Matthew 26:36-39
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.”
What is Gethsemane:
Gethsemane is the place where Jesus made the declaration, not My will, but Your Will Father.
Gethsemane is located just east of the temple mount area in Jerusalem, right across from the Brook Kidron and on the lower slopes of the mount of olives. Gethsemane is surrounded by ancient olive trees. The word Gethsemane means “olive press.”
Here is where you can find the neighborhood were olives were crushed for their oil. So to the Son of God would be crushed here.
Gethsemane is the place that you and I make a decision to say God empty me of myself and let me depend on you.
God I don’t want to depend on my talents and gifts, but I want to allow You to have your way in my life.
The more we die to ourselves and crush our own abilities, the more God can flow from us like a crushed olive releasing fresh olive oil.
Some benefits of olive oil:
- Strengthens your immune system
- Pain relief
- It keeps your body running smoothly
-
Staying focused on Jesus - Today in the Word, March 10, 1993
Deeply immersed in meditation during a church service, Italian poet Dante Alighieri failed to kneel at the appropriate moment. His enemies hurried to the bishop and demanded that Dante be punished for his sacrilege. Dante defended himself by saying, "If those who accuse me had had their eyes and minds on God, as I had, they too would have failed to notice events around them, and they most certainly would not have noticed what I was doing."
Jesus prepared Himself in Gethsemane:
It is in Gethsemane is where Jesus prepared Himself to do God’s will and prepared Himself for the cross.
Gethsemane can represent our time in prayer before the Lord.
We should have a Gethsemane.
A place where God can fill us up to do His will.
If Jesus spent time in prayer before He went to the cross, how many know it is important for you and I to spend time in the Presence of the Lord before we set out to do what God has called us to do.
In Gethsemane is where Jesus said Father not my will, but yours.
We can look at Gethsemane where we say God not may own strength, but in your strength I can carry out what you have called me to do.
Not my abilities or talents, but in the power of the Holy Spirit.
lost humanity apart from the perfect, wrath-satisfying sacrifice that Jesus prepared Himself for in Gethsemane.
This struggle at Gethsemane –
It was at the place Gethsemane also known as the place of crushing where Jesus made up His mind. He said God if it is possible take this cup from me, but not My will, but Your will. The place of crushing has an important part in Jesus fulfilling God’s plan of redemption.
If Jesus would have failed at the place of crushing, He may not have been willing to go to the cross. His success in Gethsemane made victory at the cross possible.
The Bible says that Jesus fell on His face and prayed.
Jesus prayed and came to a point of decision in Gethsemane.
The struggle at the cross was first won in prayer in Gethsemane.
It wasn’t that Jesus had not decided to go the cross before this, but here in Gethsemane is where He came upon a point of final decision.
One commentary put it like this:
He drank the cup at Calvary, but He decided once and for all to drink the cup at Gethsemane.
The struggle of the cross was won at the garden of Gethsemane.
The cross in our lives can represent dying to self.
How many know as musicians, singers and choir members we can have the tendency to depend up abilities and talents to get the work of the Lord done.
Jesus modeled for us that the struggle to depend upon our own talents and abilities will be won as we spend time with The Lord in our garden of Gethsemane.
We are all human and can have the tendency to depend upon our natural abilities in carrying out the work of the Lord, but God wants us to depend on Him.
In Gethsemane is where God can crush us of ourselves and fill us with more of Him.
It is important that as we give out to allow God to fill us and this takes place in the Presence of the Lord.
Like I said earlier there may be times where we are not able to make altar calls in service and that is why it is important for us to have that Gethsemane where we can allow God to fill us.
Even when we come to rehearsal it is important that there be an atmosphere where we can allow God to fill us.
Not only going over songs and notes, but also an atmosphere where God can fill us.
You guys are constantly giving out and you are doing a great job, but let’s try and make sure that we are allowing God to fill us so that we are not running on empty.
Let that fresh oil flow from us spending time in our Gethsemane.
A Fresh anointing that will relieve pain.
A Fresh anointing that will help someone to fight off the influence of the world.
A Fresh anointing that will help someone to carry on.
A Fresh anointing that will bring healing to someone who is in need of a touch.
