GETHSEMANE
Matthew 26 v. 36 - 46
1. A Place of Great Sorrow v. 37 "and he began to be sorrowful and very heavy"
Gethsemane was a garden, two hundred yards from the city wall across the Kidron Valley
(a) The Reason for His sorrow
(1) His approaching physical pain - on the cross to suffer
(2) His approaching separation from His Father - "my God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?"
(3) His approaching atoning death for the sins of the world - "He was made to be sin for us." Hebrews 5 v. 7 & 9 "who in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto Him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared " or as margin - for his piety
(b) The Reality of His sorrow v. 38 "my soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death" Why? - Isaiah 53 v. 6 the Lord was laying on Jesus the iniquity of us all - while he was being made sin for us
(c) The Request in His sorrow v. 38 "tarry ye here and watch with me" - but alas the disciples failed - v. 40 - 43, v. 45 "sleep on now, and take your rest" i.e.the opportunity has passed
O. Chambers said-" the initiative against despair (failure) was to arise and do the next thing."
2. A Place of Great Suffering Luke 22 v. 44 "and being in an agony, He prayed the more earnestly and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground." Here was the Agony of a Saviour, being made a Substitude and becoming a Sin bearer. Reconciling the helplessness of man with the Holiness of God
3. A Place of Great Solitude v. 40 - 45 He suffered alone Psalm 69 v. 20 "reproach hath broken my heart; and I am full of heaviness; and I looked for some to take pity (margin - to lament with me), but there was none; and for comforters but I found none"
4. A Place of Great Supplication v. 39 "He fell on His face and prayed" v. 42 "and went again the second time and prayed," v. 44 "He went away again and prayed" Hebrews 5 v. 7 "He offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears" - here was a battle with the very powers of darkness - but the battle was won in Gethsemene, the Lord was retaking the ground that Adam lost
5. A Place of Great Surrender v. 39 "nevertheless not as I will but as thou wilt," -
not thy will but mine - in Eden opened the floodgates of sin and death
not my will but thine in Gethsemene opened floodgates of salvation and life
6. A Place of Great Succour - Luke 22 v. 43 "and there appeared an angel unto Him from heaven, strengthening Him" - His surrender was met with support
7. A Place of Great Shame v. 46 "behold he is at hand that doth betray me" v. 47 while he yet spake v. 47 "all the disciples forsook Him and fled" v56
8. A Place of Great Success v. 46 rise, let us be going - to Gabbatha, to Golgotha, to the Grave, and to Glory.
