GETHSAMANE

                                            

Gloria Phifer

I wonder with King David in Psalm 8:4 “What is man, that You are mindful of him? And the son of man that You visit him?”  Why are we so important to God our Creator?  That He would create us? A plan of redemption, had been put into place, before the Breathe of God was breathed into man…and he became a “living soul.”  That plan, the mystery that had been hidden, was now taking place…The Almighty God…God the Son would die for mankind. Why? Because of love. John 3:16 “God so loved the world that He gave His Only Begotten Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.”….LOVE …LOVE FOR YOU AND ME….OH THE WONDER OF GOD!

Do you see your value?

Before we go into Gethsemane with Jesus…Let’s look at the “Divine Mystery of Christ.” Rom. 16:25-26 (Now we can understand what the prophets were saying.), 1 Cor. 2:4-8, (If the enemy had understood he would never have crucified the Lord of Glory.) 

Eph.1:6-12 (this mystery 

was to gather all things In Christ…Gentiles included.) Eph. 3:3-6. (The New Covenant now included you and me when we believe.)

 Eph. 3:9-11. (We who are In Christ are showing the manifold wisdom of God that was hidden from the foundation of the world). Col. 1:25-27 (Jesus Christ in you and me is the Hope of Glory.

 Notice the glory of this mystery had been hidden for ages and generations and is now manifest to His saints.) Col.2:2-3. (We are comforted by this knowledge. In Christ are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. We are In Christ.) Col.4:3 Paul prays for open doors to speak the mystery of Christ. 1 Tim.3:16. (A wonderful scripture. Jesus-God was manifest in the flesh…it tells the whole redemption story in one paragraph.)

I want us to understand how blessed we are that we can see and hear and understand. Matt. 13:16-17. The prophets desired to see what we see. Through the Holy Spirit we can see and understand the mystery of God.

I wanted to go into these scriptures before we enter the Mount of Olives with Jesus. Because it is so heart wrenching.  There is a tremendous battle taking place. All we have just read, about the mystery from the foundation of the world, depends on this struggle. We have seen what is at stake here. We know He could have called 12 legions of angels at this moment. Let us enter into Gethsemane with our Lord. 

It is the evening. On the Jewish calendar a day begins at 6 in the evening and ends the following evening at 6.  Jesus and his disciples (except Judas) have left the upper room. They are crossing the Kidron Valley to the Mount of Olives. 

 This is the night of the betrayal.  Jesus knows He has come into this world for this purpose…He knows what lays ahead for Him. John 12:27-36. (He said this 6 days before Passover.) The night after the last supper…He spoke these words: John 17:1 “These words spoke Jesus and lifted up His eyes to Heaven and said, Father, the hour has come; glorify Thy Son, that Thy Son may glorify Thee.” John 17:1-26. He prayed for His followers and that included you and me. Vs. 20.

When you realize Jesus prayed for you on this night what are your thoughts?

What are your thoughts about this portion of scripture?

They enter the garden…it is full of ancient Olive Trees.  Here the olives were crushed to make olive oil…it is called Gethsemane. “OLIVE PRESS.” Great pressure was put on the olives to crush them…and out of them came the olive oil.

 Perhaps the moon was shining, casting shadows. But it was a “dark” night for our Savior. It was a time of aloneness. It was time to face what He had been born for. He had been manifest for this time…the end was near.

 1 John 3:5-8 (He was manifested to take away our sin and to destroy the works of the devil.)  Manifest in Greek is “phaneroo”. “To render apparent. Literally or figuratively: “Appear.” Show self. To make manifest or visible or known what has been hidden or unknown, to manifest, whether by words, or deeds, or in any other way. (The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us. John 1.) Make actual and visible, realized. To become known. To be plainly recognized, thoroughly understood. Who and what One is.”

Jesus is under untold pressure.  Matt.26:36-44. Jesus takes three of his disciples with Him. Peter, James and John. He asks them to watch with Him for one hour. (I believe He knew how long He had.) He is so sorrowful…even unto death. Luke 22:39-46. He is sweating blood.

What is Jesus praying?  What are your thoughts and feelings?

When I see that God the Father sent an angel to strengthen 

Him…it reminds me that this was the “Hour” and all the 

universe is sorrowing for the suffering of the Son of God. I am 

sure all the angels are standing at attention, in ranks, ready 

for His call. Matt. 26:53-54. He knew He could pray to His 

Father and He would “presently” (at that moment) give Jesus 

12 legions of angels. (Jesus is the Lord of Hosts. He is The Commander of Heavens armies.)

         

   Why didn’t He do it?  What did He want more than having the cup removed? 

            Anguish in Greek “agonia” “A struggle for victory. A gymnastic exercise, wrestling. Of severe mental struggles and emotions, agony, anguish.”  Greek for blood is “haima” “the juice of grapes or especially the atoning blood of Christ.”

           

 Your thoughts?

           

 Hebrews12:1-4. Vs. 4 you have not resisted unto blood striving against sin.  In the garden, the struggle, the resisting took place. It was so strong that Jesus resisted unto the shedding of His blood.   He knew the cup He would be taking would mean, that He, the perfect, sinless Son of Man, would take on the sin of the world. We do not even have a concept what this battle and struggle was like. Only Jesus and God the Father and God the Holy Spirit know what God the Son endured. 

 

There are three “gardens.” The first garden was Eden…where man sinned. Now we are in the Garden with Jesus…Gethsemane the olive press. Thank God for another garden…a garden where there will be a Resurrection.

            Matt. 26:43-56. Luke 22:45-54. Jesus healed a man before they took Him. 

            John 18:1-12. Vs. 5…the original Greek is “I AM!” Look what happened when He said Who He Is. The Great I Am. Ex. 3:13-14 “I AM THAT I AM!” What power, “dunamis”, Jesus had. He is the Great I Am. He could have used His power. But He allowed Himself to be taken by mankind.  To me this is incredible that the Great I AM would allow Himself to be taken. He had yielded to His Father’s will and had taken the cup. The victory was won in the garden.

 

(Notice John 18:12 These men who took Him were not Romans…they were the band, the captain and officers of the Jews.)