Gethsemane

Gethsemane

Text: Luke 22:39-46

I. The Garden

v.39 "And he came out, and went, as He was wont, to the Mt. of Olives . . . .

v.40 "And when He was at the place . . . .

Q) Where is "the place" Luke is talking about here?

A) Matt. 26:36 & Mark 14:32 , tell us that "the place" is the Garden of Gethsemane.

Q) Why were Jesus and the disciples going to the Garden?

Hold your place in Luke, and turn to John 18:1,2

2 Reasons for going to the Garden:

1) Jesus needed to get away, to a private place, and seek the will of the Father.

2) The Garden is where Judas would look for him! (v.2)

2 Samuel 15:23-ff foreshadows this event of Jesus crossing the Brook Kidron and going to the Mt. of Olives.

In the Bible Exposition Commentary, by Warren Wiersbe, he writes:

"John may have had in mind King David's experience when he left Jerusalem and fled from his son Absalom. Both David and Jesus were throneless kings, accompanied by their closest friends and rejected by their own people. The name "Kidron" means "murky, dark," and "Gethsemane" means "oil press." Surely these names are significant."

In Matt. 26:38 Jesus says, "My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even unto death . . . ."

v.37 says, He became "sorrowful, and very heavy . . . ."

On this dark and murky night, Jesus knew His time on earth was coming to an end. He had little time left to spend with his disciples. In a matter of hours, Judas would betray Jesus with a kiss, and hand him over to an angry mob. Under the stress, pressure, and temptations of this fateful hour, Jesus needed to get away and seek the Will of the Father.

WE ALL NEED A PLACE OF RETREAT TO GET ALONE WITH GOD.

When the pressures of the day seem too much to bear, we know we can always go to the Lord in prayer. That is just what Jesus did!

WE ALL NEED A GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE: PRIVATE & QUIET

II. The Inner Circle

Luke mentions the disciples as a whole but he doesn't go into more detail.

Matt 26:37 says, "And He took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee . . . ."

Mark 14:33 says, "And He taketh with him Peter and James and John . . . ."

Jesus gave the disciples directions to sit and pray; He then took His "inner circle" further into the garden with him. This inner circle being Peter, James and John.

Jesus has a twofold purpose here:

1) SUPPORT Jesus wanted the support of these three friends in a time of anguish. We must note that Jesus did not need them for support, but He wanted them for support!

Prov. 18:2 says, ". . . there is a friend who sticks

closer than a brother.

In your time of need, how important is having a close friend around to support you? We all need friends, but more importantly, we must have close friends. Friends that can share burdens.

2) TEACHING/ DISCIPLING Jesus wanted this "inner circle" with Him, for their benefit. He wanted them to see how to deal with temptation!

READ: LUKE 22:41

"about a stone's cast"- John MacArthur says this means within earshot of the inner three.

Jesus wanted the disciples close enough to Him, so they could

witness his agony, and see Him come through this time of trial and temptation victoriously.

READ: V.45 Jesus found his disciples sleeping?!!!

Did they not know what was about to happen?

TURN & READ: MATT 26: 38-45

3 times Jesus returned to this inner circle of disciples and He found them sleeping every time!

Jesus told Peter, " the spirit indeed is willing,

but the flesh is weak."

Q) How many Christians today, like these three disciples, are sound asleep, spirtitually?

Turn back to Luke 22:40,

Jesus says, "Pray that ye enter not into temptation."

Christian, we need to heed the Lord's command here:

Pray that ye enter not into temptation!

PRAY, PRAY, PRAY, PRAY. . . .

Q) Are you spiritually asleep this morning;

Or, are you in the game?

Q) Are you satisfied sitting on the sidelines, or do you want in?

III. SUBMISSION TO THE FATHER'S WILL

READ: Luke 22:42 again

Q) What is "the cup" Jesus is referring to here?

Jeremiah 25:15 "For thus sayeth the Lord God of Israel unto me. Take the wine cup of this fury at my hand, and cause all the nations, to whom I send thee, to drink it."

Rev. 14:10 "the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture, into the cup of His indignation.

Romans 6:23 begins, "for the wages of sin is death . . .