In The Garden

“Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to His disciples, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee and began to be grieved and distressed. Then He said to them, “My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death; remain here and keep watch with Me.” (Matthew 26:36-37) 

 As darkness settled in, His heart grew sorrowful and troubled.  The weight of His mission was weighing heavy on His heart.  Only He knew the depths of what He was about to do.  His friends, more like brothers, although they had spent much time with Him and grew to love, respect, and adore Him, could not truly understand the full meaning of His task until it was completed.  His Father would give them true understanding when He finally returned home.

Still, as He needed to withdraw into a solitary place to converse with His Father He did not want to go alone.  Just knowing His friends were there waiting for Him, even if they were not right by His side, would be comforting.   He asked them to wait while He went deeper into the Garden to talk to His Father.

As He knelt by a tree in the woods the heaviness seemed to be almost more than He could stand.  The thought of His Father turning His back on Him even for a moment was more than He could bear.  He knew when His mission was complete, He would not see His friends for a long while, oh yes, His Spirit would be with them always but He would not be able to talk to them face to face until it was their time to come to His Father’s house.  This saddened Him as well.

He poured out His heart to His Father and sorrow overwhelmed Him.  He felt all alone; He knew He could not express His true emotions at this time to His friends.  Although they had learned a great deal and had grown a lot; He was proud of them, He knew they would not be able to comprehend the vastness of His mission.  As He started to pray, He began to sweat and was so overwhelmed it was as drops of blood.  He looked over at His friends and they were asleep.  They could not even stay awake, which proved they could not understand His mission until it was complete.  Although His friends were there, Jesus was all alone.  His sweat was as drops of blood as it was so heavy.   He prayed “Father, if You are willing, take this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.”  He prayed through, which means He prayed until “an angel from heaven appeared to Him and strengthened Him.” (Luke 22:43)

Even Jesus, who was made flesh, understands weakness, sorrow, and the overwhelming heartache of being alone.  Dear child of God when you feel as if no one understands you, remember Jesus alone in the Garden the night He was betrayed.  He felt alone that night long ago and He understands.  (Hebrews 2:14-18) “Since the children have flesh and blood, He too shared in their humanity so that by His death He might destroy him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. For surely it is not angels He helps, but Abraham's descendants. For this reason, He had to be made like His brothers in every way, in order that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that He might make atonement for ]the sins of the people. Because He Himself suffered when He was tempted, He is able to help those who are being tempted.”

As an angel from heaven strengthens Him, His Holy Spirit will strengthen you.  (Psalm 29:11) “The Lord gives strength to His people; the Lord blesses His people with peace.”

Go to the Lord in prayer and He will lead and guide you, give you wisdom and peace, and make all your crooked paths straight.

(Proverbs 3:5-6) “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; with all your heart acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.”

Jesus went through a lot of suffering so that we might be saved.  He was beaten beyond human recognition; He was hung on a cross and died at the very hands of those He came to save.  “Greater love has no one than this that he lay down his life for his friends.”  But all of our sins put Him there.  Have you received His free gift of salvation?  As long as you still have breath it is not too late; “today is the day of salvation.”  Why don’t you receive Him today?  It is free, what are you waiting for?

“That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.  For with your heart, you believe and are justified, and with your mouth, you confess and are saved.” (Romans 10:9-10)