Watching In Gethsemane

Intro: Easter is the time we focus intently on the death and resurrection of Christ. So it is a good time to remember the sufferings of Christ.

As a pastor you enter into the sufferings of others. You bury babies, you bury those who have been struggling with disease, mother, fathers, wives and husbands. You hear the people stories of abuse. You listen to people’s struggle with depression and loss of jobs. We live in a world filled with suffering. And it is the call of every believer to enter into suffering, both our own and also more importantly that of others.

English Standard Version Chapter 22

39 And he came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed him. 40 And when he came to the place, he said to them, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.” 41 And he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, 42 saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” 43 And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. 44 And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground. 45 And when he rose from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping for sorrow, 46 and he said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation.”

Following Jesus into Gethsemane

Nobody wants to follow Jesus into Gethsemane, yet, this is the call to every believer to greater and lesser extents. To share in the fellowship of Christ’s sufferings.

The Garden is familiar, but it becomes Gethsemane when we see the underbelly of suffering that is going on in a persons life. The garden is not unfamiliar to the disciples,

English Standard Version Chapter 21

And every day he was teaching in the temple, but at night he went out and lodged on the mount called Olivet.

What I mean is this, there are places you go everyday and there are people you see everyday, and yet underneath the exterior is one who is suffering, traumatized, carrying hurt or pain, grieving, sorrowful, and a host of other words that describe their suffering in the silence. You don’t know what’s going on underneath, until one day you get a glimpse of the wizard behind the curtain. And at that moment you can either follow Jesus into Gethsemane or turn and walk away.

Q: Will you be a person who follows Jesus into the garden of other peoples suffering?

Jesus calls us to this, Paul knew well the sufferings of Christ and wanted to share in the sufferings of Christ.

English Standard Version Chapter 3

10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,

Share in the sufferings of Christ in two ways:

Share in actually suffering for the sake of Christ

Share in incarnational suffering, by leaving heaven and entering into the sufferings of others.

We don’t take other peoples sufferings on ourselves, it is something we share in with Christ, we become his hands and feet.

English Standard Version Chapter 53

3 He was despised and rejected by men,

a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;

and as one from whom men hide their faces

he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

4 Surely he has borne our griefs

and carried our sorrows;

yet we esteemed him stricken,

smitten by God, and afflicted.

“Christ has endured all fears, powerlessness, helplessness, destruction, alienation, silence, loss, an hell. He understands trauma. He willingly entered into trauma for us. He endured humiliation, betrayal, abandonment, nakedness, aloneness, darkness, the silence of God, helplessness, shame, grief, and the loss of all things, including His life…so that we would know we have a God who understands.”

(p. 156-157 Suffering and the Heart of God by Diane Langberg)

We have taken the full picture of the cross and cropped it to the merely the forgiveness of sins, which is certainly true, and we are eternally thankful; yet to say that sin is all He bore is to rob so many of the riches found in the cross.

Trans: Maybe you are ready now to enter into the sufferings of others, maybe you are motivated to leave the cushy aspects of your life to share in the sufferings of Christ. And that is where every believer must begin, but it takes more than that to stay the course, ask the disciples.

Watch and Pray

Pray

In Luke's gospel we don’t see the word “watch” but I’ll get to it in a minute, I want to begin with prayer. Prayer is essential because it reminds us that we cannot enter into the sufferings of others willy-nilly. We need divine help, and that means being on our hands and knees before the God of glory.

There are two things we need to understand when we enter into the sufferings of others:

It is not something we take on apart from Christ. It is not merely about giving good advice or right answers.

“I fear we often think that helping people in crisis is simply about telling them good and true things so they will listen and get better. I am afraid it is rarely as simple as that…Change requires massive effort, and they are exhausted. Change is not something that usually occurs simply because someone told you the right answer.

(p. 109 Suffering and the Heart of God by Diane Langberg)

Only Jesus is big enough to carry the weight of any persons suffering.

These two things remind us of why keeping a line of communication between the Lord and ourselves is so important. Jesus not only deals the negative affects of living in a fallen world, He also becomes a source of redemptive good in our lives. He became wisdom from God for us.

Watch

In the other gospels another word is added alongside pray which is watch! What does it mean to watch?

It means staying awake and not giving up because of sorrow. One of the biggest obstacles to entering into the sufferings of others is we are affected by their suffering. Sorrow fills our hearts at the injustice, pain, hurt, abuse, trauma, agony, and turmoil in peoples lives.

English Standard Version Chapter 22

And when he rose from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping for sorrow

“Watching means coming into close quarters with the great enemy in the souls of God’s people. Watching means facing horrific and terrifying evil washing over the lives of others. Watching means a desperate struggle with the Prince of Darkness, and with everything his rage can stir up in the shape of obstacles, vexations, oppositions, and hatreds, whether by circumstances or the hands of men. Watching is a serious task. Watching means facing the deceitfulness of our own hearts, our lust for comfort, and the approval of men. We prefer to flee into…sleep. Will we sleep or watch?”

(P. 61 Suffering and the Heart of God by Diane Langberg)

Trans: As hard as it is to enter into the sufferings of others, despite the work involved, there is a hope and strength.

Jesus is in the Garden with You

I wanted to end by reading something God spoke to me in my prayer journal over the last few weeks.

“Little brother, I will watch with you, my prayer will go up before you. I will watch with you in the Garden of Gethsemane.”

Anytime you enter into the sufferings of others God is with you, He does sleep nor slumber, He intercedes, he understands, he knows!