Whenever we consider the death and resurrection of Jesus, we should not neglect to examine the Savior’s time in the Garden of Gethsemane. In the Garden, many things about Jesus and his mission are revealed in dramatic fashion. Equally, many lessons about those who are his followers come to light in the darkness of that night in the Garden.
In this issue, we have chosen a number of articles that shed light on various aspects of Jesus’ time in the Garden of Gethsemane prior to his going to the cross. In the Garden, we see the dual nature of Christ clearly revealed. We see Jesus in his full humanity, struggling with the weight of what lay ahead in the cross. We see him crying out to the Father, “Let this cup pass from me… yet not my will but thine be done.” We see his divinity in his prophecies about the falling away of his disciples, the betrayal of Judas, and his own resurrection. He also affirms his divinity in his ability to call twelve legions of angels to his aid at any time he desired!
The Garden also shows us the absolute necessity of the cross. Jesus says to the Father, “If there is any other way, let this cup pass from me.” If there had been any other way besides the cross, Jesus would have taken it. But the only way to provide for man’s salvation was through the cross. In the history of the church, many have shied away from the expiation of the cross and opted for other means of salvation. Jesus himself recognized that there was no other way. Unless Jesus sheds his perfect, sinless blood on behalf of sinful man, there is no hope of salvation.
The wrath of God is also seen in the Garden. When Jesus speaks about letting the “cup pass” from him, what is he referring to? There are many references in the Old Testament to the cup of God’s wrath being poured out on His enemies. The Bible describes everyone of us as enemies of God who fully deserve to drink the dregs of God’s wrath for our sins. This is not a theme that many like to hear or preach, but in the Garden, Jesus saw his encounter with the cross as drinking the “cup” on our behalf.
Obviously, the Garden of Gethsemane is full of the love and grace of our Savior. His love is seen in his willingness to drink that cup for us. His love is also revealed in his tender care for his continually failing and faltering disciples.
But the Garden of Gethsemane not only reveals much about our Savior, it also shows us much about ourselves. The experience of the disciples in the Garden reveals the weakness of all men, including the redeemed. Jesus had warned the disciples that “all would stumble this very night because of me.” Not just Peter, but all. Further, we see the sluggishness of the disciple to join the Lord in that hour of prayer before the betrayal. The question of Jesus to his disciples remains a question for his followers today: “Could you not watch with me one hour?”
Many lessons for living the Christian life can also be gathered from Gethsemane. In the example of Jesus, we see the absolute necessity of prayer to sustain us in times of difficulty. In the example of Jesus, we have set before us the goal of submitting our will to the Father just as he did. In the example of Jesus, we learn much about the right way for a believer to handle persecutions and difficulties in life. Peter, who observed Jesus’ behavior in the Garden that night, points us to Jesus as our example in suffering in the second chapter of his first epistle.
We pray that this issue of Teaching Resources will provide some articles and sermons that will allow you to grasp something of the mystery and meaning of Jesus’ time in the garden of Gethsemane. We certainly could have included many more articles (indeed, some additional articles on this theme can be found on our website). In the articles by Ryle and MacLaren, we are introduced to the importance of understanding what Jesus went through in the Garden. Calvin’s sermon provides a number of insights to prayer for believers. William Bridge shows us the reality of temptation and its cure in his article, “Temptation’s Danger and Remedy.” Our final article by Charles Spurgeon, “Christian Resignation,” provides encouragements for believers to rest in the sovereign, perfect will of God.
May these articles open our eyes to see what a wonderful Savior we have and may they challenge us to live lives that will give him honor and glory in all we do!
By His Grace, Jim & Debbie
Check out our Website (www.teachingresources.org). In addition to the printed resources of this issue, we have included a few more articles on Gethsemane in our on-line version. Also, you might consider signing up for our monthly Reforming Reflections (available by email).