Garden of Sorrow
Thursday, April 1st, commemorated the Last Supper. Jesus finished dinner with his companions of the last three years and went out to garden of Gethsemane. We know He was distressed. Sorrowful and troubled. The Messiah, the Face of God, in anguish.
He went out to pray, knowing what was to come. He took only three with Him; Peter, James and John. These three were the ones He wanted with him at that dark hour. I wonder if he noticed the breeze...if He could feel darkness in the air. Evil lurking, moving in human souls to destroy His life.
Jesus said to his friends, “Sit here while I go over there and pray”. Were they clueless as to what was happening? “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and watch with me.”
“Going a little farther, He fell with his face to the ground and prayed, ‘My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me.’” He knew death awaited him. Not just death, but abandonment. Torture. Accusation. Torment. What human can endure that? But he loved his Father. “Yet not as I will, but as you will.’” Oh, God, can I surrender my will to you, even unto death? Unto full surrender in my life? Will I do it without offense? Will I accept disappointment of men; accusation, rejection, disrespect, heartache, even physical pain?
“Then He returned to His disciples and found them sleeping. ‘Could you men not keep watch with me one hour?” he asked Peter. ‘Watch and pray that you will not fall into temptation. The Spirit is willing, but the body is weak.’”
Oswald Chambers says Satan tormented Jesus in the Garden that night. That after the 40 days of temptation in the wilderness, "the devil...departed from Him until an opportune time."(Luke 4:13) Satan's final assault was against Jesus as the Son of Man. Chambers says this experience reveals all that it cost Jesus to make it possible for us to become the sons of God. He triumphed. Because of what the Son of Man went through, every human being has access into the very presence of God.
Again, Jesus prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.” Perfect surrender. May Your will be done in my life, Lord. I will do whatever you ask. Your requests seem insignificant next to the suffering you endured.
Again, he found the disciples sleeping. Again he prayed God’s will be done. He said to the men “Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour is near, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us go! Here comes my betrayer."
That quickly, He was arrested, tried, and hours later tortured and killed. Oh, Lord! Help me be the one that will pray! Help me be the one that will carry your burden with you. Help me pray that I might not fall into temptation, to be led astray by the Evil one. Give me the strength, the stamina to stay “awake”, the love for you that compels me to obedience and sacrifice.
I weep today. I weep because you, Jesus, are so beautiful. Because I wish I could have known you when you walked the earth. That I could have seen with my very eyes your face, heard your voice, have heard your laughter, seen your compassion. I want to see the ones you healed. The hearts set free. I want to hear your conversations with loved ones and strangers. The anger you had toward evil and the Evil One. The compassion you had on the sick and simple. The humility you had to enter a human body. A body with limitations; aches, pain, emotions.
Yeshua, the Messiah. God incarnate. I would have wanted to make your suffering less painful. But I would probably have been like the unknowing disciples, asleep when you needed companionship the most. You were sinless, perfect. You loved the lowest of the low. You love me. You know my thoughts, my fears, my hopes, my sin, my future. You endured this for me.
What can I offer? My small, simple soul. My obedience, my heart, my small sacrifices. The suffering of singleness is bearable. Living a life that is dependent on others and foolish to the world? Denying myself joys and pleasure of the world. None of this compares to knowing You. When persecution comes, may your beautiful name be on my lips, your gaze on my face.
Yet not as I will, but as you will.
He went out to pray, knowing what was to come. He took only three with Him; Peter, James and John. These three were the ones He wanted with him at that dark hour. I wonder if he noticed the breeze...if He could feel darkness in the air. Evil lurking, moving in human souls to destroy His life.
Jesus said to his friends, “Sit here while I go over there and pray”. Were they clueless as to what was happening? “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and watch with me.”
“Going a little farther, He fell with his face to the ground and prayed, ‘My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me.’” He knew death awaited him. Not just death, but abandonment. Torture. Accusation. Torment. What human can endure that? But he loved his Father. “Yet not as I will, but as you will.’” Oh, God, can I surrender my will to you, even unto death? Unto full surrender in my life? Will I do it without offense? Will I accept disappointment of men; accusation, rejection, disrespect, heartache, even physical pain?
“Then He returned to His disciples and found them sleeping. ‘Could you men not keep watch with me one hour?” he asked Peter. ‘Watch and pray that you will not fall into temptation. The Spirit is willing, but the body is weak.’”
Oswald Chambers says Satan tormented Jesus in the Garden that night. That after the 40 days of temptation in the wilderness, "the devil...departed from Him until an opportune time."(Luke 4:13) Satan's final assault was against Jesus as the Son of Man. Chambers says this experience reveals all that it cost Jesus to make it possible for us to become the sons of God. He triumphed. Because of what the Son of Man went through, every human being has access into the very presence of God.
Again, Jesus prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.” Perfect surrender. May Your will be done in my life, Lord. I will do whatever you ask. Your requests seem insignificant next to the suffering you endured.
Again, he found the disciples sleeping. Again he prayed God’s will be done. He said to the men “Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour is near, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us go! Here comes my betrayer."
That quickly, He was arrested, tried, and hours later tortured and killed. Oh, Lord! Help me be the one that will pray! Help me be the one that will carry your burden with you. Help me pray that I might not fall into temptation, to be led astray by the Evil one. Give me the strength, the stamina to stay “awake”, the love for you that compels me to obedience and sacrifice.
I weep today. I weep because you, Jesus, are so beautiful. Because I wish I could have known you when you walked the earth. That I could have seen with my very eyes your face, heard your voice, have heard your laughter, seen your compassion. I want to see the ones you healed. The hearts set free. I want to hear your conversations with loved ones and strangers. The anger you had toward evil and the Evil One. The compassion you had on the sick and simple. The humility you had to enter a human body. A body with limitations; aches, pain, emotions.
Yeshua, the Messiah. God incarnate. I would have wanted to make your suffering less painful. But I would probably have been like the unknowing disciples, asleep when you needed companionship the most. You were sinless, perfect. You loved the lowest of the low. You love me. You know my thoughts, my fears, my hopes, my sin, my future. You endured this for me.
What can I offer? My small, simple soul. My obedience, my heart, my small sacrifices. The suffering of singleness is bearable. Living a life that is dependent on others and foolish to the world? Denying myself joys and pleasure of the world. None of this compares to knowing You. When persecution comes, may your beautiful name be on my lips, your gaze on my face.
Yet not as I will, but as you will.
posted by Bethany at 6:00 AM
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