This morning we are on a journey. A journey to the Garden of Gethsemane. Do you want to go with me? I am not sure if I want to go here but together I think that we might learn a few things for the next time that we are in the Garden or how to do deal with being in the Garden right now or maybe you have just left and you need to find comfort about what you've learned there.
What comes to mind when you here the words The Garden of Gethsemane?
Physical Pain
Sorrow
Grief
Guilt
Hurt
Loneliness
Desperation
Afraid/Fear
How many of you would say that you've walked, slept, sat, and cried in this Garden? What took me to the Garden was the death of my husband.
I have learned that Trials and Tribulations come in all shapes and sizes and intensity much like shoe sizes and you could visit this Garden multiple times in your life. Here are some of the things that could take you to the Garden:
Money problems
Marriage problems
Children rebelling
Lose a job
Family strife
Infertility
Miscarriage
Aging Parents
Sickness – personal
Sickness – spouse, friend, family member
Death
Etc…..
Let's look at Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. We are going to look at two pieces of scripture so turn your Bibles to Mark 14:32-42. They, meaning Jesus and 11 disciples, went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, "Sit here while I pray." He took Peter, James, and John along with him, and he began to be deeply
distressed and troubled. "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death," he said to them. "Stay here and keep watch. Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. "Abba, Father, everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not my will, but what you will."
Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. "Simon," he said to Peter, "are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour? Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak."
Once more he went away and prayed the same thing. When he came back, he again found them sleeping because their eyes were heavy. They did not know what to say to him.
Returning the third time, he said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough!! The hour has come. Look, the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!"
Now let's look at John 18:1 when he had finished praying, Jesus left with his disciples and crossed the Kidron Valley. On the other side there was an olive grove, and he and his disciples went into it.
Now for some background- The Kidron Valley contains the Kidron Brook which means dusky, gloomy, referring to the dark waters that were often stained with blood from the temple sacrifices. The Kidron Valley was located to the east of Jerusalem, between the city wall and the Mount of Olives; and the Garden of Gethsemane was just the other side of the Kidron Brook. Jesus went across the Kidron Brook which most of the time contained reference to sacrifice and Jesus was going to be our sacrifice. The Garden of Gethsemane means "oil press". Interesting isn't it? They brought their olives there to turn them into oil, one of the best and healthiest of oils, changing by intense pressure. So we go into the Garden and come out changed just like the Olives, squeezed to death, to come out better and more like Jesus.
So we are going to look into the Garden and see 3 things Jesus taught us about trials and tribulations.
- Intense pain
- Boldly in prayer
- Find comfort – acceptance
Jesus was feeling intense pain because he told his disciples that he was filled with sorrow to the point of death. We also know that no one could go with him there. The disciples couldn't even stay awake when they knew that Jesus was suffering. They didn't understand. Picture with me what is must have looked like for Jesus in this Garden: dark, lots of trees with branches coming out everywhere, could even be a little scary, or spooky the feeling of aloneness, being by yourself, and you're reaching out for God the Father to remove this sorrow from your soul. You can't breath for the pain that you feel. You are trying to understand but can't see past the moment, the pressure of what is going on right this minute, and the overwhelming darkness that is clouding your eyes. Could that be tears in my eyes? Is the sobbing to come next? Why Lord do I lose control like this when I'm trying to keep it all together? Why is this happening to me? Lord, you say that you love me and yet I can't believe that you would let this thing happen to me. Maybe these are just a few questions that you have had going through your mind. What is next? Where is the hope? When will the pain go away? How long will this last? I feel so alone. Nobody understands or wants to be near me right now. They can't even stay awake for 1 hour and pray for me under these circumstances. This is the intense pain that we sometimes feel when in the garden. Have you ever felt like this?
The main reason Jesus went into the Garden to pray was to be near to the Father during this painful time. And He taught us that we may boldly ask God with lamented persistence when we bring needs to him. That doesn't mean that we will always get what we want but it is OK to ask boldly. Jesus asked for another way to reach the goal without pain and suffering but He added not my will but thine be done. I also believe that Jesus had also started to feel the weight of sin being thrust upon him. And this was a new feeling for him the separation from God was starting and he didn't like the thought of being separated from the Father. Jesus had been prepared all along for this outcome but just because the knowledge of what is going to happen is revealed before the outcome doesn't mean that the outcome is any easier. Has the Lord ever prepared you in advance for something that was going to happen that may not have been a good thing? Or we felt that it wasn't a good thing. But we know that all things work for the good of those that love the Lord. If you look back then the Lord has prepared you to some degree. You have heard scriptures that deal with the heartache that comes in life. In Exodus 33:21-23 Then the LORD said to Moses "There is a place near me where you may stand on the rock. When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back: but my face must not be seen. The first time that I read this it was acknowledgement of preparation. God will set you on the rock cover you with his hand so that during the time in the Garden God is all that you see. You cling to him for your next breath, for the next moment in that day when you feel that you just are going to go under. And then after all is done God will remove his hand and you will see His back and know all that he has done for you. What does God want when we don't know how to make sense with what is going on in our life? He wants acceptance he wants us to keep on believing in Him and know that His way is the best way.
The next thing that Jesus taught us is finding comfort. We're told in Luke 22:43 an angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. It doesn't say what the angel did to strengthen Him but we know that it worked. Hebrews 12:2 tells us that Jesus, for the joy set before Him endured the cross." I believe that each of us will enter into our own Gethsemane, and every Gethsemane will have its angel. This is our encouragement as God's children that when we wrestle and pray about difficulty that God has already given us his Spirit to comfort us and be there with us at all times.
Knowing that God is there to comfort and help you find joy, in maybe just the littlest of things, help us to move forward in the pain. So how do we find comfort in our pain? In Jeremiah 29:11 states: "For I know the plans that I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future. I had to keep repeating and repeating and comfort finally came with it. Another verse is Deuteronomy 31:6 "I will never leave you or forsake you." Also, Psalm 46:6 "Be still and know that I am God." There is comfort in that. 23rd Psalms states that He restores my soul. He guides my in the path of Righteousness for his name sake. Psalm 25 b says that You are my God my Savior and my hope is in you all day long. Psalm 40:31 But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary they will walk and not be faint. And another Psalm 41:13 For I am the LORD, your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you. That the God of Heaven has put you in this place to squeeze you to death to make you more like Christ and to help Him with His plan for the universe. How comforting is that to know that you have a place to further His plan for the universe? Going into the garden might not feel like the plan that you would have chosen but God has prepared you to make it through, He will be there to comfort you while you are there, and our acceptance is our praise to God for who He is. Our goal from the Garden since it is in a valley where the sun takes so much longer in the day to reach us, is to climb the mountain out of the valley and to the top and see the sun rise early in the morning.
So Jesus went to the cross with Joy such as it was. He knew that there was no other way. He also knew that the pain would be for just a little while and then He would be with the Father forever.
Back in the spring I came across this devotion:
Psalm 69 gives us hope when hope fades with this prayer from David
Save me, O God, for the flood waters are up to my neck.
Deeper and deeper I sink into the mire; my throat is parched and dry.
My eyes swollen with weeping, waiting for my God to help me….
But I keep right on praying to you Lord, hoping this is the time you will show me favor.
David's prayer is a simple "Save me I'm sinking." It's the cry of a desperate man who can't even think of helping himself. But at least David knew whom he needed to ask for help. Although he was exhausted from crying out to the Lord in prayer, he kept on shouting to his God, the only one who could save him. Remember when the waves of life are drowning you cry out to God for help. Dear Lord, I am exhausted from crying out for help, but I will keep on praying to you.
What I found in this Garden:
God comforted me
God provided for me
God loved me
I could draw comfort and place blame
God held me in the palm of His Hands – carried me
God said "I will never leave you nor forsake you"
God became my husband
God met my needs
God allowed me to vent and then reassured me
God helped my answer Hannah's questions
God came every morning with his diet coke to converse with me
God gave me Jer 29:11
God healed me
The Garden: what I experienced.
Of course I didn't want to be there.
It's painful
It's heartbreaking
I was filled with sorrow and grief
I felt "half"
I didn't know who I was anymore
I didn't feel that I fit anywhere
I felt alone
It's very dark – no sunshine the mountain that I had to climb was tall and kept the sun from me
Nobody could go with me
I felt squeezed to death
I couldn't breath on my own
I felt physical pain
I felt guilty
I had to make a conscience effort to go back into life every day
I had to be strong for my daughter
