In the Garden with the Lord

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Psalm 119:33–40 ESV

33 Teach me, O Lord, the way of your statutes; and I will keep it to the end. 34 Give me understanding, that I may keep your law and observe it with my whole heart. 35 Lead me in the path of your commandments, for I delight in it. 36 Incline my heart to your testimonies, and not to selfish gain! 37 Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things; and give me life in your ways. 38 Confirm to your servant your promise, that you may be feared. 39 Turn away the reproach that I dread, for your rules are good. 40 Behold, I long for your precepts; in your righteousness give me life!

Introduction

Have you ever heard the story behind the Hymn it is well with my soul?

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come Let this blest assurance control That Christ has regarded my helpless estate And hath shed His own blood for my soul

It is well (it is well) With my soul (with my soul) It is well, it is well with my soul

You may know the story

Horatio Spafford knew something about life’s unexpected challenges. He was a successful attorney and real estate investor who lost a fortune in the great Chicago fire of 1871. Around the same time, his beloved four-year-old son died of scarlet fever.

Thinking a vacation would do his family some good, he sent his wife and four daughters on a ship to England, planning to join them after he finished some pressing business at home. However, while crossing the Atlantic Ocean, the ship was involved in a terrible collision and sunk. More than 200 people lost their lives, including all four of Horatio Spafford’s precious daughters. His wife, Anna, survived the tragedy. Upon arriving in England, she sent a telegram to her husband that began: “Saved alone. What shall I do?”

Horatio immediately set sail for England. At one point during his voyage, the captain of the ship, aware of the tragedy that had struck the Spafford family, summoned Horatio to tell him that they were now passing over the spot where the shipwreck had occurred.1

As Horatio thought about his daughters, words of comfort and hope filled his heart and mind. 

Jesus Though entering into the hardest trail of his life in like way. He was going to lose it all, but he did so for your an my sake.

Text

Mark 14:32–42 NKJV

32 Then they came to a place which was named Gethsemane; and He said to His disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” 33 And He took Peter, James, and John with Him, and He began to be troubled and deeply distressed. 34 Then He said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch.” 35 He went a little farther, and fell on the ground, and prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him. 36 And He said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will.” 37 Then He came and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “Simon, are you sleeping? Could you not watch one hour? 38 Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 39 Again He went away and prayed, and spoke the same words. 40 And when He returned, He found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy; and they did not know what to answer Him. 41 Then He came the third time and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? It is enough! The hour has come; behold, the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. 42 Rise, let us be going. See, My betrayer is at hand.”

Background

Tyndale Bible Dictionary Gethsemane

The name Gethsemane, used only in the Gospels of Matthew (26:36) and Mark (14:32), means “oil press,” suggesting the presence of an olive grove. The use of the Greek word “place” in the Gospel accounts indicates that Gethsemane was an enclosed piece of ground. It may be that the grove was privately owned and that Jesus and his disciples had special permission to enter.

Jesus would often withdraw to this place to pray.

It is called the mount of olives in Luke 22, it is the place that Jesus and the discples would often go to pray according to John 18:1

John 18:1 ESV

1 When Jesus had spoken these words, he went out with his disciples across the brook Kidron, where there was a garden, which he and his disciples entered.

Why pray here?

This garden had a feeling to it. Have you ever been in place that had a feeling about it?

We live near the beach and you can feel when you’re their a sense of relaxation, you go to a downtown area and you can feel an urgency, a court house a sense of authority, a farm a sense of home.

a place known for pressing olives also has a sense. Just as our Lord was to be crushed for our inequities. He would go to a place of turning olives into olive oil.

I don’t want to press this so far, but for Jesus this must have been a somber and solemn place.

Remember Jesus had said many times in his ministry he would die for the sins of the many, and he would then knowing the scripture go to this place that was named after the olive press.

Oil was a constant use throughout the OT. Christ is the Greek for Messiah which means anointed one.

Oil was used to anoint

Eerdmans Bible Dictionary OIL, OINTMENT

Oil was used to anoint priests (

These are the three offices of Jesus, he alone sits in all three!

Jesus would use the image of oil from the Olive press to describe his ministry

Luke 4:18–19 ESV

18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

HE was quoting Isa. 61:1

Isaiah 61:1 ESV

1 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;

So when choosing this location as a place of prayer He was drawing away from the world but also sourruding himself with imagery of what he was to do and who he Is.

Application: The end result of Gethseamne is the oil of gladness

Psalm 45:7 ESV

7 you have loved righteousness and hated wickedness. Therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions;

Our Lord was glad beyond his companions. He willinglying came to die on our behalf.

Psalm 149:4 ESV

4 For the Lord takes pleasure in his people; he adorns the humble with salvation.

God is glad with you, even though the man Christ is to be crusfied he has pleasure in you.

So don’t measure your pleasures on what man has said but based on God’s pleasure in you.

Repeated prayer of the Lord

Spurgeon said this:

The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit Sermons, Vol. LVI Christ in Gethsemane (No. 3,190)

But while our Lord’s prayer in Gethsemane was thus earnest, and intense, and repeated, it was at the same time balanced with a ready acquiescence in his Father’s will: “Nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.” So

Jesus went and prayed three times before the crucifixion

Verse 36, 39, and 41. Mark cuts out the prayers after the first time, but you can see that in Jesus was diligent in trial.

Our Lord prayed diligently about the task he was about to do. we like him share the same emoitons. He was in his humanity Mark14:33

Mark 14:33 ESV

33 greatly distressed and troubled.

Application:

Using Spurgeon’s metric here.

If you have ever flet this way, or need to know how to pray in your life

Earnest -

this is to mean sincerely, Jesus shared directly about what he was feeling and thinking to his heavenly father. When you are in hardship do likewise. Jesus modeled this in his life, you can see as such in the Lord’s prayer.

Do not fear to pray sincerely and clearly to your father in heaven.

Matthew 6:9–13 NKJV

9 In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. 10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. 13 And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

If you follow it down this is a simple clear prayer. this is all you need, sure you can go big, be very poetic, but the heart of our Lord’s prayer is always seek in been sincere, lest you be revealed a hypocrite.

Intense

Imagine the feelings of Jesus, he addressed the issue of the Crucifixion head on. Take the Luke account for a moment

Luke 22:44 ESV

44 And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.

Jesus knew he was going to experience God’s wrath for sin, he knew that his blood would be shed, but in his humanity he prayed for the cup to be taken but not his will be done, but his fathers.

His prayer was so intense that he developed hematidrosis. The small blood vessels around his sweat glands burst and infused his sweat with blood.

He was being tempted greatly, the agony of knowledge of what is to come made his prayer so intense!

Pray like your Lord. If you don’t know what to say know that the Father understands your groaning

Romans 8:26 NKJV

26 Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

Sometimes stop and pray, sometime you need to pray when putting new grips into the steering wheel, before you take or make the call. Don’t fear, pray.

Repeated

We are not talkiong about Route, I often pray pretty simaler blwessings over my children.

But it is good to pray like the Lord, repatedly

authority

You must submit all your prayers to the fathers will. Not my will but thine, the life of a Christian is one of us bring ourselves in line with the Father. I want to see instant sucess, but I need to keep my will under his. The God man Jesus submitted to the father, so must we.

When you’re unsure on an issue of prayer, seek his will. In my family we prayed for healing of my mother n’law, but we always would say, but not our will but yours.

Being in God’s will is the best place.

Verse 35

Without this verse wouldn’t have John 19:30

John 19:30 ESV

30 When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

Do you see in hear the Character of Jesus? I was a man of great courage.

We havea hymn about this that we sing on occasion

The Courage of our Lord

Jesus went to this garden to pray and as John 18:2-3

John 18:2–3 ESV

2 Now Judas, who betrayed him, also knew the place, for Jesus often met there with his disciples. 3 So Judas, having procured a band of soldiers and some officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, went there with lanterns and torches and weapons.

He went in know that Judas would betray him.

He will one day slay the dragon face to face

Revelation 19:19–21 ESV

19 And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against him who was sitting on the horse and against his army. 20 And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had done the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. 21 And the rest were slain by the sword that came from the mouth of him who was sitting on the horse, and all the birds were gorged with their flesh.

This is our Lord, a fighter, a warrior. Does he experince fear? Sure he does, true courage is not fool hardy, but sometimes you need to walk into the fire.

Application:

Practical courage

The Bible teaches

Joshua 1:6–9 ESV

6 Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them. 7 Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. 8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

or the Story of the young boy David

1 Samuel 17:45–47 ESV

45 Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and cut off your head. And I will give the dead bodies of the host of the Philistines this day to the birds of the air and to the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, 47 and that all this assembly may know that the Lord saves not with sword and spear. For the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give you into our hand.”

Those are warriors, but you also have Daniel 6:10

Daniel 6:10 ESV

10 When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously.

It is worth pointing out that bravery comes in many forms. Take courage, you will be tested

What God does when you need courage

In the parallel passage to this account in Luke it is added LK. 22:43

Luke 22:43 ESV

43 And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him.

You will be strengthened by God in your trials.

Maybe you will entertain Angels unaware

Philippians 4:7 ESV

7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

When trail comes do not fear your father in heaven will care for you.

GIVE THE GOSPEL

Benediction

Say: As we close our service of worship dear brother and sister please stand for our benediction and receive by faith this blessing from God

Numbers 6:24–26 ESV

24 The Lord bless you and keep you; 25 the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; 26 the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.