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[Announcer] (0:00 - 0:20) Think about the Bible like you never have before. You're listening to Christian Questions. Access more audio videos and Bible study resources at ChristianQuestions.com. Our topic is: "What Happened in the Garden of Gethsemane?" Here are Rick, Jonathan and Julie.

[Rick] (0:21 - 0:29) Welcome everyone. I'm Rick. I'm joined by Jonathan, long-time co-host and Julie, long-time contributor. Jonathan, what is our theme scripture for this episode?

[Jonathan] (0:29 - 0:39) John 18:11: "So Jesus said to Peter, Put the sword into the sheath; the cup which the Father has given me, shall I not drink it?"

[Rick] (0:40 - 1:46) So much has been written and illustrated about Jesus and his willingness to be tortured and crucified on the cross. There are books, there are poems, there are movies, there are plays, and there are music and songs written in every style and countless languages. All of these things, all of these things are meant to honor Jesus and inspire us to greater faith in our lives. In this episode, we will simply go back to the original source of Scripture and seek to capture just one specific aspect of Jesus's powerful sacrifice. We will drop in at the Garden of Gethsemane, which was the place where Jesus's quiet time with His disciples ended abruptly. To unfold these events, we first want to briefly sum up some of the profound lessons that Jesus had taught them before walking to this garden. Those lessons are taught in John 13-16. It's a beautiful summation of lessons. We would recommend everybody take some time and read those. Here's how that series of lessons ends. Let's look at John 16:32-33:

[Jonathan] (1:46 - 2:15) "Behold, an hour is coming, and has already come, for you to be scattered, each to his own home, and to leave me alone; and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me. These things I have spoken to you, so that in me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world."

[Rick] (2:16 - 2:44) "I have overcome the world." This all-powerful proclamation of victory would end this period of preparation where Jesus laid a foundation for his friends and followers to build upon. The legacy in his words and his actions that he left for us was strong and it was sure. What we want to do is just very briefly sum up parts of those lessons in John 13-16.

[Julie] (2:43 - 2:51) To start us off, he taught us humble service by washing the disciples' feet and doing what most would consider beneath themselves.

[Rick] (2:51 - 2:56) He took it upon himself to be the example.

[Jonathan] (2:56 - 3:03) He taught us courage by looking his soon-to-be betrayer in the eye as he gave him his own choice to make.

[Rick] (3:03 - 3:10) That's an important point. He gave Judas the choice. He didn't try to talk him out of it. He gave him a choice.

[Julie] (3:10 - 3:15) He taught us to lead by example, by loving us first and fully.

[Rick] (3:15 - 3:20) "Love one another as I have loved you." That's the lesson he's teaching us here.

[Jonathan] (3:20 - 3:27) He taught us to believe in God's promises as he unlocked God's grace through his own name.

[Rick] (3:27 - 3:36) You "ask in my name." "God is with you because I have been with you." This was some of the power that he gave us in these chapters.

[Julie] (3:36 - 3:39) He taught us to have heavenly hope beyond our imagination.

[Rick] (3:40 - 3:46) "Behold, I go to my Father's house and prepare a place for you." That's beyond anybody's imagination! That's the hope that he unlocked.

[Jonathan] (3:47 - 3:51) He taught us connection, because we could now be God's children through him.

[Rick] (3:52 - 4:01) We became one. You are now my brethren. You are my brothers. You are my family. What a powerful elevation he gave them.

[Julie] (4:02 - 4:16) Here's one more: He taught us the power of foresight and prophecy as he carefully prepared his disciples for what was coming by encouraging them, but he showed them the harsh realities of their future. He was both realistic and encouraging.

[Rick] (4:16 - 4:51) When we look at the summation of John chapters 13-16, we just see these incredible, incredible lessons. Now we move forward. He would next pray the prayer that's recorded in John 17. This prayer would be focused on those he was leaving behind. It would show his love for them, his desire for their heavenly protection along their paths of life, and his absolute faith in God's providence in ALL things. We're just going to read a couple of verses from John 17 to just try and capture this. Let's look at John 17:15-20:

[Jonathan] (4:52 - 5:20) "I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. As You sent me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. For their sakes I sanctify myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth. I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in me through their word."

[Julie ] (5:21 - 5:37) He "sanctifies," meaning he sets himself apart so that his followers can be separate also. He prays not for himself here, but he prays for you. He prays for me. It's a prayer for everyone who has the privilege of being his disciples now or at any time.

[Rick] (5:38 - 6:16) In this prayer, Jesus--he's about to go through the greatest, most difficult experience of his life, and this ends up being his last uninterrupted, real true quiet time. What does he spend it doing? Praying for us. That's the power of who he was and who he is and what we want to learn. We haven't even gotten to the Garden of Gethsemane yet and look at what is unfolding for us here. Now it was time. The great and final period of trial and testing in Jesus's life was now upon him.

[Julie] (6:17 - 7:30) Now let's go to Gethsemane. Facing extreme stress in our lives, we all have favorite places or circumstances that we seek to help us find strength and peace. A quote from the book "Moments with the Savior" by Ken Guyer: "Gethsemane is where we go when there's no place to go but God." I've been to this garden in Jerusalem on the Mount of Olives. I expected a huge orchard, but no. it's a small patch of garden with trees, some as old as two hundred years, but none are the thousands of years old from the time of Jesus. It's next to a church with an extremely busy, noisy road and a coffee shop that charges you two shekels to use the bathroom. The trees are surrounded by an iron fence, so you're not allowed to mingle with the trees, or you can't sit under them. The present-day surroundings make it difficult to contemplate the true meaning of this place. We have to imagine what was it like in Jesus' time. Here he would have seen ancient beauty, a rustic presence in which to deeply communicate with his Heavenly Father. We can imagine that's where we find places within our busy lives for that, too. This beautiful garden that had always been a place of peace and fellowship for him would now become a place of peril and betrayal.

[Rick] (7:31 - 8:17) Jesus just willingly walks into this garden. Here is where we want to slow down and absorb what happens next. How does it happen? How does Jesus respond? How do his disciples respond? What can we learn from this next short period of time? To do this, what we want to do is go through the gospels, the gospels of John, Matthew, Mark and Luke, and put them all together into one narrative. We're going to, in this section, look at John 18:1, Matthew 26:36-47, Mark 14:32, 43 and Luke 22:39-42. Again, we're putting a narrative together to simply tell the story. Jonathan, let's get started.

[Jonathan] (8:18 - 8:49) "When Jesus had spoken these words (the John 17 prayer we read about sanctifying his followers in truth) he went forth with his disciples over the ravine of the Kidron, where there was a garden called Gethsemane, in which he entered with his disciples and said to his disciples, Sit here while I go over there and pray. Pray that you may not enter into temptation. And he took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be very grieved, distressed and troubled. And he withdrew from them about a stone's throw..."

[Julie ] (8:50 - 8:55) There are three words here that describe Jesus's emotional state. You read, Jonathan, grieved, distressed and troubled.

[Jonathan] (8:56 - 9:09) It gives a lot of insight into the heavy steps forward he had to take towards his crucifixion. Grieved here from the Matthew account means "to be sad." The King James version uses "sorrowful."

[Julie] (9:09 - 9:15) Distressed from the Mark account means "to astonish." "Utterly sore amazed" is in the King James Version.

[Jonathan] (9:15 - 9:37) Troubled, also from the Mark account, means "great distress, anguish." In the King James Version, it's "heavy." This is the strongest of the three New Testament words for "depression." This is not to say Jesus was clinically depressed, but rather that he was weighed down. This was intense mental distress.

[Julie] (9:37 - 10:26) You might think Christians are never supposed to be sorrowful, but we should always rejoice. That's not true, because as Jesus certainly showed, there are a wide range of feelings that we have. Sure, we're to count it all joy in the final analysis, but at the time we're going through a trial it's difficult. We will reference Hebrews 12:11 to take a look at, James 1:2 to take a look at. Certain circumstances can make us depressed. Even Jesus knew what this was like. I found it interesting that specifically Peter, James and John were the ones that were allowed to witness this very private, very personal struggle. These were the same three who were previously strengthened in faith by witnessing Jesus' glory just recently, in this vision of the Mount of Transfiguration. Some Bible commentaries presume it would have been too much to bear for the other apostles.

[Jonathan] (10:26 - 11:12) With each step he took, the weight of this experience became more and more heavy. Think about all the different aspects Jesus would grieve over because His concern was for everyone else around him. He grieved over Israel, knowing the favor which had been exclusively theirs would be withdrawn. He was concerned for his disciples, who would soon be confused and in despair. He was grieving over his friend Judas, who would do the unthinkable. He might have even grieved over Lucifer, the other morning star, because Jesus' sacrifice would seal Satan's fate. We also know that one of Jesus' greatest sorrows was being accused of being a blasphemer, an enemy of God.

[Rick] (11:12 - 12:15) What you have both just described is this immense weight of responsibility, and it's described as sorrowful and heavy and distressed. It really moves me that the word, the strongest word for "depression" in the Greek language here is used to describe Jesus. Here he is carrying the weight, and he's a perfect man, and yet the Scriptures tell us that this is how he was feeling and they give us this sense, so we can identify with the fact that he knows what it feels like. That's the key. He knows what it feels like, and he carried the depth of this weight. As they enter the Garden, remember now there's eleven apostles because Judas is gone. To eight of them he says wait here, at sort of near the gate of the garden, and he goes further with Peter, James and John. That's the context that we're setting up at this moment. Let's put this together. What are some Valuable Lessons from Jesus' Gethsemane Experience?

[Julie] (12:15 - 12:30) The Garden of Gethsemane was the place where Jesus' experiences would completely change. His early evening quiet and unhurried time with his most precious followers would devolve into a night of unimaginable weight and responsibility.

[Jonathan] (12:30 - 12:37) The burden was the destiny of the world, and Jesus would be called upon to bear it alone.

[Rick] (12:37 - 13:03) It was his, and it was his only, and the weight is there. Jonathan, as you brought up those examples of what may have been weighing him down, it just makes us stop and think and say, there is something immense beginning to happen here. It is amazing to think that Jesus knew the depth and sorrow of what was about to happen and he still showed up and he still faced the challenge.

[Jonathan] (13:03 - 13:10) As soon as they arrived in the garden, Jesus separated himself from his followers. What else was on his mind?

[Rick] (13:10 - 14:02) Jesus had the weight of the world on his mind, and it should come as no surprise that his most basic instinct was to seek the solitude of prayer so he could be with his Father. As we unfold this portion of his experience, we need to pay particular attention to how Jesus puts each and every detail of his challenges exactly in order. This is where we can really begin to learn and appreciate what Jesus not only is going through but how he handles what he's going through--with godliness, with reverence, with courage, with humility and with strength. Jonathan, we're going to continue the narrative in a moment. Let's just set the context. After withdrawing about a stone's throw away with Peter, James and John--remember the other apostles were left a little ways off--continuing the narrative, what happens then?

[Jonathan] (14:02 - 14:18) "He said to them, My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death; remain here and keep watch with me." Before in John 17, he was praying for his disciples. Now, he would need to pray for himself.

[Julie] (14:18 - 14:57) "My soul is deeply grieved to the point of death." Matthew Henry's Concise Bible Commentary says: "The words used denote the most entire dejection, amazement, anguish and horror of mind; the state of one surrounded with sorrows, overwhelmed with miseries, and almost swallowed up with terror and dismay." Barnes' Notes on the Bible say: "The word rendered 'watch' (Jesus says 'watch with me') means, literally, to abstain from sleep; then to be vigilant, or to guard against danger. Here it seems to mean to sympathize with him, to unite with him in seeking divine support, to prepare themselves for approaching dangers."

[Rick] (14:57 - 15:49) You've got this set up and Jesus actually says, "My soul is deeply grieved." He tells these three close friends, this is what I'm experiencing. There's a tremendous lesson in the honesty of that statement, as he's going to go forward and pray. We can see that the weight of this experience is growing and it's growing exponentially, separated from the main group. He further reiterated the pressure that he felt to these closest friends. He told them, this is where I am. Please "watch with me." Not watch FOR me but "watch WITH me." He's asking them to enter into his experience. "Watch with me" in this difficult time. Jesus would pray, and this prayer would be a prayer of pleading. Let's go back to the narrative.

[Jonathan] (15:49 - 16:12) "And he went a little beyond them, and fell to the ground on his face and began to pray that if it were possible, the hour might pass him by. And he was saying, Abba! Father! All things are possible for You; if it is possible, if You are willing, remove this cup from me (let this cup pass from me); yet not as I will, but as You will."

[Rick] (16:12 - 17:21) There's his prayer in a nutshell, and it says he "fell to the ground on his face." In this prayer, he talks about the possibility, the pleading to have "this cup" be removed from him. What is "this cup?" He saw this cup -- this experience -- to be one that he believed could be avoided while still being faithfully obedient. Now he didn't consider asking to have even one minute experience regarding the world, regarding Satan, regarding sin, to be removed, because these things were all part of the price that he was to pay. The cup wasn't having to do with any of those things. There are several interpretations of the cup that many have. We're going to give you one. We're going to give you an understanding of the cup that makes sense to us. We look at this cup consisting of two things that Jesus didn't ever proclaim, didn't ever talk about in his ministry. That's why we think these two things are the cup, because they're things that he didn't talk about to anyone else. The first thing that Jesus had never proclaimed as a ministry to be his destiny is found in Psalm 22:1:

[Jonathan] (17:21 - 17:32) "My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? Far from my deliverance are the words of my groaning." This word for forsaken means "leave" or "loosen."

[Rick] (17:32 - 18:19) in Psalm 22--and if you follow Psalm 22--it really shows the experience of the cross dramatically. Jesus never talked about God turning His face from him, God forsaking him. Perhaps this was that part of that cup saying, I don't want to be separated from you. I don't know how to do that. With that in mind, let's look at the second thing that Jesus didn't talk about during His ministry, because he did tell us many things. I'm going to be brought to Jerusalem, I'm going to be put on trial, I'm going to be crucified, and on the third day I'm going to rise. He told them all of these things. Here's another thing he didn't talk about. It was the silence that he was required to keep while being accused of blasphemy. We can see this prophetically laid out in Isaiah 53:7:

[Jonathan] (18:19 - 18:30) "He was oppressed and he was afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, and like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, so he did not open his mouth."

[Rick] (18:30 - 20:07) You have this prophecy that talks about the fact that he is utterly silent. If you've ever seen a sheep being sheared it is pretty amazing to look at, because you've got this massive amount of wool that they are literally shaving off of that body, and that sheep doesn't move a muscle. It just takes it; it just absorbs what's happening and walks away, and all the wool is gone. That is the description here. Jesus painted a clear picture of many aspects of the end of his life, but he never brought this silence before his accusers into focus. Now think about this; Jesus was God's mouthpiece. Remember, in his ministry he said, I say what the Father tells me to say. I do what the Father tells me to do. Yet here he was required to not attach himself, to not defend his Father's good name, his Father's will, his Father's providence, his Father's power. He was required to be silent about it all. It would have been heartbreaking, because he didn't know how not to show his loyalty. When we look at these things, perhaps this silence was part of the experience of his Father turning His face from him. We look at these things as the cup that was so hard to bear. It was so counterintuitive for him. It was against every grain of his person. That's what we think that he's praying about this cup. "Remove this cup from me; yet not as I will, but as You will." Let's go back to the narrative, as Jesus goes back to his close friends for encouragement.

[Jonathan] (20:07 - 20:20) "When he rose from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping from sorrow, and said to Peter, Simon, are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour? Keep watching and praying that you may not come into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak."

[Julie] (20:20 - 20:58) This phrase "sleeping for sorrow is only found in the Luke account. We remember Luke was a physician by profession. This reflects the emotional state of the disciples during a very intense moment, suggesting the disciples were so overwhelmed by grief and distress that their exhaustion led them to sleep. Even when urged by Jesus to stay vigilant in prayer, their sadness drained them emotionally and physically. This is a very human response to sorrow and stress--how people sometimes cope with heavy, heavy emotions.

[Rick] (20:58 - 21:49) It is, and when you look at the power of anxiety, the power of depression in people's lives, you can see that there is a solitude from it all in sleep. Here they are, they're sleeping because they're overwhelmed. It's too much, it's too big. Yet Jesus had asked these three friends, just watch with me. Just stay awake so I know you're there. They couldn't. When he comes back, Simon, are you asleep? You couldn't watch just this time?? You can see the frustration and the need that Jesus is expressing as a human being who's going through all of these things and carrying such weight. He's not done because he has prayed, but he is still not settled. Jesus then goes and prays a second time. Let's go back to the narrative.

[Jonathan] (21:49 - 22:04) "He went away again a second time and prayed, saying, My Father, if this cannot pass away unless I drink it, Your will be done. And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy; and they did not know what to answer him."

[Rick] (22:04 - 22:27) He goes and he prays, essentially the same thing, and he comes back and again, it's the same experience. Their eyes are heavy and they don't know even what to say. I mean, the point is, the bottom line is, Jesus is alone. He doesn't have that support. The intensity of this experience cannot be overstated.

[Jonathan] (22:27 - 22:31) Jesus prayed multiple times.

[Rick] (22:31 - 22:37) The loneliness of this experience cannot be overstated.

[Jonathan] (22:37 - 22:43) Jesus again went to his friends and found they still could not manage to watch with him.

[Julie] (22:43 - 23:01) I don't think it's accidental that this garden is called "Gethsemane." That word means "oil press." Think about how oil is extracted for light and food. What an appropriate symbol of crushing trials and the pressure that Jesus felt. It seems this place might have been named in advance of this event.

[Rick] (23:01 - 23:18) It really does fit so well, and the pressing and the crushing also apply to his disciples, who were overwhelmed by the experience themselves. You've got all of these things happening. Jesus goes and prays a third time. Let's go back to the narrative.

[Jonathan] (23:18 - 23:25) "And he left them again, and went away and prayed a third time, saying the same thing once more."

[Rick] (23:25 - 24:12) There you have it. He goes three times. These are not three little thirty-second journeys. This is intensity of expression before God. With each repetition of his prayer, Jesus became more focused. His mission demanded submission to God's will, even in areas that seemingly went beyond his capacity. "Remove this cup from me." Please "remove this cup from me." Nevertheless, not my will, but Your will be done. The end result of this struggle was that simple, straightforward statement, and it really is summed up in one word, "nevertheless." Whatever is on my mind, is on my heart, whatever my desire is, nevertheless not my will, but Your will be done. Let's go back to the narrative.

[Jonathan] (24:12 - 24:29) "And he came the third time, and said to them, Are you still sleeping and resting? It is enough; the hour has come; behold, the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. Get up, let us be going; behold, the one who betrays me is at hand!"

[Julie] (24:29 - 24:45) "Get up!" We're out of time. Jesus, in the middle of the weight of this upcoming crucifixion and the overwhelming burden of his mission, still had room enough in his heart to warn his followers in the garden. "Get up. Let us be going. The one who betrays me"--he's here. We're moving forward.

[Rick] (24:45 - 25:08) In spite of being alone, in spite of carrying the weight without help, without encouragement, he is still moving everyone forward, and he knows, just like you said, Julie, there is no more time. Betrayal is at hand. Let's look at some more Valuable Lessons from Jesus' Gethsemane Experience:

[Jonathan] (25:08 - 25:24) When faced with the most dire choices of his life, Jesus laid his heart out before his Father and petitioned Him mightily. In the end, he embraced his Father's will with his whole being, no matter what consequences he faced.

[Julie] (25:24 - 25:34) Let us, when we face such choices, lay our heart out before God, petition mightily, and in the end, accept and embrace what God would have us to do!

[Rick] (25:34 - 25:58) It just comes down to looking at Jesus, absorbing what he does and how he does it, and basically saying, I want to grow up and be like that in whatever small way I'm capable of. Observing how Jesus took on any and all responsibility before him with such grace and discipline of will--it's a lesson for the ages.

[Jonathan] (25:58 - 26:06) Jesus' time for prayers and preparation was now over. What would he do to meet his escalating challenges head on?

[Rick] (26:06 - 27:24) Moving forward, we see a definite change in the posture of Jesus. Remember, he was praying this pleading prayer over and over again. Up to this point, his Gethsemane experience was focused on pleading with his Father about some aspects of what was coming. Now we will see him as a man steeled against whatever adversity was to come his way. Jesus would now willingly and openly walk towards his crucifixion. I want to make that point abundantly clear. Nobody took him prisoner. He went. He offered himself. He willingly and openly walked in that direction. We're going to again continue with the combined gospels, and now we're going to combine the Scriptures from Matthew 26:47-56, Mark 14:43-52, Luke 22:47-53 and John 18:2-12. There's a lot of combining here. As we begin, as we go back to the narrative, here's what we see--an armed crowd is approaching. It was led by an unarmed man; an unarmed, very familiar man.

[Jonathan] (27:24 - 27:44) "Now Judas also, who was betraying him, knew the place, for Jesus had often met there with his disciples. Judas then, having received the Roman cohort and officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, and the scribes and the elders came there with lanterns and torches and weapons, swords and clubs."

[Julie] (27:44 - 28:05) Jesus wasn't hiding or avoiding what was going to happen. John Gill's Exposition of the Bible says this: "...Judas was as well acquainted with the place of Christ's resort, and knew the garden he frequently retired to, as the rest of the disciples; to show that Christ did not go there to hide and secure himself from him, but to meet him...

[Jonathan] (28:05 - 28:21) In his darkest hour, they came to arrest this peaceful man with swords and clubs as though he was a dangerous criminal. He knew the terrible treatment that was to come. Yet we will soon see his thoughts were of the safety of his disciples.

[Julie] (28:21 - 28:32) It doesn't say, but I imagine that the apostles were shocked to see Judas; to see one of their own leading this small army coming to arrest Jesus. This was the ultimate betrayal of them all.

[Jonathan] (28:32 - 28:40) Jesus was ready for this unusual meeting at this late hour, as he had prayed his way through his preparation.

[Julie] (28:40 - 28:47) Here's a question: Do I face my challenges with the same sincere and prayerful preparation?

[Rick] (28:47 - 29:25) We look at this, think about the crowd that's coming, and the way you described it, he's this peaceful man, and this crowd is coming, and there's lanterns and torches and weapons and swords and clubs and officers and chief priests and Pharisees and all of these people coming for him. It boggles the mind to see this unfolding. Do we, like you asked, Julie, face our challenges with that same prayerful preparation? That's why Jesus prayed so strongly to be buttressed, to be strengthened to be able to handle this experience. Let's go back to the narrative.

[Jonathan] (29:25 - 29:42) "...and the one called Judas, one of the twelve, was preceding them. Now he who was betraying him had given them a signal, saying, Whomever I kiss, he is the one; seize him and lead him away under guard. ...and he approached Jesus to kiss him."

[Julie] (29:42 - 29:58) Judas had already negotiated for thirty pieces of silver, the price of a slave in those days. He would earn his reward by giving an obvious sign. This reminds me of Proverbs 27:6: "Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but deceitful are the kisses of an enemy."

[Rick] (29:58 - 30:07) Judas is coming, planning to turn him over to the authorities for thirty pieces of silver. Let's go back to the narrative.

[Jonathan] (30:07 - 30:45) "But Jesus said to him, Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?" In other words, are you going to inflict such pain on the one you claim to love? It's a profound and heartbreaking moment as the kiss, typically a gesture of love or friendship, is now a signal of treachery. Continuing: "Immediately Judas went to Jesus and said, Hail, Rabbi! and kissed him. And Jesus said to him, Friend, do what you have come for." An important point in this is when Judah said "Hail, Rabbi!" it was a happy salutation.

[Julie] (30:45 - 31:14) How deceptive. The word friend here isn't the familiar Greek word "philos," meaning "beloved" or "loving friend." The word is "hetaira," which signifies "comrade" or "partner." The only other two places this word is used is to describe the murmurer in the Parable of the Penny and the guest without a wedding garment in the Parable of the Wedding Garment. One other thing; notice how calm and dignified Jesus is as a result of all that prayer in Gethsemane.

[Rick] (31:14 - 31:56) Yeah, he is absolutely prepared for this, and he is literally in control of the situation. Now, just regarding that reading, I just want to make one quick little point. We started by saying, Jesus said to him, "Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?" When you look at the gospels and you try to combine them, that statement perhaps could go a little bit later. For me, I think it belongs before. That's an opinion, just letting you know. But the point is, Jesus is in control. He calls out Judas. Judas makes his grand presentation, if you will-"Hail, Rabbi!"--and Jesus basically says, Alright, okay, do what you came to do. Let's go back to the narrative.

[Jonathan] (31:56 - 32:03) "So Jesus, knowing all the things that were coming upon him, went forth and said to them, Whom do you seek?"

[Rick] (32:03 - 32:54) This is very important, this tiny little detail. It says, "Jesus...went forth." What does that mean? It means he moved away from his disciples, into the space between his disciples and this mob, and he separated himself from the disciples and he had approached the mob. What was he doing? First of all, he's in control. Let's remember that. Secondly, he's slowing down this act of betrayal. He is setting himself apart already, and he asks this crowd to verify okay, what have you come to do? There would be no mistaking who it was they came for and who he was, being the person they're looking for. Jesus is here--by stepping away from his disciples--he's embracing the inevitable, because that's what He had promised to do. Let's go to John 10:11:

[Jonathan] (32:54 - 33:05) "I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep." Jesus puts his sheep in a protective place and steps out into the danger.

[Rick] (33:05 - 33:35) He does, and that's the point. He "went forth." He put himself in the only position of vulnerability. He is now in the center of where everything is about to unfold, and he takes it all upon himself. You can just see how he is so clear and so focused and so driven to do the right thing and to be protective of everyone else. When we go back to the narrative, we see how this unfolds even further.

[Jonathan] (33:35 - 33:47) Remember Jesus asked the question, "Whom do you seek?" They answered him, Jesus the Nazarene. He said to them, I am he. And Judas also, who was betraying him, was standing with them."

[Rick] (33:47 - 34:13) They answered him, okay? Jesus says, "Whom do you seek?" And he says, "I am he." Now, those are not just words that say "Here!" This is an emphatic description, an emphatic form of personal identification. He is saying, essentially, I am the object of your being here. Make no mistake, it is me. That's what he's saying here.

[Julie] (34:13 - 34:25) Question that comes to mind: Do we emphatically stand as strongly as Jesus, as his disciples, in any and all circumstances? Are we willing to say, I'm with him?

[Rick] (34:25 - 34:42) Right. Am I willing to stand up and be noticed, even if it's such an uncomfortable, difficult circumstance? That's our example. He just brings himself out in front. Now let's go back to the narrative and see what happens.

[Jonathan] (34:42 - 34:47) "So when he said to them, I am he, they drew back and fell to the ground."

[Julie] (34:47 - 35:07) When Jesus says, "I am he," the account doesn't say that his apprehenders "fell backward." They first went backward -- they "drew back"--and then they fell. His words, using God's spirit, were like a repelling force. This dramatic scene shows that Jesus had the power to resist this arrest,

[Jonathan] (35:07 - 35:30) The protective power of God's spirit always brought Jesus to safety until this moment. We remember how in Luke 4:28-30, when the people were trying to throw Jesus off a cliff, he was able to pass right through the crowd. I never thought about this before, but since Judas was on the side of the mob, he would have gone down to the ground with them.

[Rick] (35:30 - 36:18) That is an interesting point. He is separated from the disciples who are behind Jesus, so we would assume that he just would have fallen down along with them. He's part of them. He has claimed his territory, and it's with those who are taking Jesus unlawfully as prisoner. This "I am he" experience was very, very, very powerful, because the power of God put it so that they felt something that was bigger than they were. Again, the protective power of God had always before this brought Jesus to safety until this moment. Now, in this moment, the protective power of God's spirit served as a warning to any and all bent on doing evil, because they felt something bigger than them. Let's go back to the narrative.

[Jonathan] (36:18 - 36:48) "Therefore he again asked them, Whom do you seek? And they said, Jesus the Nazarene. Jesus answered, I told you that I am he; so if you seek me, let these go their way, to fulfill the word which he spoke, Of those whom you have given me I lost not one." Jesus again asks, "Whom do you seek?" and they give him the same answer, only this time the question and the answer have a dramatic context of the power of God's spirit that Jesus had within him.

[Julie] (36:48 - 37:06) Right. The first time it had that repelling effect. By asking the question twice, Jesus reinforces his control over the situation. It wasn't that he was confused or hesitating, it was to make his intentions clear--he was willingly surrendering himself.

[Rick] (37:06 - 37:33) He takes absolute control; and "I am he." I'm the one. Let these others go their way. You have nothing to do with them because you said you came for me. Take me. That's it. He is very very clear, very very protective, very very courageous and very very godly and reverential in how he presents himself.

[Julie] (37:33 - 37:58) Jesus plainly offered himself to them as he undeniably protected those who were with him. Jesus purposely shielded his disciples. His prayer in John 17, remember, was that he would lose none except Judas, who was already gone because they had a ministry to perform. It was noble of Jesus to protect his disciples. The repetition highlights his composure and deliberate choice, even under this immense pressure.

[Rick] (37:58 - 38:22) We can see when we sum these verses up, he is ready to protect and he's ready to offer all at the same time. That's who Jesus was. That's who Jesus is, and that's the example that we want to really, really grab hold of. Let's look at a few more Valuable Lessons from Jesus' Gethsemane Experience:

[Jonathan] (38:22 - 38:38) Jesus always rose to meet any challenge set before him with godly grace and a powerful discipline. He voluntarily handed himself over to this mob that was bent on bringing him to death. Why? Because this was God's will.

[Julie] (38:38 - 38:43) The question is: Am I ready to walk in any direction God's will would have me to go?

[Rick] (38:43 - 38:55) Am I willing to do that? It's remarkable and inspiring to just stop and observe how Jesus prepared himself and then delivered himself into the hands of his enemies.

[Jonathan] (38:55 - 39:03) While Jesus was now ready to walk the path that would lead to his death, his apostles were not. How would he protect them?

[Rick] (39:03 - 39:46) This must have been an utter shock to his disciples, of like, what's happening here? This is what betrayal looked like, okay? This is what it looked like; lanterns, torches, weapons and a contingent of Chief Priests and Pharisees, all to apprehend a man who never even used a sword or a spear and whose life was spent healing, teaching and encouraging everybody. This is how they come and this is how he's betrayed. Now he is about to be taken. Also, now Peter, the Apostle Peter, is ready to leap into action and create some utter chaos. Let's go back to this narrative again.

[Jonathan] (39:46 - 39:53) "When those who were around him saw what was going to happen, they said, Lord, shall we strike with the sword?"

[Julie] (39:53 - 40:25) Now to defend Peter--back in the upper room, Jesus did instruct his disciples to buy swords. They had two of them nearby. We now know it was because it was necessary to show that his capture wasn't made by force. He voluntarily allowed himself to be taken and crucified. These swords were intended only for show; they weren't a true defense. Had there not been weapons present, it might have looked as though he had no choice to be arrested. But Peter, as usual, is ready to leap into action to protect his master.

[Rick] (40:25 - 40:48) Okay, so the question, "Lord, shall we strike with a sword?" Here's what we're looking at; we're following the imperfect human thinking of the apostles--like you said, Julie, particularly Peter. Now let's think about this. Let's put this in its context. Just a short time before this, back in the upper room not too, too many hours before this, the Apostle Peter had spoken these words in Matthew 26:35:

[Jonathan] (40:48 - 40:55) "Peter said to him, Even if I have to die with you, I will not deny you. All the disciples said the same thing too."

[Rick] (40:55 - 41:35) They made a commitment that they really could not keep. We'll die with you. We won't deny you. We're going to be stay with you. That's the imperfect human thinking, and Jesus had already brought it to their attention. What we need to do is we need to learn to fight the right fight, and what we're going to see is they began to fight the wrong fight. Whenever we fight for our ego to be verified--I will not deny you, I will stand by you even unto death--we are inevitably fighting against God. See, our challenge is to continually reduce our ego and fill its space with the instruction of God's Word.

[Julie] (41:35 - 41:41) The question is: Are we fighting our battles our way or God's battles His way?

[Rick] (41:41 - 41:56) That's the choice. Now, the ego part comes where you say, well, I mean, weren't they sincere? Yeah, they were sincere. But they asked the question, "Lord, shall we strike with a sword?" When you ask the question, should you wait for the answer?

[Julie] (41:56 - 41:58) Oh, they didn't wait for the answer.

[Rick] (41:58 - 42:04) They didn't wait for the answer. We're going to see what happens in a little bit. Let's just go back to the narrative here.

[Jonathan] (42:04 - 42:08) "Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and seized him."

[Rick] (42:08 - 42:57) Now the mob is in action. Now they did what they had come to do. The power of Jesus had just been displayed. The question his disciples, likely Peter, asked, "should we strike with a sword?" All of this was a recipe for disaster. All of these pieces--the mob is coming, "should we strike with a sword?"-- you've got all of this happening and now you've got the chaos beginning. What's unfolding here was an example of human minds on both sides of this issue, all blind to anything but their own agendas. See, Jesus knew the will of God. Jesus knew what he had come to do. He was turning himself over. It could have been incredibly peaceful, because he "went forth." He went out in front of his disciples and offered himself. But now we've got the interaction, and it gets a little bit dicey here. Let's go back to the narrative.

[Jonathan] (42:57 - 43:09) "Simon Peter then, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest's slave, and cut off his right ear; and the slave's name was Malchus." Malchus was the servant of Caiaphas, the high priest.

[Rick] (43:09 - 43:35) Okay, we've got this servant of the high priest named Malchus. His ear gets cut off in this attack by Simon Peter. He leaps into action. Now remember, we were talking about the imperfect human thinking of the apostles. "Lord, should we strike with strike with a sword?" Well, now we're looking at the imperfect human actions of the apostles, particularly Peter, as they contribute to the chaos and the harm of this betrayal.

[Jonathan] (43:35 - 43:44) Jesus never did answer the apostles' question about using a sword. Unfortunately, circumstances were enough of an answer for Peter.

[Julie] (43:44 - 44:03) It never struck me before you just said this. This could have been a bloodbath, because he strikes the ear, the other guy hits them and he hits them, and then they kill Jesus and the whole cross experience is gone. The question is: Do we react to our circumstances, or are we willing to wait for godly direction first?

[Rick] (44:03 -
If you ask the question, you should wait for the answer. Okay, it's humanity. Now look, their intentions were good. Peter's intentions were wonderful; I'm going to protect my Lord. If you asked, you should have waited for Jesus to answer. You struck, and then Jesus answers.

[Julie] (44:22 - 44:26) He could've ruined everything.

[Rick] (44:26 - 44:33) Yes, but who's in control? Jesus is in control. He has got this at every single state. Let's go back to the narrative.

[Jonathan] (44:33 - 44:42) "So Jesus said to Peter, Stop! No more of this... put the sword into the sheath... for all those who take up the sword shall perish by the sword."

[Julie] (44:42 - 44:55) The kindhearted Jesus, he reprimands Peter for this action. He heals the wound that Peter caused, because, as we know, Jesus never supported violence. Instead, he was this perfect example to us of peace and love.

[Rick] (44:55 - 45:47) "Stop! No more of this," and not only "no more of this"--he's specific; put the sword away, put it away where it is not in a position of use. His immediate intervention is heeded by all. Everybody listens to what Jesus says. Everybody does. There's no further action on the part of the mob or on the part of the apostles. Maybe they're falling back after they withdrew, and they're falling back. Maybe that had them thinking, we should probably listen to what this person is saying because there's power here that they could not understand. It was beyond them. But Jesus cut the violence out immediately--clearly, unequivocally. Now he just said, "...for all of those who take up the sword shall perish by the sword." We sort of interrupted Jesus in the middle of a sentence. Let's go back to that sentence in the narrative.

[Jonathan] (45:47 - 45:56) "Or do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and He will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?"

[Julie] (45:56 - 46:47) This is one of my favorite scriptures because this is powerful. We call this "The Prayer That Never Was." It shows Jesus' great restraint, his ability to control his emotions for the greater cause. This is something that we/I need to think about when I'm angry and we want to lash out. When we're cheated on or lied to or disrespected, we want what? We want vengeance. Jesus had such superior intellect, knowledge and power at his disposal, but he was never vindictive. He always showed restraint. This prayer--God give me twelve legions of angels--is the prayer that he could have prayed, and those people would have all been wiped out; but he didn't. Sometimes we may have the opportunity for deliverance that isn't God's will. Perhaps the Lord wants us to walk through a trial for our greater good,

[Jonathan] (46:47 - 47:12) Notice even Jesus could not command the angels directly--he would have to ask God to do it. This is something to think about when we hear people who pray to angels or want to have them do things on their behalf. This is a little detail about the spiritual realm we would not have known. He let his followers know there are great powers we cannot see, ready to fight if God requires it.

[Rick] (47:12 - 47:26) You have this context and Jesus essentially informs everyone, I'm doing this on my own. I am voluntarily giving up. There is no need for a fight, because I am here. Let's continue the narrative.

[Jonathan] (47:26 - 47:34) "How then will the Scriptures be fulfilled, which say that it must happen this way?...the cup which the Father has given me, shall I not drink it?"

[Rick] (47:34 - 48:15) There you have his circling back to the prayers at the beginning of Gethsemane. The scriptures must be fulfilled. That's why he took control of everything. That's why he said, Put the sword away. That's why he offered himself up. That's why he called Judas out, because he was utterly willing to drink this cup that the Father had given to him. He knew it was required. He gives everyone this intimidating perspective, what's going to happen. I could have prayed and it would have been over, but I am offering myself up. Finally, what happens in this experience? Jonathan, last piece of the narrative.

[Jonathan] (48:15 - 48:19) "...And he touched his ear and healed him."

[Rick] (48:19 - 49:01) See, there you have it. Not only does Jesus stop the altercation, not only does Jesus stand in the way of the further shedding of blood, not only does he put everybody at ease by being in control and calming everybody down, but then he takes that moment and he heals his enemy. He heals Malchus, he touches his ear. He didn't have to do that. We can look at it and say, why would he do that? The answer is, because he's Jesus Christ. He is the Messiah. He is the Son of God, and that's what he does. The healing of an enemy was simply Jesus living up to all that he taught.

[Julie] (49:01 - 49:18) Right. We remember how he instructed us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us back in Matthew 5:43-45. Here's the question: Do I stand with the same meekness and trust when faced with such contrary life challenges?

[Rick] (49:18 - 49:53) Am I going to stand in such a way? This is the example. When we said at the beginning of this episode, we just wanted to drop in on one small piece of this whole crucifixion experience, we're looking at the Garden of Gethsemane and the events there. There are few others that we don't have time for at this point. The matter is to see Jesus, to understand him, to appreciate him, and then to embrace him as we move forward. Let's look at--for us, now that we're trying to do that--let's look at Romans 12:19-21:

[Jonathan] (49:53 - 50:15) "Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY, says the Lord. BUT IF YOUR ENEMY IS HUNGRY, FEED HIM, AND IF HE IS THIRSTY, GIVE HIM A DRINK; FOR IN SO DOING YOU WILL HEAP BURNING COALS ON HIS HEAD. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."

[Rick] (50:15 - 50:41) Verse 21, Jonathan, what you just read, "do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." How do you do that? You follow Jesus' example. How do you do that? You put yourself aside and put God's will in front of you. How do you do that? By reducing the emotion and putting the clarity of what is godly before us. Wrapping up with Valuable Lessons from Jesus's Gethsemane Experience:

[Jonathan] (50:41 - 51:02) Jesus responded to his unlawful capture in three ways: First, he stopped the violence and proclaimed his faith in God's will. Second, he revealed how easily he could have been defended and rescued by his Father. Third, he healed his enemy, as Malchus was just another sinful man for whom he would die.

[Julie] (51:02 - 51:11) The final question for us is: How well am I in tune with such godly responses when faced with such ungodly actions in my life?

[Rick] (51:11 - 51: 35)
An important question! The important lessons from looking at Jesus in Gethsemane are acquiescence to the will of God. That's what his entire life had been about. That's what was culminating here. The Gethsemane experiences put all of that in order, and he steeled himself to be able to pass through the unconscionable experiences of the trial, of the torture and the whipping and the ridicule and the cross and death so that he could give his life as a ransom for every man, woman and child who ever lived. That's what Gethsemane showed us about the life of Jesus Christ. Think about it. Folks, we love hearing from our listeners. We welcome your feedback and questions on this episode and other episodes at ChristianQuestions.com. Coming up in our next episode: "What Was Jesus' Message After His Resurrection?"

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