Good morning. I am facing some extra pain this morning as I write. It is that old virus that was introduced some years ago in a bone transplant surgery. I thought it was gone, but apparently not. I am not a fan of pain, but it serves its purpose. It is the pain that is forcing me to go the doctor for treatment, and without the motivating pain I would probably try to ignore the problem. Thank you Lord for the pain that guides a stubborn man to places he would prefer not to go.
We are well familiar with the events in the garden of Gethsemane that end in Jesus’ arrest. But we should remember that Jesus was already bloody before anyone laid a hand on Him. He has already been fighting a battle that would determine the final outcome on Calvary. Without Gethsemane there is no Calvary. The blood and water that finally flowed down His side from His wounds on the cross were preceded by blood mixed with sweat and tears as Jesus prayed to the Father. The medical name for what happened is Hematohidrosis. The tiniest of blood vessels in the forehead can rupture in times of great stress, and the blood that is released flows through the pores, mixing with sweat and tears. This stressful moment was a time of death before the cross. Not the death of His body, the death of His will. It is that willing death that should see us gasping in wonder and then shouting in praise.
Gethsemane literally means “the place of crushing.” It was so named because this is where olives were crushed to yield their oil. That name took on a deeper meaning when Jesus knelt before the Father that night in the garden to lift His prayer. In the garden, Jesus was a man of heroic courage. In the garden, Jesus was a child of incredible need. In the garden, we read of Jesus the Son praying to the Father: he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me.” And in the garden, Jesus the courageous man continued that prayer saying: “Yet not as I will, but as you will.”
Did the man who was Jesus want to see the cross? Of course not. This was not a death that was shrouded in mystery. It was a death that had been completely revealed to Him. It was a death that was not only the torturous murder of the flesh, it was a death of the living union between Father and Son.
In the Garden, we find the battle that came before the war. This battle is waged in torment. It is the battle of the Son who knows that His perfect obedience, which has maintained His perfect relationship and oneness with His Father, will require Him to yield His will to the will of the Father and allow the pain of brokenness to overtake Him. This battle is to accept the will of God which includes a time of pain, grief, sorrow, stress, and separation.
I have preached many sermons that include the command from Philippians 4:6-7 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
This command, and the truth of God’s peace standing guard over our minds, is absolutely certain. But I also remember this: Jesus, in the garden, in the midst of very personal prayer, was so stressed out that He sweat blood! Did the battle within Him, that torment in His Spirit, end with our Lord being destroyed by stress? Of course not. Jesus yields to the will of God as He put His faith and His hope in the love of God. In obedience He marches off to the coming war. It is within that war on the cross that the enemy felt he could shout in victory after murdering the Messiah of God. His shouts of victory turn to cries of rage as he came to understand that the Son has willingly made this sacrifice so that all the beloved of God will be forgiven.
Do we at times find ourselves feeling overwhelmed by events and circumstances; even stressed out and anxious? Of course we do. Perhaps we should remember that Jesus went through times of stress and pain that overwhelmed His body, but never His Spirit. Jesus, in paying the price for our sin, was brutally broken from His perfect unity with His Father. And then He is made whole again. He is raised from the dead. He is united with the Father around the throne of God’s glory. He continues to intercede for us, to make certain our victory. The war on the cross brought us victory. The battle before the cross made that war and victory possible.
Whatever the needs of this day, give it to God. He is faithful.
Vern