Fully Devoted: JesusSample

The Garden of Gethsemane

It’s Thursday night of Holy Week, after dinner. Jesus and eleven of His disciples are approaching the Garden of Gethsemane. Judas isn’t with them. He left during the meal to gather up the men he would need to arrest Jesus. While Judas was preparing to deliver Jesus over to the religious leaders, Jesus was preparing His disciples for His death. He reminded them of who they were and who He’d called them to be. He strengthened them and encouraged them and warned them of what was to come. And He reminded them over and over and over again of the defining discipline of a disciple: to love others as Jesus loves us. 

Now, as they arrive at the garden, Jesus tells His disciples to sit down while He goes off to pray. Peter, James, and John go with Him. Jesus, in a moment of human vulnerability, expresses His sorrow to His three friends: “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.” Jesus goes a little farther. He falls to the ground and cries out to His Father, “If it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will” (Matthew 26:38-39 NIV).

This moment is so significant. Jesus, the Son of Adam, is undoing the sin of Adam. In the Garden of Eden, Adam chose to follow his own will rather than God’s will. Now, in this garden, Jesus chooses to surrender His will as the Son and commits Himself instead to the will of the Father. 

But Jesus, who is fully God and fully human, has an incredibly human moment here in this garden. He is desperately crying out to His Father to find another option. Jesus is abundantly aware of the pain and humiliation that lies ahead of Him.  But He knows there is no other way. This is the way it has to be: the way that leads to His sacrificial death on the cross and His resurrection from the dead. 

It’s because of moments like this that the author of Hebrews was able to say:

We do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Hebrews 4:15-16 NIV

Jesus repeats this prayer three times—the same number of times He was tempted by the devil in the wilderness. Three times in this garden Jesus is tempted to repeat the sin of Adam. But three times He resists. He chooses obedience to the Father over obedience to His own desires. Three times in the wilderness Jesus was tempted to take the easy route and give into the devil’s wishes. But three times He resisted. 

Jesus did for us what we could never do for ourselves.

“... he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross!” Philippians 2:8 NIV

After His third prayer, Judas arrives with a band of violent men armed with clubs and swords. He betrays his rabbi, and our Savior, with a kiss on the cheek. Jesus is seized and arrested. 

… Then all the disciples deserted him and fled. … But Peter followed him at a distance, right up to the courtyard of the high priest ... Matthew 26:56, 58 NIV

How far will you follow Jesus? 

Just a few hours ago, Peter boldly declared that He would follow Jesus all the way to His death. And the rest of the disciples said the same. But then they all deserted Jesus, and now Peter is following at a distance. 

And three times, Peter will deny knowing Jesus. His rabbi. His teacher. His Lord. His friend. And after the third denial, Jesus will look straight at Peter. And Peter will remember what Jesus told him. He’ll leave the courtyard and weep bitterly. 

What do you think was the emotion on Jesus’ face when He looked at Peter? Was it anger? Disappointment? Resigned understanding? Hurt? What did Peter see when Jesus looked at Him? 

Maybe he saw grace, compassion, and mercy—and that's why Peter’s tears were so bitter. Peter was confronted by the weight of staring perfect grace in the face and pretending he never knew Him. 

Journaling Questions

• What verse or passage stands out to you the most from today’s reading? Write it in your journal.
• Do you actually believe that Jesus understands what it’s like to be you? The struggles you go through? The pain you’ve experienced? The challenges you face? Why or why not? 
• When you read this part of the story, what emotions do you feel? What thoughts do you have? Write them down.