In the Garden

In the garden of Gethsemane Jesus prepared himself for what He knew was about to happen. The separation between Jesus and the Father was beginning to occur. Christ asked that the Father take this cup away from Him, the cup of the wrath of the Lord. Yet Jesus said, “Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” (Luke 22:42 ESV). As Jesus perspired, He shed blood. This can happen to a person, this anomaly of sweating blood. Blood sweating is called Hematohidrosis, and it can happen to a person under extreme stress. Jesus did not stop what was about to happen. Remember He is God He could have stopped this act. In response to the impending danger, He continued to prepare the apostles for the inevitable. He remained a servant of God, the Son of God. He wanted to ensure that His chosen, His elect, were prepared for what would change the world forever.

In an interesting parallel, we see a similar situation in 2 Timothy.

Paul and Timothy

The Apostle Paul is once again in prison. Paul was a repeat offender who, no matter the punishment, continued to preach the Gospel. In his epistle to Timothy, Paul writes to Timothy to encourage him as Paul knows his execution is imminent. Never recoiling from the gospel, Paul encourages Timothy to take his place. Paul calls Timothy his child. Paul recalls Timothy’s sincere faith, a faith that Paul reminds Timothy, “dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice” (1:5 ESV). We can assume that Timothy’s father is, for whatever reason, no longer present or did not share the Christian faith. Paul has become the spiritual father of Timothy. He loved Timothy like his own son. Here again, we see the correlation to Jesus, one who is about to die in the service of the Father giving spiritual encouragement to those around him, his companions, and his children. Both Jesus and Paul never falter in the path they are on. Paul tells Timothy. “Therefore, I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.” (2:10 ESV). This was a profession and a warning to Timothy that as Paul’s replacement, the same will happen to him. But in this, Paul is reminding us that this suffering is for the glory of Christ and our sanctification.

Our Perfect Lamb

Jesus took part in the decision to become our sacrifice along with the Father and Holy Spirit. He chose to submit to this act, this act of love. This was not some sort of cosmic child abuse on the part of the Father. The Son of God knew He must die to set the children He loved free. Kneeling alone in the garden while the apostles slept, waiting for the betrayer and the temple guards Jesus prayed, professed His faith, and solidified His determination to carry out the will of the Father.

He now sees the torches of His captors and the face of his betrayer……