The Savior In Gethsemane

A salesman said to me, “We all know you do not get something good for nothing.” It

turned out to be very true in regard to what he was selling. I began to think about this in

relationship to the Gospel and concluded that it is both true and false. Salvation by grace

through faith is the greatest gift man can receive, and he does nothing to deserve it. He

is getting something for nothing, but if you think a little deeper you see that someone had

to pay for that free gift. In fact, it was the most costly gift ever purchased, for it cost

Jesus unimaginable agony and His very life blood. In our text we see the beginning of the

payment for our redemption. There was a two-fold aspect of Christ’s payment for our

sin. There was one in Gethsemane, and the other on Golgotha. The first was mainly

mental suffering, and the second was mainly physical suffering. Before we enter the

garden we want to look first at-

I. THE SAVIOR’S SONG. v. 30.

We often think of Jesus as a man of sorrows, and that He was, but we more often fail

to see Him as a man of song as well. No religion has been such a religion of song as

Christianity. It began as such from the beginning. Even before His greatest sorrow we

see Jesus and His disciples singing. All were doing so except Judas who had lost the song

of his life when he left Jesus. He never sang another note.

What a delight it would be to hear this Apostolic choir singing. Do you wonder what

it was they sang? Scholars tell us it is likely that we have the words to their song. It was

the Passover season and the Jewish custom was to sing Psa. 113 to 118. It is likely then

that Psa. 118 was part of their hymn. A heart filled with song is better prepared to face

sorrow. As we see how rapidly Jesus went from singing to suffering, we see again how

Jesus experienced life just as we do. He knows from experience how life can have sudden

and sharp contrast. You can be happy in one moment and discouraged in the next. You

can be singing one minute and sobbing the next. Jesus had just spoken of His joy, and in

a matter of minutes He will be on His face with strong crying and tears.

Even in the darkest hours the Christian can sing, for God gives songs in the night.

The Apostle Paul and Silas were in a dark damp dungeon and they sang. The martyrs at

the stake often sang as they were perishing in the flames. The singing of the saints even

in times of great suffering and sorrow has led many an unbeliever to want to become a

follower of the Christ who sang just before His greatest suffering. If Jesus could sing

just before this, and knowing the cross was soon to follow, then we ought not to be

without a song. Next we see-

II. THE SAVIOR’S SORROW. v. 37-39

The hour which Jesus had so often spoken of was now approaching. He had always

escaped before because His hour had not yet come. Now it had come and He was

exceedingly sorrowful. The mental stress was so great that Dr. Luke says He sweat drops

of blood to indicate the intensity of it. There are several records of others who had this

experience. The question comes as to why Jesus was under such stress. What was this

cup that He had to drink that was so horrible to Him?

In verse 39 we see how earnest was His desire, for He fell on His face before God.

There are times when a man does not ask what is the proper position to pray, but he just

falls flat before God and pours out his heart. I remember the first time I felt this need to

cast myself down. I was in high school and a situation came about in which I thought my

father had drowned. It was near the raging falls and his car was near by but he was

nowhere around. In fear that he had fallen in I ran to the car, fell on the seat, and cried

out to God that my fears would prove to be false. Fortunately, they were.

If we have had this experience, it helps to understand Jesus, but His need was

infinitely greater than what any man has ever experienced. If your heart ever feels like

breaking with a burden to heavy to bear, remember that Jesus understands from

personal experience. When no one else can understand you know He does. We sing the

song No One Understands Like Jesus, and it is true, for no one has experienced sorrows