AGONY IN THE GARDEN 'LUKE 22:42'

SCRIPTURE

LUKE 22:42 “Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”

IT’S A THURSDAY EVENING DURING THE JEWISH PASSOVER CELEBRATION.

ROUGHLY 3-4 HOURS BEFORE MIDNIGHT

& JESUS THE GREAT TEACHER TURNS THE UPPER ROOM INTO A CLASSROOM

HE ILLUSTRATES TO THE DISCIPLES THROUGH THE BREAD AND THE CUP , WHAT IT IS HE IS ABOUT TO SUFFER

BUT CAN I SUGGEST THAT THE SUFFERINGS THAT HE’S ABOUT TO ENDURE, ARE NOT WORTHY TO BE COMPARED TO THE GLORY THAT’S ABOUT TO BE REVEALED IN HIM

AND ILLUSTRATIVELY AS JESUS TAKES THE BREAD AND THE WINE IN HIS HANDS HE SHARES IN THE MOST INTIMATE FASION WITH HIS DISCIPLES

HE DECLARES TO THEM WHAT HEBREWS 10:8-9 SAYS ...THAT SACRIFICES AND BURNT OFFERINGS & SIN OFFERINGS GOD IS NO LONGER PLEASED WITH ....NOR BLOOD OF BULLS, RAMS AND GOATS

SO HE HAS PREPARED FOR ME A BODY (as an acceptable offering, and iv’e acquiesced to his will)

SO HE TELLS -THEM, THAT LIKE THIS BREAD .. MY BODY MUST BE BROKEN

AND LIKE THIS CUP MY BLOOD MUST BE POURED OUT

AND AFTER THE LESSON...HE LEADS THEM TO THE FOOT OF THE HILL OF THE MOUNT OF OLIVES ,.....TO AN OLIVE ORCHID..... CALLED.... GETHSEMANE

COMMONLY CALLED WINE PRESS BECAUSE IT IS THE PLACE WHERE OLIVES ARE CRUSHED

(AND Jesus is keenly aware of what awaits him) GOES INTO THE GARDEN AND AGONIZES AS HE STRUGGLES WITH WHAT HE’S ABOUT TO ENDURE

AND I WAS SOMEWHAT PERPLEXED TO MENTION STRUGGLE IN THE SAME CONTEXT WITH MY SAVIOR

I STRUGGLED WITH THIS BECAUSE MY BIBLE SAYS

THAT THE NAME OF THE LORD IS A STRONG TOWER

THE RIGHTEOUS RUN THERE TOO AND ARE SAFE

I COULDN’T IMAGINE HIM STRUGGLING

BECAUSE I GO TO HIM FOR STRENGTH

BUT THEN I UNDERSTOOD HEBREWS 4:15 MORE PRECISELY WE HAVE NOT A HIGH PRIEST WHO CAN’T BE TOUCHED WITH THE FEELINGS OF OUR INFIRMITIES BUT WAS TEMPTED ON ALL POINTS AS WE ARE YET WITOUT SIN

SO HE STRUGGLED , BUT LETS LEARN FROM IT

INDULGE ME IF YOU WILL AS I EXTRICATE THREE PRINCIPLES FROM FROM THIS DELEMA FOR OUR EDIFICATION

I WANT YOU TO NOTICE THE POSITION OF CHRIST IN THE GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE

YOU WILL HAVE TO VISIT (LUKE 4:1-13) IN YOUR LEISURE

IN LUKE 4:1-13

JESUS HAS TO DEAL WITH THE DEVIL.....

BUT IN CONTRAST....IN LUKE 22 .... IN THE GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE....

JESUS HAS TO DEAL WITH GOD .....

AND THATS A QUITE DIFFERENT POSITION

BECAUSE IN THE WILDERNESS in LUKE 4 HE’S ABLE TO TAKE AUTHORITY OVER THE SITUATION

BUT HERE IN GETHSEMANE HE HAS TO SUBMIT TO THE AUTHORITY OF HIS FATHER

and can i suggest to you.... that every now and then God will require something of you.... that quite frankly .....you struggle with

2. WHICH BRINGS ME TO MY SECOND POINT HE PRAYS ABOUT HIS STRUGGLE

HE SAY’S FATHER........ IF AT ALL POSSIBLE........ IS THERE....... ANOTHER WAY

WHAT WAS IT THAT JESUS WAS TRYING TO AVOID ???

IT WASN’T AS MUCH THE PHYSICAL SUFFERING

AS IT WAS THE SPIRITUAL SEPARATION

IN ORDER TO COMPLETE THIS ASSIGNMENT HE HAD TO ENDURE SEPARATION FROM GOD

BECAUSE HE TAKES ON THE SIN OF THE WORLD..... AND SIN SEPARATES

THAT’S WHY DAVID SAID IN PSALM 51:11 WHATEVER YOU DO.... DON’T TAKE YOUR SPIRIT FROM ME

AND THIS WAS AGONY FOR JESUS

FOR SOMEBODY LISTENING

CHEMO AND RADIATION IS AGONY FOR YOU

FOR SOMEBODY ELSE IT’S THE LOSS OF A LOVED ONE

YOU AGONIZE OVEN NOT BEING ABLE TO GET TO THE NAILERY DURING COVID

BUT FOR JESUS … HE AGONIZES OVER BEING SEPARATED...... FROM THE FATHER

BUT OVER ALL HE PRAYS ABOUT HIS STRUGGLE

3. AND IN CONCLUSION I DARE NOT LEAVE YOU WITHOUT PROPER WITNESS BECAUSE AFTER HE PRAYS... THERE WAS AN EXCHANGE OF POWER

YOU SEE JESUS WASN’T PRAYING TO GET OUT OF IT

CAN I SUGGEST ... HE WAS PRAYING TO STAY IN IT

HUMANISTICALLY SPEAKING HE KNEW HE COULDN’T DO IT IN HIS OWN STRENGTH

SO HE PUT ANOTHER DRAW ON THE HOLY GHOST POWER

SO THE PROPER INTERPRETATION OF..... NEVER THE LESS... NOT MY WILL IS....

FATHER EMPOWER ME TO DO THY WILL

AND SO JESUS HUMBLES HIMSELF

TO DO THE FATHERS WILL

AND HE CHANGES POSITIONS FROM A SON TO A SERVANT

AND IN HIS HUMANITY HE STRUGGLES WITH THE SEPARATION THAT COMES ALONG WITH THE TASK

BECAUSE IN ORDER FOR JESUS TO PEFORM THE FATHERS WILL

HE HAS TO SUFFER SEPARATION

AND SO HIS ONLY RECOURSE IS TO DO... WHAT HE’S ALWAYS DONE ....IN THESE SITUATIONS

AND THAT IS... PRAY TO THE FATHER FOR HELP

IT’S A FINE TIME TO TELL YOU THAT… PRAYER STILL WORKS

PRAYER IS STILL ABLE... TO HEAL THE SICK

PRAYER IS STILL ABLE... TO CHANGE HEARTS AND MINDS

CAUSE IN THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO SAINT JOHN , WHEN THE DISCIPLES WERE CONFRONTED WITH A FAMINE , AFTER JESUS PRAYED THAT FAMINE HAD BECOME A FEAST

AND HERE IN THE GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE.... WHEN JESUS STRUGGLED WITH TAKING ON THE PENALTY FOR SIN, AFTER HE PRAYED HE CAME OUT WITH POWER!!!!

AND YOU KNOW THE STORY...

THEY HUNG HIM HIGH AND STRETCHED HIM WIDE

HE HUNG HIS HEAD AND FOR ME HE DIED

BUT THAT’S NOT HOW THE STORY ENDS

THREE DAYS LATER...

THREE DAYS LATER...

THREE DAYS LATER...