Unimaginable Suffering in Gethsemane (Intro)

      What was the closest Jesus came to death prior to the cross? In the wilderness temptation, Jesus nearly starved to death (See Matthew 4:2). At the beginning of His public ministry, Jesus was nearly killed in His hometown of Nazareth (see Luke 4:29). Before retreating to Perea, Jesus was almost stoned to death in Jerusalem (John 8:59 and 10:39). His closest encounter with death, however, was not in the hands of people, but in the midst of prayer. Therefore, to understand the mission of Christ and salvation, we must examine the last visit of Christ to the garden of Gethsemane.

      In preparation for Easter, I am going to spend some personal study immersed in the details of Gethsemane- particularly one concept. In Matthew 26:37-38, it is recorded that Jesus “…began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, “‘My soul is very sorrowful, even to death…'” I find this short passage intriguing and critical to our understanding of the Gospel.

      The last couple of weeks, my church family has sang together the following lyrics: “Man of Sorrows, Lamb of God; By His own betrayed, the sin of man and wrath of God has been on Jesus laid. Silent as He stood accused, beaten, mocked, and scorned; Bowing to the Father’s will, He took a crown of thorns.” (Hillsong Live, “Glorious Ruins”) This songs has rekindled a desire to meditate on the fact that Jesus suffered, really suffered, to the edge of dying from extreme grief and anguish. And He did this for me (and you).

      In the first part of this series, I am going ponder the “Weight of the Cross.” Then, I want to look at “The Weight of the Cup.” Finally, I want to attempt to imagine the choice that Jesus faced. Jesus knew the plan of God the Father. He was not surprised by the pain. But the knowledge made the decision no less difficult. “Not as I will, but as you will” takes on a new level of meaning when we look at Jesus’ decision in from the perspective of Gethsemane.