In the Garden
(various)
The essence of Christian
leadership is best shown by our Lord Himself, and nowhere more clearly than the
night in which He was betrayed. Here,
in the last moments before the trial, Christ shows us what it is to be a Servant
Leader.
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Matthew 26:30-46
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Mark 14:26-41
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Luke 22:39-46
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(Mat 26:30-46 NIV) When
they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. {31} Then Jesus told them, "This
very night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written:
"'I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be
scattered.' {32} But
after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee."
{33} Peter replied, "Even if all fall away on account of you, I
never will." {34} "I
tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "this
very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three
times." {35} But
Peter declared, "Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown
you." And all the other disciples said the same.
{36} Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane,
and he said to them, "Sit here while I go
over there and pray."
{37} He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he
began to be sorrowful and troubled.
{38} Then he said to them, "My soul is
overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch
with me." {39} Going
a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, "My
Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I
will, but as you will."
{40} Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. "Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?" he
asked Peter. {41} "Watch
and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing,
but the body is weak."
{42} He went away a second time and prayed, "My
Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink
it, may your will be done."
{43} When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their
eyes were heavy. {44} So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third
time, saying the same thing. {45} Then
he returned to the disciples and said to them, "Are
you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour is near, and the Son of Man
is betrayed into the hands of sinners.
{46} Rise, let us go! Here comes my
betrayer!"
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(Mark 14:26-42 NIV) When
they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. {27} "You will all fall away," Jesus
told them, "for it is written: "'I will
strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.'
{28} But after I have risen, I will go ahead
of you into Galilee."
{29} Peter declared, "Even if all fall away, I will not."
{30} "I tell you the truth," Jesus
answered, "today--yes, tonight--before the
rooster crows twice you yourself will disown me three times." {31} But Peter insisted emphatically, "Even if I have to die
with you, I will never disown you." And all the others said the same.
{32} They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his
disciples, "Sit here while I pray."
{33} He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be
deeply distressed and troubled. {34}
"My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to
the point of death," he said to them. "Stay
here and keep watch."
{35} Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if
possible the hour might pass from him.
{36} "Abba, Father,"
he said, "everything is possible for
you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will."
{37} Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. "Simon,"
he said to Peter, "are you asleep?
Could you not keep watch for one hour?
{38} Watch and pray so that you will not fall
into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak."
{39} Once more he went away and prayed the same thing.
{40} When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their
eyes were heavy. They did not know what to say to him.
{41} Returning the third time, he said to them, "Are
you still sleeping and resting? Enough! The hour has come. Look, the Son
of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.
{42} Rise! Let us go! Here comes my
betrayer!"
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(Luke 22:39-46 NIV) Jesus
went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him.
{40} On reaching the place, he said to them,
"Pray
that you will not fall into temptation." {41} He withdrew about a stone's throw beyond them, knelt down
and prayed, {42} "Father,
if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be
done." {43} An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him.
{44} And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was
like drops of blood falling to the ground.
{45} When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found
them asleep, exhausted from sorrow.
{46} "Why are you sleeping?" he
asked them. "Get up and pray so that you will
not fall into temptation."
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Preparing Himself
One of the surest ways to become
a published author is to write a book on leadership or management.
So many of us who have such a position are looking for the answers to our
problems. In the Kingdom of God we
have more than a book – we have the example.
Jesus begins his preparation for
the coming trials in prayer.
·
It is worth noting that he does not pray just once, but three
times. Can it be that the Father
does not hear him – or is it possible that he is teaching persistence in
prayer one last time? In either
case, the point is clear: even
Jesus asked the Father for the same thing more than once.
·
Jesus gathers strength from this time of prayer.
Luke’s account says that God sent an angel, but however it was done we
see the strength. Many of us have
difficulty in praying not because we are weak but because we prefer to remain
weak, to excuse our timidity.
·
Note the trust that Jesus had in the Father.
Perhaps he was thinking back to the example of Abraham and Isaac.
He knows that His Father can provide, but is it His will to do so?
The relationship of trust is implicit in each prayer.
Nothing is so clear in this
account as the humanity of Jesus. The
Gnostics – who are still with us – denied the humanity of Jesus, thinking he
could not be a man of the flesh. Nothing
could be further from the truth. He is pictured here as “deeply grieved” – the NIV has
it as “overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death.” The literal translation would be “grieved all around.”
Luke, the doctor, tells us that his sweat was like “great drops of
blood.” (It is not clear if he
was sweating blood, or merely that the drops were of great size.
The word for drops is thrombos,
from which we get thrombosis.)
What was he afraid of?
If He is God, why the sweat? The
sweat is because He is also man.
·
First, there is physical pain.
Crucifixion is intentionally a horrible, painful, publicly humiliating
death.
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Then, there is death. As
a child of Adam, Jesus was subject to death like the rest of us.
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More than that, there is the separation from His Father.
Christ who had no sin was made to be sin for us, and sin cannot touch
God.
The
nature of courage is not to deny danger; nor is it to deny fear.
It is to face fear and do what must be done anyway.
This is the greatest example of courage.
Righteous suffering is a form of
sanctification. It “sets us
apart” for the purposes of God. Those
who have been through boot camp in the army know that such shared pain often
makes friends for life. The main
purpose, however, of that suffering is to prepare soldiers. We are told that Jesus learned obedience and was made perfect
through this suffering.
It is interesting that Christians today have abandoned the idea that
suffering might be nothing more than preparation for greater things.
Perhaps our attitude toward suffering needs a change.
Preparing the Disciples
One of the great mistakes of
leadership is keeping the followers in the dark. Christ has made it clear that He has come to reveal what God
wants made known. Now, at the last,
Jesus tells them the most personal of things:
their failures. He tells
Peter that he will deny him three times, and that all the others will fall away
also.
Nothing is so characteristic of
Jesus as the servant king than this: he
recognizes that his followers are human, filled with frailty – and takes them
with him just the same. Even though
Peter will deny him and all will run away, he takes three with him to pray.
It’s interesting to note that these are the same three (Peter, James
and John) who witnessed the transfiguration on the mount.
Those who saw him in glory will now see him in agony.
The servant leader has nothing to hide.
For him, God’s will is everything.
There is a touching passage
here. Luke tells us that at the
beginning and the end of these prayers Jesus counsels his disciples to get up
from their sleep and pray – so that temptation would not befall them. He knows their weakness;
he knows they should ask to be led from temptation.
Even as he faces the cross he cares for his sheep.
We must be careful here.
The failings of the disciples do not make them hypocrites, just faulty
disciples. Jesus knows that he has
left the church in the hands of men with failings (why else would the Holy
Spirit be so needed?). Despite that, he does not “do it himself.”
The servant leader builds up his followers so that they may imitate him.
With such failures about him,
why did not Jesus go to the garden alone?
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First, there is the example of Jesus. When
we face life’s greatest trials, we need to face them first in prayer, as he
did.
·
And we should not face them alone.
Jesus, son of Man, took his friends with him into the garden.
In the hospital corridors we often lack the words we think we should
have. Jesus did not ask for
comforting words, just for those who would watch and pray with him.
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Matthew
26:47-56
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Mark 14:43-52
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Luke 22:47-53
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John 18:1-12
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(Mat 26:47-56 NIV)
While he was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived.
With him was a large crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the
chief priests and the elders of the people.
{48} Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: "The one I
kiss is the man; arrest him."
{49} Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, "Greetings, Rabbi!"
and kissed him. {50} Jesus replied, "Friend, do what
you came for." Then the men stepped forward, seized Jesus and
arrested him. {51} With that,
one of Jesus' companions reached for his sword, drew it out and struck the
servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear. {52} "Put your sword back in its
place," Jesus said to him, "for
all who draw the sword will die by the sword. {53} Do you think I cannot call on my
Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of
angels? {54} But
how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this
way?" {55} At that
time Jesus said to the crowd, "Am I leading a
rebellion, that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me?
Every day I sat in the temple courts teaching, and you did not arrest me.
{56} But this has all taken place that the
writings of the prophets might be fulfilled." Then all the
disciples deserted him and fled.
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(Mark 14:43-52
NIV) Just as he was speaking,
Judas, one of the Twelve, appeared. With him was a crowd armed with swords
and clubs, sent from the chief priests, the teachers of the law, and the
elders. {44} Now the betrayer
had arranged a signal with them: "The one I kiss is the man; arrest
him and lead him away under guard."
{45} Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, "Rabbi!" and kissed
him. {46} The men seized Jesus
and arrested him. {47} Then one
of those standing near drew his sword and struck the servant of the high
priest, cutting off his ear. {48} "Am
I leading a rebellion," said Jesus, "that
you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me?
{49} Every day I was with you, teaching in the
temple courts, and you did not arrest me. But the Scriptures must be
fulfilled." {50} Then
everyone deserted him and fled. {51}
A young man, wearing nothing but a linen garment, was following Jesus.
When they seized him, {52} he
fled naked, leaving his garment behind.
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(Luke 22:47-53 NIV) While
he was still speaking a crowd came up, and the man who was called Judas,
one of the Twelve, was leading them. He approached Jesus to kiss him,
{48} but Jesus asked him, "Judas, are you
betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?"
{49} When Jesus' followers saw what was going to happen, they said,
"Lord, should we strike with our swords?"
{50} And one of them struck the servant of the high priest, cutting
off his right ear. {51} But
Jesus answered, "No more of this!" And
he touched the man's ear and healed him.
{52} Then Jesus said to the chief priests, the officers of the temple
guard, and the elders, who had come for him, "Am
I leading a rebellion, that you have come with swords and clubs?
{53} Every day I was with you in the temple
courts, and you did not lay a hand on me. But this is your hour--when
darkness reigns."
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(John 18:2-12 NIV)
Now Judas, who betrayed him, knew the place, because Jesus had
often met there with his disciples.
{3} So Judas came to the grove, guiding a detachment of soldiers and
some officials from the chief priests and Pharisees. They were carrying
torches, lanterns and weapons. {4} Jesus,
knowing all that was going to happen to him, went out and asked them, "Who
is it you want?" {5} "Jesus
of Nazareth," they replied. "I am
he," Jesus said. (And Judas the traitor was standing there
with them.) {6} When Jesus said,
"I am he," they drew back and
fell to the ground. {7} Again he
asked them, "Who is it you want?" And
they said, "Jesus of Nazareth."
{8} "I told you that I am he," Jesus
answered. "If you are looking for me, then
let these men go." {9} This
happened so that the words he had spoken would be fulfilled: "I
have not lost one of those you gave me." {10} Then Simon Peter, who had a sword, drew it and struck the
high priest's servant, cutting off his right ear. (The servant's name was
Malchus.) {11} Jesus commanded
Peter, "Put your sword away! Shall I not
drink the cup the Father has given me?" {12} Then the detachment of soldiers with its commander and the
Jewish officials arrested Jesus. They bound him
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The Servant King
The hour has now struck.
John’s Gospel gives us an intimate portrait of the last acts of the
servant king. The soldiers come
forward with Judas, and Jesus asks them who they are looking for.
In the dark, with only the dim torchlight, the temptation to say,
“Never heard of him” must have been there.
But Jesus stands up with courage and proclaims who he is.
·
There is the sense in which he does this to protect the disciples.
The soldiers are in sufficient numbers to round up the whole band.
But their orders are to collect only Jesus. He makes it easy for them to do so, and argues (successfully)
that the others should be allowed to “go their way.”
·
He does this even though “go their way” is equivalent to
abandoning him. Even though they
are not equal to the task of staying with him, he covers their retreat.
·
It is also a fulfillment of prophecy, and therefore an expression
of God’s will, that none be lost. The
mission is foremost.
Even this last episode is not
without its point of instruction. It
is interesting how the first three Gospels do not name the man with the sword.
Only John, writing after Peter had died perhaps, mentions the name.
Even in this Jesus gives his disciples an important lesson.
God’s purposes are to be achieved God’s way.
The sins of man are used for his glory despite the sinner;
the end does not justify the means – for God will provide the means.
Notice, by the way, the moral
force of Jesus. Peter has taken a
sword to Malchus’ ear – but he is not arrested!
(No harm, no foul?) This is
further shown in that the soldiers “fall to the ground” – in awe of this
man. If the text can be taken
literally (it is not certain) the word “cohort” means a thousand soldiers.
That’s a lot of military force to take one man.
So one may presume that they had some idea of who they were dealing with.
(How many chickens does it take to equal a lion?)
One last thing that must be
observed: through all of this
night, Jesus is clearly intent on only one thing:
His Father’s will. Many of
us are willing to fight for Christ. How
many are willing to die for Him? It
is the ultimate test. It is the one
He struggled with, for us, this night – and he passed.
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