1 Cor. 10:13 begins, There is no temptation taken you but such as
is common to man. Jesus experienced
every temptation, every test that we experience. The truth of that is so evident in today’s
passage, in the Garden of Gethsemane.
Jesus knew temptation was
coming. He felt it deeply. Did you see the record? He began
to be sorrowful and deeply distressed. My soul
is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death.
The Bible says, in all things He
had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High
Priest … for in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid
those who are tempted (Heb. 2:17-18).
He was in all points tempted as we
are, yet without sin (Heb. 4:15). Not
once did Jesus succumb to the temptation to make life easier by relying on His
divine powers, the use of which He had submitted to His Father. Even now He did not call for legions of
angels to deliver Him. But He would cry
out to Abba, Father (Mk. 14:36): if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me.
Jesus prayed. He watched. This is what He had told His disciples they
must do throughout life (Matt. 24:42f).
Even now He asked them to stay
here and watch with Me. How sad for
anyone to ever have to face death alone, to not know that there are people who
will stand by you and sit with you in life’s most difficult hour. Yet Jesus was alone in the Garden, even with
His closest friends just a few feet away.
Paul would later face the same issue: no one stood with me, but all forsook me. All Paul could say was that the Lord stood with me and strengthened me
(2 Tim. 2:16-17). Jesus watched and He prayed and in the midst of it the Father sent an angels to minister
to Him (Lk. 22:43).
Why was He so beset in
this hour? Why did He sweat drops of blood? For one thing He knew He was about to be numbered with the transgressors (Lk.
22:37). He knew the hour called the power of
darkness was coming (Lk. 22:53).
Jesus knew something
else. He knew the flesh was weak. We are
spiritual and physical beings. So was Jesus
because the Word became flesh. Because
of this He can sympathize with our weaknesses (Heb. 4:15). He was willing spiritually; He longed to do
His Father’s will. But He was exceedingly sorrowful; His flesh wanted
nothing to do with pain. His disciples
were also willing spiritually; to a man they insisted they would not deny Him
but would die with Him (Mt. 26:35). But
the flesh was tired because of the grief; they did not watch but they slept.
So Jesus watched and
He prayed and prayed again and prayed again.
Then He rose with confidence to face His betrayer. Between Jerusalem and the Mount of Olives is
the Kidron Valley. Jesus crossed the
Kidron twice that night. On the way to
Gethsemane He was burdened with sorrow and distress. On the way back, in chains, friendless, He
would know His Father’s will being done.
Be sober (i.e. self-controlled),
be vigilant (watch); because your adversary the devil walks
about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8).
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