Saturday, November 16, 2013

Gethsemane was a garden in the Mount of Olives. Jesus had been going there with the disciples when they left Jerusalem, at least for several nights. It was quite possibly inside a gated garden spot. John records that Jesus "went out" from the garden spot to address the soldiers who had come to arrest Him.
John 18:4
Then Jesus, knowing all things that were coming upon Him, went out and said to them, Whom do you seek?

In the garden, Jesus asks his disciples to wait with Him. Their normal routine was probably to go to sleep. This is what they had been doing.

“…and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled…”
"Deeply distressed" means "struck with terror". "Troubled" means "to be ill at ease, uncomfortable on the inside". Jesus began falling to the ground and praying continually. This is a verb tense that means he repeatedly did this.

Luke says sweat came as great drops of blood. Doctors have said it is possible to be in such agony that a person can sweat drops of blood. That beautiful painting of Jesus praying in the garden…was it really serene? Jesus was in agony, so much that an angel was sent from heaven to strengthen him. Luke says Jesus knelt down, Matthew and Mark say he fell down on the ground. Luke records, “Father”. Mark records, “Abba, Father.” Abba is the Hebrew word, a more familial term, much like “Daddy”.

We made the observation before that Jesus spoke repeatedly about the Father, more so the closer He came to the time of the crucifixion. At this point He no longer called Him “Father”, but “Abba”, the more familiar term. Jesus was calling God, the Father, "Daddy".

When they came to arrest Jesus, he clearly demonstrated who was in control. He went willingly.

When Peter used his sword to strike the soldier he was using it as an offensive weapon (not the way Jesus wanted him to) and chances are he wasn’t going for the ear.

The young man in the linen garment...just who was he? Ponder this...suppose that this young man lived in the house where Jesus and the disciples ate their last meal together, the upper room. Suppose that he was curious and after dressing for bed (often people, especially wealthy ones, slept in a linen garment) decided to listen in on what Jesus and the disciples were doing. Looking at the accounts in the Chronological Bible for Nov. 14 reading, immediately following the display of the swords, they all left. Suppose this young man was still curious and decided to follow them, not taking the time to go and dress in anything other than the linen garment. Still being curious, he continued to follow them on to the garden and got caught up in the arrest of Jesus. Many think this young man could have been Mark, whose mother was wealthy and who had provided  necessary supplies for Jesus and the disciples. The upper room could have been in her house. Anyway, just some points to ponder....

Peter disowns three times being one of Jesus’ disciples. The other times he answers the questions of being with Jesus. There is a difference between being “with” Jesus and being one of Jesus’ own. It’s being with Him vs. knowing Him.

When Peter denies Jesus for the third time “The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter.
The look in Jesus’ eyes was a confirmation of what He had told Peter earlier. Can we even begin to imagine how Peter must have felt? Peter was grieved and wept. In Scripture there are at least two meanings for the word wept. This one is the most sorrowful. It means to "wail aloud bitterly". But the good news is…keep reading for the answer!

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