Title: Christ’s Passion – The Garden
Theme: To show why Christ agonized in the Garden, it is so we don’t have to agonize today.
Text: Luke 22:39-46
Introduction
This past week we started an Easter season series called “From the Table to the Tomb”. Each week we will have activities and studies that relate to Christ’s journey to the cross. Many don’t realize that much of the gospels were written about this journey. Most of the gospels contain Christ’s last three years and then mostly his last week. There is an emphasis on the crucifixion and resurrection.
This morning I want us to look at the garden. My goal is to get you to see Christ’s anxiety in the garden and draw out the purpose for us today.
Luke 22:39-46 Coming out, He went to the Mount of Olives, as He was accustomed (this was not an uncommon place for Jesus and his disciples, this was a place of prayer and meditation, ) ,
(Lk 3:21-22) At His Baptism.
(Mk 1:35-36) In the morning before heading to Galilee.
(Lk 5:15) After healing people.
(Lk 6:12-13) Praying all night before choosing His 12 disciples.
(Mt 11:25-26) While speaking to the Jewish leaders.
(Jn 6:11) Giving thanks to the Father before feeding 5000. (Also see: Mt 14:19,Mk 6:41, Lk 9:16)
(Mt 14:22) Before walking on water. (Also see: Mk 6:46, Jn 6:15)
(Mk 7:31-37) While healing a deaf and mute man.
(Mt 15:36) Giving thanks to the Father before feeding 4000. (Also see: Mk 8:6-7)
(Lk 9:18) Before Peter called Jesus "the Christ."
(Lk 9:28-29) At the Transfiguration.
(Lk 10:21) At the return of the seventy.
(Lk 11:1) Before teaching His disciples the Lord's Prayer.
(Jn 11:41-42) Before raising Lazarus from the dead.
(Mt 19:13-15) Laying hands on and praying for little children. (Also see:
Mk 10:13-16, Lk 18:15-17)
(Jn 12:27-28) Asking the Father to glorify His name.
(Mt 26:26) At the Lord's Supper. (Also see: Mk 14:22-23, Lk 22:19)
(Lk 22:31-32) Prayed for Peter's faith when Satan asked to "sift" him.
(Jn 17:1-26) Prayed for Himself, His disciples, and all believers just before heading to Gethsemane.
(Mt 26:36-46) In Gethsemane before His betrayal. (He prayed 3 separate prayers.)(Also see: Lk 22:39-46, Mk 14:32-42)
(Lk 23:34) Right after being nailed to the cross, Jesus prayed, "Father forgivethem; for they know not what they do."
(Mt 27:46) While dying on the cross, Jesus cried out, "My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me?" (Also see: Mk 15:34)
(Lk 23:46) In His dying breath, Jesus prayed, "Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit."
(Lk 24:30) Prayed a blessing on the bread before He ate with others after His resurrection.
(Lk 24:50-53) He blessed the disciples before His Ascension.
There are also verses outside of the Gospels that show us that even though Jesus
is now in Heaven, He is still making intercession on our behalf (Rom 8:34)(Heb 7:25)
(Heb 9:24)(1 Jn 2:1).
From jesusalive.cc question # 204
and His disciples also followed Him. (40) When He came to the place (Matthew 26:36, Mark 14:32 The Garden of Gethsemane) , He said to them, "Pray that you may not enter into temptation."
Mark brings out more detail of the interchange between the disciples and Jesus. We learn that Jesus was struggling with this plight and he wanted the disciples to stay awake and pray.
Mark 14:32 And they came to an olive grove called Gethsemane, and Jesus said, “Sit here while I go and pray.” 33 He took Peter, James, and John with him, and he began to be filled with horror and deep distress. 34 He told them, “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and watch with me.” 35 He went on a little farther and fell face down on the ground. He prayed that, if it were possible, the awful hour awaiting him might pass him by. 36 “Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will, not mine.”
(41) And He was withdrawn from them about a stone's throw, and He knelt down and prayed, (42) saying, "Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done." (43) Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him.
“Not my will, but Yours, be done”
Christ’s passion was to fulfill the Father’s will which meant going to the cross and be an intercessor/mediator for us.
Hebrews 7:23-25 Also there were many priests, because they were prevented by death from continuing. (24) But He, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. (25) Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.
Romans 8:34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.
1Jn 2:1 My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.
Angels as ministering spirits
Hebrews 1:14 Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?
NLT 14 But angels are only servants. They are spirits sent from God to care for those who will receive salvation.
(44) And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.
Notice the anxiety that he went through. This was not an easy decision. We often time struggle with doing the right thing because we know it will cause us pain. Yet we can do it because Christ did it. He knows what we are going through.
Hebrews 4:15 says, "For we do not have a High Priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are - yet was without sin."
45 When He rose up from prayer, and had come to His disciples, He found them sleeping from sorrow. 46 Then He said to them, "Why do you sleep? Rise and pray, lest you enter into temptation."
From Sermon Central message of Luke 22 (not sure the author)
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?
Ten Virgins
Matthew 25:1-13 "Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. (2) Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. (3) Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, (4) but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. (5) But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. (6) And at midnight a cry was heard: 'Behold, the bridegroom is coming; [138] go out to meet him!' (7) Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. (8) And the foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' (9) But the wise answered, saying, 'No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.' (10) And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. (11) Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open to us!' (12) But he answered and said, 'Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.' (13) Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour [139] in which the Son of Man is coming.
1 Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because [30] your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
NIV 8 Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
Jesus knew what was at stake
The epic battle of good and evil. The battle between what was right and what was wrong. This was bigger than this. This was the battle between a continued saga or a finished work
In a sense, the two greatest “battles” of history were fought in gardens. In the Garden of Eden, Adam chose to disobey God, bringing sin to the human race. He did not resist temptation, but chose his will over the Father’s.
Isaiah 53:1-6
Isaiah 53 gives us a background of what was happening on this week of Passion, journey to the cross. I wanted to read this passage this morning so that we could see the purpose of the cross.
Isa 53:1 Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
(2) For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, And as a root out of dry ground. He has no form or comeliness; And when we see Him, There is no beauty that we should desire Him.
Philippians 2:5-7 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, (6) who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, (7) but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.
(3) He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.
(4) Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted.
Griefs – sickness, mourning
Sorrows – mental pain, to carry a burden
(5) But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.
Transgressions – sin, rebellion, to cross the line
Iniquities – twisted in sin, ingrained
Chastisement - punishment,
By his stripes we are healed
1 Peter 2:21-25 For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, [13] leaving us [14] an example, that you should follow His steps: (22) "Who committed no sin, Nor was deceit found in His mouth"; [15] (23) who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; (24) who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness--by whose stripes you were healed. (25) For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer [16] of your souls.
Wayne Dority II. Promise of the Stripes
Next I want us to look at one other element in our scripture text and that is Christ’s flesh torn and striped
Our scripture text only briefly mentions it as a scourging
Mark 15:15 (KJV) And so Pilate, willing to content the people, released Barabbas unto them, and delivered Jesus, when he had scourged him, to be crucified.
But history tells us of it brutality. Whips called cat-of-nine-tails were laced with heavy lead balls, shards of metal and splinters of bone. The victim would be tied up so that they wouldn’t move too much while the whip tor across the victims back. Flesh ripping open with the metal shards lashing across the back, Stinging seared the body with the snap of the leather on the skin, Bruising hit the muscles with the lead balls pummeling the tissue
Most would pass out from such excruciating torment, Many would die under the torturers whip
But our Lord would endure it for us, Why? Was it senseless brutality, Was it just depraved humanity again? No everything God does has a purpose
His pain = our gain
Isaiah prophesied about it: Isaiah 53:4-5 (KJV) Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 5But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
Every sting of the lash was for a purpose, Every bruising of the muscles was premeditated, Every tearing of the flesh was because of a promise, We needed healing and He provided it
The stripes say that: I came to give you healing, The next time the devil tells you God can’t heal you
just point him to the back of Jesus,
The next time someone tells you God stopped healing , you point them to the promise of the BOOK
The next time you face sickness and disease, Face it with assurance
He didn’t come just to heal my sin-sick soul—he came for this body too
The Pain of our Savior pays for the Promise
The suffering shows us His Love
The brutality brings us His blessings
We have a precious promises!
By His stripes we ARE healed!
(6) All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
Romans 3:23 “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”
Greater love than this no man has, that a man lay down his life for his friends (Joh_15:13).
Which reminds me of a story that I read years ago.
No Greater Love
From the days before ready access to vaccines comes this story: The doctor looked down at the little girl in the hospital bed. He knew that her only hope was to receive blood from someone who had recovered from the same disease.
Quickly the doctor found the anxious family, and knelt beside a small boy. "Johnny," he said, "your sister needs your kind of blood to make her well. Would you be willing to give your blood so that she can live?"
Johnny's eyes grew big. The doctor watched them well with fear, but the little boy hesitated only long enough to swallow the lump in his throat. "Sure, Doctor, I will do it," he replied.
After the needed amount of blood was taken from Johnny's small arm, he remained quiet for a few minutes as he had been instructed. Then he stood up, and asked softly: "Well, Doctor, when do I die?"
Only then did the doctor realize the extent of the child's sacrifice. Johnny had offered his life to save his sister, Jesus declared that there is no greater love.
Why did he do it? Because he loved us. Yes his love is shown on the cross. Yes his love is shown in the resurrection but most of all his love is shown through his continued passion and focus on doing what needed to be done.
God’s Love
1 John 4:9) In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. 10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation (supreme substitute) for our sins.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Romans 5:8 But God commended his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Conclusion
So Christ took on our anxiety and pain so that we would not have to carry it and bear it for our selves. He tells us there is healing in the cross. There is healing in the suffering of Christ.
What are you burdened down with this morning? What kind of healing do you need? Physical healing, mental healing, emotional healing, spiritual healing. There is healing in the suffering and bruising of Christ. There is healing in the cross, there is healing in the resurrection.
