Agony Anonymous

How blessed we are that the Lord has allowed us to make our way into His house, once again. That is why we ought to take advantage of ever opportunity we have to be a part of worship. Amen. Because there may come a day when you want to get here and not be able to. Then you won’t have to sit at home and think of all of the times when you could have been here and you chose not to. So with that being said I invite you to turn with me to Luke 22: 39- 46. And our text is found in the first part of v. 44 “And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly:”

And I want to preach from the subject: Agony Anonymous. Won’t you pray with me...Agony Anonymous.

It is a blessed privilege when we as fellow humans beings are able, in the mist of family and friends who are hurting, when we are able to put our arms around them to be a source of strength and comfort. I realized like those of who have experienced great times of sorrow and suffering know that it helps to lighten your load; to somehow lift your burden; to know that whatever it is that you are going through that you are not in this thing all by yourself. And often times people will show up, placing their arms around us and say to us, “I’m here.” But if are to be honest about it, when we are around people who are experiencing great sorrow; no matter how much we feel them; we can never fully enter into there suffering and their sorrow. Amen.

That is why we have to be careful how we approach people who are suffering. We approach them most of the time and say; especially if we’ve experienced a similar situation; “I understand. I know what you are going through.” But to be honest about it, do you really know? Do you really fully understand? That is why have to approach people who are suffering not as a teacher with a lesson to be taught but rather as students to come and to listen and to learn. Nowhere is that better seen then in the Garden of Gethsemane.

The Bible say that Thursday evening, supper being ended, Jesus and the disciples sing a hymn and they leave that upper room and they make there way out to the Mount of Olives to this garden called Gethsemane. He leaves eight of His disciples at the entrance to this garden and He takes with Him the three remaining disciples; Peter, James, and John; further on into the garden. The same three disciples who were with Him on the Mount of Transfiguration, now journey with Him into the Garden of Gethsemane. The same three who were privileged to see Jesus in His glory will now seem Him in His gloom.

Because Jesus wanted them to understand that life has two sides: glory and gloom. Now we live in a day when we are being told that if we love and trust the Lord and that if we live our lives out within His will that our lives are always going to be filled with glory and that’s not so. Not only is life filled with mountain-top experiences but there are times when we’ve got to walk through the darkness and gloom of life’s valleys. And so here Jesus is, a few hours away from the cross and at this late juncture, He still seeks human companionship. He still seeks human fellowship. He’s still in need of a human touch. And that’s what hurting people are in need.

How blessed you are, in the midst of your sorrow, in the midst of your pain, when you have family and friends who are there.

As Jesus enters into the Garden of Gethsemane, He takes with Him Peter, James, and John; and Matthew says it this way, Matthew says, “And He went a little farther and feel on His face and prayed.” Now let me put a pin right there and ask this question: Have you ever wondered what made Jesus different from all other men? I believe Matthew captures it when He says, “And He went. A little. Farther.” That’s what separates Jesus from all other men; He is always willing to go a little farther.

In His love-life, in His compassion, in His forgiveness, in His mercy, Jesus always goes a little farther. And if we are going to be true followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, we must likewise do the same; we must always be willing to go a little farther.

Again, Matthew says, “He went a little farther and feel on His face and prayed.” And Luke puts it this way; Luke says, “And being in an agony, He prayed.” When you think about it, those four words “being in an agony” is really a biography of every soul. It enters into all of our lives. Those of us how have lived any length of time knows what it feels like to be in an agony. Be it emotional, be it physical, be it spiritually, we’ve all had those dark times. Those low times in life. Those times when it seems as though the tide had gone out and never would come in again. Luke says, “being in an agony.” Now when you think about it had Jesus not been in an agony He wouldn’t have been qualified to become our Savior. It’s only because He has been in an agony Himself that He is now able to identify with you and me when we are in the midst of our agony. Luke said, “being in an agony, He prayed until sweat feel from His brow as though it was great drops of blood. Matthew says, “His sorrow was unto death.”