Reading 2 Matthew 26:36-46, Philippians 2:6-8
| Matthew 26:36-46, Philippians 2:6-8 The Garden of Gethsemane Commentary
|
Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethesemane, and he said to the, "Sit here while I go over there and pray." He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me."
| Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will." Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. "Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?" he asked Peter. "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak." He went away a second time and prayed, "My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may you will be done." When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing. Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour is near, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us go! Here comes my betrayer!" Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient to death - even death on a cross!
|
Jesus' agonizing prayer in the garden reveals his total surrender to the will of his Father. Over and over again during his ministry Jesus had identified himself with the Father's will: "My food is to do the will of the Father." (John 4:34) "My aim is to do not my own will but the will of him who sent me." (John 5:30) This was not the attitude of a weak man, who spinelessly conforms to the expectations of someone more powerful than he. Jesus' obedience was indicative of tremendous strength of will, as he was moved by the two great passions of his life - love for the Father and love for us.
| It is the fruit of Jesus' obedience in the garden of Gethsemane that reversed the consequences of the disobedience of Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden. Adam and Eve freely chose to doubt God's word to them and to doubt his good intentions for them. Jesus freely chose to trust and obey God, even when God's plan involved great suffering. As Paul reminds us, it was at the bidding of the Father that the Son left his glory in heaven to take on a human existence in flesh and blood and, ultimately, to die for our redemption. Jesus freely assented to the Father's plan of salvation: "The Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. No one takes it from me; I lay it down of my own free will." (John 10:17) Paul highlights this willing and sacrificial obedience of Jesus: "He humbled himself, obediently accepting even death, death on a cross!"
|
|---|
This space hosted by Tripod, who placed the advertisements below.