
It is
well to remember that Jesus, as God, lived with the knowledge of His
crucifixion (not just His death!) from the moment of His birth—and even
from before the foundation of the world (1 Peter 1:17-21)!
How
would you like to live every day, from sun-up to sun-down and in the
night watches: from birth to death and in every circumstance of life;
with the knowledge that each moment took you closer and closer to the
most heinous death known to mankind?
The Bible says;
“O death, where is thy sting? O
grave, where is thy victory?”
We
catch up with Jesus Christ as He observes, for the last time, the
ancient Jewish festival commemorating the children of Israel’s
deliverance from Egypt—called
Passover and the Feast of Unleavened bread.
(Began Mon. Apr. 10th
at sundown, followed by 7 days of unleavened bread)
Up to
this point, Mary has anointed His head with the alabaster box of very
precious ointment.
Judas
has gone to the chief priests to bargain for the price of Jesus’
betrayal.
Jesus
has directed the 11 disciples to go to Jerusalem, find a man, who would
then provide an upper room for them to eat the Passover meal.
At
this meal, Judas was exposed as a traitor of the Messiah/Christ.
At
this meal, Jesus took the unleavened bread and proclaimed, “This is [a
representation] of My body. Take, eat.”
At
this meal, Jesus took the unfermented juice of the grape and proclaimed,
“This is [a representation] of My blood. Drink ye all of it.”
After
this meal, they sang a hymn and went out to the Mt of Olives. There
Jesus quotes Zech. 13:7 that God, not man, “would smite the Shepherd and
the Jewish flock would be scattered.” And Jesus proclaims, “But after I
Am risen again…” He would appear to His disciples.
The Bible says;
“O death, where is thy sting? O
grave, where is thy victory?”
And so
we arrive at the Garden of Gethsemane with Jesus and His eleven
disciples.
Text: Mark 14:32-42 – “Jesus in the Garden--Face to Face with Death”–
prayer
Supplemental: If we go back to the Garden of Eden, we will see
striking similarities & contrasts between the two events in the two
gardens:
1) Adam was placed in the Garden of Eden by God: Jesus went to the
Garden of Gethsemane on His own.
2) Adam put his trust in Eve: Jesus put His trust in His Father.
3) Adam ate of the forbidden fruit: Jesus drank of the predestined cup.
4) Adam hid from the presence of God: Jesus went to God.
5) Adam made excuses: Jesus made requests.
6) Adam acquiesced to Satan’s lies: Jesus acquiesced to God’s will.
7) Adam sin brought misery to mankind: Jesus sinlessness brought mercy
to mankind.
8) Adam was fearful in the garden: Jesus was bold in the garden.
9) Adam was clothed by God: Jesus was unclothed by man on the cross.
10) Adam was banned from the garden; Jesus was taken in the garden.
11) Adam was stayed from eating of the Tree of Life: Jesus was the Tree
of Life.
I. WHAT CAN WE LEARN OF THE LOCATION—GETHSEMANE?
(v32-33)
A. It
Means “Olive Press,”
and so we can presume two things:
1. That it was a grove of olive trees
a. The olive tree is one of the symbols of Israel in the Bible
2. That the olives were pressed to obtain their oil in this
garden
a. The olive oil was a symbol of the Light that the Nation of
Israel was to take to every nation.
This Light, fed by olive oil, was a fixture in the Temple’s Holy
Place
II. WHAT CAN WE LEARN OF THE DISCIPLES?
(v32, 33, 34, 37, 38,40, 41-42)
A. They Sought to Follow Christ
(v32) (Bless their
hearts….!)
1. They came with Jesus to Gethsemane
2. They were, at this point, obedient to Christ (“sit here”)
3. But they were not “one with” Christ. When Jesus said that He
was going to pray, they should have prayed with Him
Note: Remember that the 11 disciples were O.T. saints. They were looking
for a Messiah, not a Saviour. They were not yet filled with the Holy
Spirit.
B. 3 of the 11 Went
Further with Christ (v33)
1. Into Gethsemane
2. They were, at this point, obedient to Christ (“come with Me”)
a. Tarry (“remain”) here (this is a “point in time” command)
b. Watch (“give strict attention to”) from here (this is a
present tense continuing command)
3. They, also, were not “one with” Christ. When Jesus said that He was
going to pray, they should have prayed with Him
C. 3 of the 11 Missed
Their Opportunity with Christ (v37, 40, 41)
1. Instead of watching for one hour, they were sleeping for as
long as they could!
a. Notice it is one or the other; not both at the same time!
“And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap,
if we faint not”
(Gal. 6:9).
2. Because their eyes were heavy (“weighed down”)
3. Because they had no excuse (what to answer Him from the first
time they fell asleep, v37)
a. The last words of the disciples to Jesus, until after Christ’s
DBR, are found in Luke 22:38, just before they enter the garden.
III. WHAT CAN WE LEARN OF CHRIST?
A. His
First Desire Was to Teach/Illustrate
(v32-33, 37, 40, 41, 42)
1. Jesus included them in His deepest agony so that they would
know how to act in their greatest agony. (Christ is our example)
B. His First Duty Was to God
(v32)
1. You sit, I’ll pray!
2. You tarry (do not depart), I’ll pray!
3. You sleep, I’ll pray!
Note: “Sit, tarry, sleep, Lord? That I can do!
“Pray Lord? Not so much!”
C. His First Dilemma Was
About His Own Humanity (v33)
1. He began to be inwardly (in His soul/spirit/humanity):
a. Sore amazed (“Terrified surprise; utter amazement”)
b. Very heavy (“troubled, great distress”)
c. Exceedingly sorrowful (“overwhelming grief”)
1) Unto (“until”) death (separation from God)
“For we have not an High Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling
of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet
without sin. Let us therefore
come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find
grace to help in time of need”
(Heb. 4:15-16).
Note: Think of the power of
these words found in v33-34. They are the strongest in the Greek
language. Though we cannot
experience the full implications of these words;
1) We should be amazed that Jesus—God in human flesh—would die, for us,
in our place (look at yourselves! Think about the sins that flow out of
your belly like polluted water!),
2) We should be destressed by the vile actions of vile men who finally
got their sinful hands on Jesus-- God in human flesh, (you would have
done the same thing at that same time!)
3) And we should be overwhelmed by grief as we read and remember the
agony of Jesus, as the sins of mankind are placed on Him and the wrath
of God is poured out upon Him;
“For God hath made Jesus to be sin for us, who knew no sin…”
(2 Cor. 5:21).
But this is not the end of Jesus’ story,
“But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the
suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that He by the grace
of God should taste death for every man”
(Heb. 2:9). Christ WILL be
crowned, and you can be crowned too if you will be obedient!
D. His First Response Was
to Seek God (v35-36)
1. Jesus went forward a little (v35)
2. Jesus fell prostrate on the ground (face down, stretched out =
deep reverence)
a. When we get serious with God, we will be serious before God!
3. Jesus prayed specifically
a. If (“since”) it is humanly possible, may this hour pass from
(be averted by) Me (in God’s will). (“Because
this is the time fixed and agreed upon for His sufferings and death;
that is, that it might pass without His enduring them, if there was any
possibility of excusing Him, and of people being saved without them”
Gill)
4. Jesus asked specifically of,
“My Father, My Father”
(v36a-c)
a. “The repetition is made, to express His
strong confidence in God, as His Father, amidst His distress” Gill
5. Jesus asked confidently, knowing;
a. “All things are possible unto Thee” or, “Father, You are able
to do anything!”
1. “Could you not provide another lamb for the sacrifice?”
2. There is precedent for this request:
“And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, ‘My father’: and he
said, ‘Here am I, my son’. And he said, ‘Behold the fire and the wood:
but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?’
And Abraham said, ‘My son, God will provide Himself [as] a
lamb for a burnt offering…’ And Abraham stretched forth his hand,
and took the knife to slay his son. And
Abraham lifted up his eyes, and
looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns:
and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt
offering in the stead of his son” (Genesis 22:7,8,10,13)
6. Jesus prayed expectantly
a. “Take away (“remove”) this cup from Me.”
(“The cup represents divine appointments/lot/portion in life,
whether favourable or unfavourable, which God presents one to drink”)
E. His Last Response Was
to Trust God (v36d)
1. Nevertheless (despite My requests)
a. “Not what I [humanly] will”
b. “But what Thou [divinely] will”
Jesus’
Application:
F. His Empathy With His
Disciples (v38)
1. Watch (“give strict attention to, be active”) & pray (prayer
changes you)
or
2. The door is open to temptation (“an enticement to sin,
temptation, whether arising from the [inward] desires or from the
outward circumstances”)
because
3. The spirit [of a saved man] is truly (“certainly”) ready
(“willing”)
4. But (in contrast to the spirit] the flesh (“natural man”) is
weak (“feeble”)
G. His Longsuffering With
His Disciples (v41ab)
1. Sleep on (from now forward). The next mention of any of the
disciples sleeping is Peter in jail (Acts 12:6).
a. It is clear you either can’t or won’t take My part in the
Garden
2. Take your rest. The next mention of any of the disciples
taking rest is in Acts 9:31, when the churches finally had rest.
H. Jesus Sufficiency Was Found in God
(v41c)
1. It (v36) is enough (“sufficient”). What I have done is all I
can do.
2. Behold (“see”) the Son of Man (Messianic title) is betrayed
(“to give into the hands of another”). God’s
answer to Jesus’ prayer.
a. Betrayed into the hands (“authority”) of sinners (“wicked
men”)
I.
The Acceptance of God’s Will (v42)
1. For the disciples: “rise up”
2. For both Jesus & His disciples: “let Us go”
3. For Jesus: “he that betrayeth Me” is at hand (“at the door”)
Concl.: Jesus came
to the garden of Gethsemane alone, yet His disciples came too. In His
humanity, Jesus experienced the depth of internal sorrow, while His
disciples slept. In His humanity, Jesus suggested an alternate
possibility to His Father, while His disciples slept. Then, in His
humanity, He accepted the will of the Father as the perfect plan and
purpose of God, while His disciples slept!
“For the Lord GOD will help Me; therefore shall I not be confounded:
therefore have I set My face like a flint, and I know that I shall not
be ashamed”
(Isa. 50:7).
Where
are you tonight? If you are
not saved--you haven’t trusted Christ for forgiveness of sins--have you
felt the anguish that Jesus suffered in your place? Accept His sacrifice
for you tonight.
Christian, where are you tonight? Sleeping? Do you know that there is
not one mention of Jesus sleeping in the N.T.? Of course Jesus slept,
but it was only to regain human strength to serve God.
And I am not talking about sleep sleep anyway, but sleepy service
for Christ. Let’s not be sleeping disciples, but serving saints of the
Lord Jesus Christ!
And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of
sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed”
(Rms. 13:11)
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