Matthew 26:36-55 - Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane
§ "A Question to Provoke thought" - NB: ill today and so this blog is from March.
§Gethhsemane means oil press and of course is full of olive trees.Both in the Old and New Testament the place is associated with crisis and judgment. Is that why Jesus chose to go there to go through this agony? Was there something about this place that helped Him connect with what He was going through?
1. Zechariah 14 – the Mount of Olives is prophesied about – it will spilt and in the valley that God creates the people use as an escape route from being attacked, their houses ransacked, women raped, capture, siege and possibly death.
2. 2 Sam 15 – it is here that Samuel constructs shrines to Pagan Gods.
3. Luke 19 – it is here Jesus wept over the city’s coming destruction.
4. Matt 21 – it is here Jesus curses the fig tree – a symbol of judgment on Israel.
5. Matt 24 – it is here that Jesus delivers His Olivet discourse a prophecy of judgment.
6. Matt 26 – it is here Jesus asks to be delivered, sweats tears of blood and is betrayed by Judas.
§ Was Jesus associating this place of a future divinely provided escape route?
§ Note He had just quoted from Zechariah! So He was very aware of the prophecy.
§ Was it here that Jesus was going hoping to escape if God willed it?
§ He knew this was one day to a divinely created escape route.
§ Was He reminding the Father by being there?
§ This is a good thought regarding God’s will when it is very hard. I need to understand just how cognizant Jesus was of what was about to happen to Him. The fact that Jesus I believe really was asking a genuine question shows me how much He really did not want to go through what He was about to go through.
§ The fact that He willing did this therefore shows His love for me.
§ Was this the first time Jesus expressed His will was different from His Father’s will?
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