Agony In Gethsemane Series

Jesus had an intimate relationship with the Father and was depending upon Him for strength in this time of need. Jesus knew the Father was in complete control and that all things were possible with Him. We can find comfort in these words of Jesus. We have been adopted into the family of God. We can call upon God as a child who needs His mighty hand of provision. With God all things are possible!

2. His Request – Take this cup from me. We must never view this as a sign of disobedience or unwillingness on the part of Jesus. One must consider the agony He endured. Jesus knew that He must die upon the cross. He had already confirmed that to the disciples. He knew He had come for this very purpose.

However, in His humanity Jesus was not looking forward to the shame and suffering of the cross. As I said, Jesus, in His deity, was repulsed by what He was experiencing and what He would soon face. His deity cried out because of the sin and separation; His humanity cried out because of the suffering. If we ever fully realized all that Jesus endured for us, we would not be the complacent, apathetic people we often are!

3. His Resolve – Nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt. Jesus desired to have the cup removed, but He wanted the will of God to be completed more than He wanted to avoid the cross. Jesus willingly submitted Himself to the sufferings of the cross to fulfill the will of God and redeem sinful men. In His deepest agony, Jesus never wavered in His love and devotion for the Father’s will or His commitment to provide the means for our salvation! Heb.5:8-9 – Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; [9] And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him. The obedience of Jesus was necessary for Him to stand as the sacrificial Lamb for the sins of the world.

II. The Necessity of the Moment – This was a difficult time for Jesus and the disciples, yet there was much that Jesus wanted them to accomplish.

A. The Instruction (34b) – In His time of suffering Jesus gave a simple command: tarry ye here, and watch. He hadn’t asked them to accomplish some great or difficult task, just to tarry and watch. He wanted them to remain with Him and be diligent for Him. Jesus knew He must bear the cup alone, but yet He desired them to watch and pray for Him in this difficult moment. They couldn’t bear the burden with Him, but they could offer their prayers and support.

There is much we can learn from this simple command. We often get so wrapped up in the “big things,” those things we feel are so important, that we fail to do the simple things that are really important. Let us be diligent to accomplish what the Lord has called upon us to do: pray, study, witness, love, and serve Him.

B. The Expectation (37) – And he cometh, and findeth them sleeping, and saith unto Peter, Simon, sleepest thou? couldest not thou watch one hour? As Jesus returned from His first prayer, He found the disciples asleep, rather than doing what He had instructed them to do. We can assume by His addressing Peter, that Jesus regarded him as a leader among the disciples. There is no doubt that Jesus was disappointed in the three. He had asked a simple thing of them, something that each of them could have done, and He fully expected them to have done what He asked.