While Sweating Blood.....

And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground. Luke 22:44

“All His life, Christ had been publishing to a fallen world the good news of the Father’s mercy and pardoning love ... But now with the terrible weight of guilt He bears, He cannot see the Father’s

reconciling face. 

---Satan with his fierce temptations wrung the heart of Jesus. 

---The Savior could not see through the portals of the tomb. 

Hope did not present to Him His coming forth from the grave a conqueror, or tell Him of the Father’s acceptance of the sacrifice. 

---He feared that sin was so offensive to God that their separation was to be eternal...” 

E.G.W.

Kiss of Betrayal

Betrayest thou the Son of Man with a kiss?

Luke 22:48

"The kisses of an enemy are deceitful. 

--Let me be on my guard when the world puts on a loving face, for it

will, if possible, betray me as it did my Master, with a kiss. 

--Whenever a man is about to stab religion, he usually professes very great reverence for it. Let me beware of the sleek-faced hypocrisy which is armor-bearer to heresy and infidelity. 

The young man, void of understanding, was led astray by the kiss of the strange woman: may my soul be so graciously instructed all this day, that "the much fair speech" of the world may have no effect upon me. Holy Spirit, let me not, a poor frail son of man, be betrayed with a kiss!

Q: But what if I should be guilty of the same accursed sin as Judas, that son of perdition? 

--I have been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus; 

--I am a member of his visible Church; 

--I sit at the communion table: 

all these are so many kisses of my lips. 

O God, forbid that I should be a high-soaring professor, and then fall at last into the lake of fire, because I betrayed my Master with a kiss." 

Charles Spurgeon

The Drama in the 2 Gardens [Eden & Gethsemane]

1] In Eden Eve was so slyly tempted that she and Adam fell into
disobedience.

And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.  

Genesis 3:6

In Gethsemane Christ was so tempted that under the weight of the world blood fell as sweat. 

And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.  

Luke 22:44

 

2] In the one Garden the pinnacle of the drama was the conversing with Lucifer via the serpent.

And the woman said unto the serpent,...

Genesis 3:2 

In the other Garden the pinnacle of the drama was conversing with God in Prayer.

And He was withdrawn from them about a stone's cast, and kneeled down, and prayed, Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.

Luke 22:41,42 

 

3] In Eden God removed our first parents from the Garden.So He drove out the man; Genesis 3:24

In Gethsemane their descendants removed the Son of God from the Garden. 

Then Jesus said unto the chief priests, and captains of the temple, and the elders, which were come to him, Be ye come out, as against a thief, with swords and staves? Then took they Him, and led Him, and brought Him into the high priest's house. 

Luke 22:52-52

What the 3 in Gethsemane Represent

Ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone.

John 16:2 

 

"Few had fellowship with the sorrows of Gethsemane. 

---The majority of the disciples were not sufficiently advanced in grace to be admitted to behold the mysteries of “the agony.” ---Occupied with the passover feast at their own houses, they represent the many who live upon the letter, but are mere babes as to the spirit of the gospel. 

 

To twelve, nay, to eleven only was the privilege given to enter Gethsemane and see this great sight. 

Out of the eleven, eight were left at a distance; they had fellowship, but not of that intimate sort to which men greatly beloved are admitted. 

Only three highly favored ones could approach the veil of our Lord’s mysterious sorrow: within that veil even these must not intrude; a stone's-cast distance must be left between. 

 

He must tread the wine-press alone, and of the people there must be none with him. Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, represent the few eminent, experienced saints, who may be written down as “Fathers;” these having done business on great waters, can in some degree measure the huge Atlantic waves of their Redeemer’s passion.

 

*To some selected spirits it is given, for the good of others, and to

strengthen them for future, special, and tremendous conflict, to enter the inner circle and hear the pleadings of the suffering High Priest; they have fellowship with him in his sufferings, and are made conformable unto his death. 

Yet even these cannot penetrate the secret places of the Savior’s woe. “Thine unknown sufferings” is the remarkable expression of the Greek liturgy: there was an inner chamber in our Master’s grief, shut out from human knowledge and fellowship. There Jesus is “left alone.”

Charles Spurgeon

Prepare for our "Gethsemane"

For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. Matthew 24:21

“Now [in Gethsemane] the tempter had come for the last fearful

struggle.
For this he had been preparing during the three years of Christ’s ministry.
Everything was at stake with him. If he failed here, his hope of mastery was lost…” Desire of Ages, 686.

And today, in preparation for the time of trouble, “The agencies of evil are combining their forces and consolidating. They are strengthening for the last great crisis.” Testimonies, vol. 9, 11.
 
And paralleling Jacob’s experience with ours Ellen White says, “The crisis in his life has come; everything is at stake.” Great Controversy, 617."
StepsToLife

A Lesson From The Garden Of Gethsemane

When Jesus had spoken these words, he went forth with his disciples over the brook Cedron, where was a garden, into the which he entered, and his disciples. John 18:1
  Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder. Matthew 26:36
And he taketh with him Peter and James and John, and began to be sore amazed, and to be very heavy; And saith unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death: tarry ye here, and watch. And he went forward a little, and fell on the ground, and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. And he cometh, and findeth them sleeping, and saith unto Peter, Simon, sleepest thou? couldest not thou watch one hour? Mark 14:33-35,37
He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done. Matthew 26:42 And when he returned, he found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy, neither wist they what to answer him. Matthew 14:40 And he was withdrawn from them about a stone's cast, and kneeled down, and prayed, ...And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him. And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground. Luke 22:41,43,44
 And he cometh the third time, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: it is enough, the hour is come; Mark 14:41

"They lost much by thus sleeping..... By these sleeping disciples is represented a sleeping church, when the day of visitation is nigh." Testimonies for the Church Vol.2 p. 205