The Garden of Gethsemane

Matthew 26:36-56; Mark 14:26-52; Luke 22:39-53; John 18:1-11

I believe that John 14-17 was Jesus words to His disciples at that Passover meal before they went to the Garden of Gethsemane, because we see in John 18:1 these words:  “When Jesus had spoken these words, He went forth with His disciples over the winter torrent of the brook Kidron or Cedron, depending on the Bible translation you read, where there was a garden into which He and His disciples entered.  We know from the other gospels that garden is Gethsemane.

When Jesus came to Gethsemane, He said to His disciples:  “Sit here while I go and pray.”  He took Peter and James and John with him, and he began to experience grief and distress of mind and was deeply depressed.  He said to them:  “My soul is very sad and deeply grieved so that I am almost dying of sorrow.  Stay here and keep awake and keep watch with Me.”  And going a little further, He threw Himself upon the ground on His face and prayed:  “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, not what I desire, but as You will and desire.”

And He came to His disciples and found them sleeping.  He said to Peter:  “What!  Are you so unable to stay awake and keep watch with Me for one hour?”  “All of you must keep awake, and watch and pray, that you may not enter into temptation.  The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”  PRAYER IS ESSENTIAL TO RESIST TEMPTATION AND LIVE LIFE AS GOD DIRECTS, A LIFE OF JOY AND PEACE.

He went away a second time to pray:  “My Father, if this cannot pass by unless I drink it, Your will be done.”  And again He came and found Peter, James and John sleeping.  Leaving again, He prayed for the third time, using the same words.  Then He returned to His disciples and said to them:  “Are you still sleeping and taking your rest?  Behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.  Rise, let us go.  See, My betrayer is at hand!”

While Jesus yet spoke, Judas and a great multitude of men and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees came with swords and clubs.  Judas betrayed Jesus with a kiss as the sign of the one to seize.  Judas said:  “Whomsoever I kiss, He is the One; seize Him.”  When He kissed Jesus he said:  “Hail, Master!”  Jesus reply was:  “Friend, for what are you here?”

Jesus said to the multitude:  “Whom do you seek?’  They answered:  “Jesus of Nazareth.”  His answer:  “I am He.”  As soon as He spoke that statement they all fell backward to the ground.  He asked them again:  “Whom do you seek?”  They said:  “Jesus of Nazareth.”  Jesus answered:  “I told you that I am He; if therefore you seek Me, let these go their way.”  He spoke this that the scripture might be fulfilled that He had lost none that the Father had given Him.

When the crowd seized Jesus and arrested Him, hotheaded Peter drew his sword and struck a servant of the high priest’s and cut off his ear.  Jesus said to him:  “Put your sword back in its place, for all who draw the sword will die by the sword.  Do you suppose that I cannot pray to My  Father and He would immediately provide me with more than 12 legions (more than 80,000) angels?  But how then would the scriptures be fulfilled, that it must come about this way?  The cup that My Father has given to Me, shall I not drink it?”

Then Jesus said to the crowd:  “Have you come out with swords and clubs as you would against a robber to capture Me?  Daily I was accustomed to sit in the porches and courts of the temple teaching, and you did not arrest Me.”  All of this took place that the scriptures might be fulfilled.  Then all the disciples deserted Jesus and fled and escaped.

The Last Supper

Matthew 26:17-29; Mark 14:12-31; Luke 22:1-38; John 13:1-38

Before the Passover began, Jesus knew that the time had come for Him to leave this world and return to His Father.  He loved those who were His own in the world to the last and highest degree.

Then came the Passover.  Jesus sent Peter and John to go and prepare the Passover meal.  They asked Him where they were to go to prepare it.  He said to them:  “When you enter into the city, there you will meet a man carrying a pitcher of water.  Follow him into the house he enters and say to the master of the house:  The Master asks you:  Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover meal with my disciples, for my time is near?  And he will show you a large room upstairs, furnished with carpets and couches properly spread.  Make the preparations there.”  And they went and found the room just as He said it would be, and they made ready the Passover.

When the hour was come (evening), Jesus sat down with His 12 disciples and said to them:  “I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.  For I say to you that I shall eat it no more until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.”

And He took the cup and when He had given thanks, He said:  “Take this and distribute it among yourselves.  For I say to you that from now on I shall not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” This was Messiah’s cup that no one had ever taken at the Passover feast before.  It had remained for Messiah.

And He took the bread and gave thanks, and broke it and gave it to them saying:  “Take, eat, this is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”

In like manner He took the cup (this is the communion cup) after supper saying:  “This cup is the New Testament or Covenant ratified in My blood which is shed, poured out for you.  But behold, he who is about to betray Me is with Me on the table.  For the Son of Man is going as it has been determined and appointed, but woe to that man by whom He is betrayed and delivered up.”

The disciples began to inquire among themselves which of them it was who was about to do this.  Then an eager contention arose among them as to who was the greatest among them.  Jesus rebuked them, saying that he who is the greatest is he who serves.  He talked to them of their future in the Father’s kingdom.  Then He told Peter of satan’s desire to have him, but Jesus would take care of Him.  Of course, Jesus was referring to Peter’s denial of Him three times.

Supper being ended, Jesus got up, laid aside His garments, took a servant’s towel, and fastened it around His waist.  Then He poured water into the washbasin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and wipe them with the towel.  When He came to Simon Peter, Peter did not want Him to wash his feet as he thought it was too demeaning for Jesus, their leader.  Jesus rebuked him and told him that unless He washed his feet, Peter would have no part in Jesus.  Of course, Peter being Peter said:  “Oh, then wash my whole body.”

Jesus spoke to His disciples after He had washed their feet.  “Do you know what I have done to you?  Let me tell you what I have done.  I have given you an example.  The servant is not greater than his Master.  I Whom you call Lord and Master have washed your feet.  You also ought to wash one another’s feet.”

Love serves because it wants to, not because it has to!

The Anointing of Jesus

Matthew 26:1-16; Mark 14:1-11

Two days before Passover, when Jesus had finished preaching, He said to His disciples:  “You know that the Passover is in two days, and the Son of Man will be delivered up, betrayed, and crucified.”

The chief priests and elders of the people gathered in the palace of the high priest, Caiaphas and consulted to develop a secret strategy how they might have Jesus arrested and put to death.  But they said that it must not be during the Feast, fearing that there would be a riot among the people.

Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper.  A woman having an alabaster box of very precious perfume (oil of spikenard), broke the box and poured the perfume on His head.  When the disciples saw it, they were indignant and declared:  “For what purpose is this waste?  For it might have been sold for more than 300 denarii (a laboring man’s wages for one year).”  They murmured against her.  They censured and reproved her.  Jesus was aware of their judgment and said to them:  “Why do you bother the woman?  She has done a noble and beautiful thing to Me.  You always have the poor with you, but you will not always have Me.  In pouring this perfume on My body she has done something to prepare Me for My burial.  Truly I tell you, wherever this good news of the Gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will be told also, in memory of her.”

Then one of the twelve, Judas Iscariot went to the chief priests.  “What are you willing to give me if I hand Jesus over to you?  And they covenanted with him for 30 pieces of silver.  From that moment on Judas looked for the proper time and opportunity to betray Jesus.

Let’s look at this passage and see what the Holy Spirit tells us about the anointing of Jesus and the betrayal.

Jesus told His disciples that He would be betrayed and crucified.  Apparently, it went right over their heads.  Knowing these disciples, I am sure they would have had a heated discussion about what He said, particularly Peter.  But their eyes were blinded and their ears were stopped.  For understanding had not yet come to them of what their beloved Jesus would suffer.

We see in this passage two extremes concerning money.  The woman with the expensive perfume loved Jesus so much she was willing to give Him her all, in honor and praise for Him.  The perfume represented her pouring out her love on Him.  She did not understand the full significance of what she was doing, but her complete commitment to Him moved her to do something for Him.  She loved Him so much she wanted to give to Him.

Look at the disciples.  They condemned her and judged her and reproved her.  Who does she think she is?  What is she doing?  Doesn’t she know that that would have helped a lot of poor people?  Why is she wasting all that money?  Sound familiar!  Isn’t that what we have thought about something a person does when we don’t approve.  We are too quick to judge what someone does, not understanding the spiritual significance of it.  Let us leave it with the Lord when we see something we don’t understand, instead of analyzing it from our limited perspective.

Then there is Judas.  Greed, lust for money, drove him to betray Jesus.  He thought Jesus would use His Kingly anointing to pass through the crowd and not be crucified.  That is why Judas threw the money at the chief priests after Jesus was crucified and said that he had betrayed an innocent man and hung himself.  Oh the sadness of his death.  He could have been forgiven if he had asked forgiveness, but he did not know that.  Because of Jesus there is forgiveness for whatever you have done!