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!”
47 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.
- Matthew 26:36-56, The New International Version, (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House) 1984.

Dear Friends in Christ,

Gethsemane.   The name itself means "oil press," obviously because of what was once there.  It is a small garden or park-like spot on the western slope of the Mount of Olives, across the Brook Kidron from the city of Jerusalem.  In the center of the garden today stands a chapel called the "Basilica of Agony."

Agony.  That’s a pretty good description of what happened there some 2000 years ago.  In that garden we see Christ in physical, emotional and spiritual agony unlike we’ve ever seen Him before.  But there was more than agony that night.  There was wondrous love being played out… and that’s what we’d like to focus on tonight:

The portion of the passion history that serves as our text can be neatly divided into two events with two principal characters in each of them.  First we see Jesus in prayer.  Then we see Judas betraying Him into the hands of His enemies.  Both events speak of Jesus’ wondrous love for us…

Listen to the first half of our text:  Read Matthew 26:36-46

In the Lenten hymn we sing, "Go to dark Gethsemane, all who feel the Tempter’s power."  It is safe to say that Jesus had not undergone this kind of spiritual assault since early in His ministry when He was tempted in the wilderness.  This is indicated in several different ways…

First, he solicited the encouragement and presence of His three closest disciples.  There are times in the Gospels where we are told that Jesus went by Himself to pray.  This was not one of those times.  He, as true man, needed the support of His friends.

Even before He begins to pray we are told that "he began to be sorrowful and troubled."  Behind the Greek word we translate "sorrowful" is the idea of grieving, and behind the word translated "troubled" is the feeling of utter loneliness, desertion and desolation.   Then he states for the ears of His disciples what their eyes could no doubt already see:  "My soul is overwhelmed (literally "deeply grieved") with sorrow to the point of death."  Then a plea:  "Stay here and keep watch with Me."  In such a state of emotional distress, Jesus does not want to be alone…

Going off a short distance, He leaves His disciples and "he fell with his face to the ground and prayed."  Many of us are familiar with a picture of Jesus praying in the Garden of Gethsemane.  He’s leaning against a rock with His hands folded in prayer and gazing up to heaven.  Maybe that’s the way He ended up, but that’s not the way He started.  He is prostrate.  His posture of body indicates the sorrow of His soul and the seriousness of His prayer.

And this is what He prayed:  "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me.  Yet not as I will, but as you will."  Later He returns to find His disciples sleeping. After expressing His disappointment with them and giving them words of encouragement (which He could have greatly used from them), we are told he went and prayed a second time.  The scene repeated itself again, and we are told He prayed the third time…

A week and a half ago we observed Transfiguration Sunday.  At that time the statement was made that this was a defining moment for Christ.  He was at a crossroads.  One path led to self-preservation.  The other led to the cross.  Fully knowing what lay ahead of Him, Jesus chose the cross.  For us.

We see those same variables at work.  But this time there is a sense of urgency we haven’t seen before.  We’ve seen Jesus weep at the grave of Lazarus.  We’ve seen Jesus exhibit righteous indignation as He cleared the temple.  We’ve seen Jesus react with deep sadness at those who rejected Him.  But up until now, we’ve never seen Him like this.  No doubt Satan is trying hard to tempt Jesus to take the easy way out.

Standing now where Jesus was then is the Basilica of Agony.  Aptly named.  Jesus was in agony…

Because things were starting to happen now and He knew it.  Within an hour or so, He would be betrayed into the hands of His enemies.  Within three hours or so, he would begin a series of trials.  By nine o’clock the next morning He would be crucified with two thieves.  And approximately 6 hours later he’d taste something entirely foreign to Him as the eternal Son of God.  He’d taste death.

So we see Christ at the crossroads once again.  It’s no wonder He is looking for strength.  It’s no wonder He is wrestling with His thoughts.  It’s no wonder He is begging His Heavenly Father for a way out. 

But notice how He ends His fervent prayer:  "… If it is not possible for this cup be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done."  And it was God’s will that Jesus as our Savior, our Substitute, our Sin-Bearer would drink that cup right down to the bitter dregs.  Which means we sinners are redeemed, restored, forgiven and now at peace with God.  What wondrous love is this.

Before we move into the second part of our text, allow me to point out a characteristic of Christ that (at least it seems to me) we rarely talk about.  We often speak of the compassion of Christ or the love of Christ or the forgiving spirit of Christ – and all of these are certainly true.  But what we see in the Garden of Gethsemane is courage.  In military terms we might say that Jesus was exhibiting "courage under fire."

And because He was courageous, unflinching, resolute and ready to do His Father’s will, we are going to live forever in heaven.  What wondrous love is this, o my soul?

The wondrous love continues through the second episode taken up in our text.  Read Matthew 26:47-56.

It was now the hour of darkness – the hour "when darkness reigns" as Jesus referred to it in the Gospel of Luke.  There are lots of details we could focus on, but we’ll limit ourselves to only a few…

First we see the obvious, and that from which everything else proceeded:  Jesus was betrayed by His close friend, Judas Isacariot.  And, to add insult to injury, He was betrayed by a false act of love – a kiss. 

Next we see that Jesus’ enemies were allowed to arrest Him.  Although this had been tried several times before, Jesus had not permitted it because "His time had not yet come."  Now the time had come.  We then read that Peter made a blundering attempt to show his allegiance to Jesus by attacking one of the high priest’s servants, cutting off his ear with a sword.  Jesus rebuked Peter, and as we are told elsewhere in the Gospels, healed the man.

Then came perhaps the worst blow of all.  Earlier I mentioned that behind one of the words that described Jesus internal, emotional distress was a feeling of utter loneliness, desertion and desolation.  Jesus must have felt the full brunt of that now, for we are told:  "Then all the disciples deserted him and fled."

Perhaps the most important lesson in the story is the way in which Jesus treated all of these people.  Even while He was being kissed by the betraying Jesus, He referred to him as "friend."  Even though the mob led him away and would in short order be calling for his death, His first word from the cross would be "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do."  Even though Peter and the disciples left Him high and dry, Jesus didn’t consider them damaged goods unworthy of Him, but would later regroup them, strengthen them, and remind them of His wondrous love for them.

But the greatest demonstration of that love was yet to come.  All those same people would have the opportunity to see Jesus hanging shamefully on the cross.  Yes, they would see what Jesus had already envisioned as He knelt down in prayer that night with His face to the ground, dreading the bitter, foreign taste of the cup He would have to take – the poison that contaminated the entire human race.  They would see the God-man suffer and die…

And there the height of His wondrous love would be revealed.  He would redeem the entire human race; yes, even those who denied, betrayed, accused, arrested, condemned and abandoned Him.  He would not only personally forgive them, but also secure their personal forgiveness – and our forgiveness – before God Himself.

What wondrous love.

This evening, as we go to "dark Gethsemane," let us remember that the real lesson is not just to learn from Him how to pray or to learn from Him how to bear our crosses or to learn from Him how to die or to learn from Him how to rise.  Jesus did not enter that Garden merely to be an example for us…

No, Jesus prayed, bore the cross, died and rose for us because we could not do it ourselves.  He endured the agony so we can enjoy the ecstasy…

So again, what wondrous love is this, o my soul?  It is the love of the Savior who, on that horrible night in the Garden of Gethsemane, gave Himself to nullify the consequences of our sin. 

What wondrous love is this, o my soul?  It is the love of Christ, through whom the forgiveness of sins, peace with God, and heaven itself are ours today.  Amen.