Text: Luke 22:39-46
1. One of the most moving experiences recorded concerning the life of
Christ took place in the garden of Gethsemane.
2. Here we see the humanity of Jesus clearly presented.
3. Why this record is so important is because we all have our "Gethsemanes."
a. It may be a "Gethsemane" of trouble
(Job 14:1-2).
b. It may be a "Gethsemane" of grief (I Thess.
4:13).
c. It may be a "Gethsemane" of illness (II Kings
20:1-6).
d. Or it may be a "Gethsemane" of loss: a job,
friend, spouse...
5. Whatever your "Gethsemane" may be, you should
seek to follow the example
Jesus left us in His "Gethsemane."
I. Jesus Was Concerned About Others In Gethsemane
A. He urged his disciples to "watch and pray" lest they
fall (Mt. 26:41).
B. When we cannot look beyond ourselves, we tend to magnify our
problems.
C. To make your load of life lighter, you need to take on the load of
another.
D. When thinking of others, we become grateful for what we have (Phil.
4:6-8).
II. Jesus Prayed To God While In Gethsemane
A. Luke said that Jesus "agonized" in prayer
(Luke 22:44).
B. The Hebrew writer said that he offered prayers with "vehement
cries and tears."
(Hebrews 5:7).
C. If Jesus, as strong as He was, needed to pray, then surely we need to
pray as well.
D. Prayer is to be practiced so
that we do not faint (Luke 18:1).
E. James said that if we suffer, we should pray (James 5:13).
F. (James 5:16; Ephesians 3:20) Prayer is effectual.
III. Jesus Looked To His Friends In Gethsemane
A. Jesus took three of his closest friends with him (Matthew
26:37-38).
B. Our friends can support and sustain us in our "Gethsemanes."
D. (Proverbs 17:17).
IV. Jesus Looked For Solitude In Gethsemane
A. This does not contradict the above point, it compliments it.
B. There is a time for friends, and there
is a time to be alone.
C. Jesus withdrew himself from his friends (Luke 22:41).
D. There are times when we need to wait upon the Lord (Psalms 33:20).
V. Jesus Accepted God’s Will In Gethsemane
A. Jesus resigned Himself to God’s will (Luke 22:42).
B. He did not please Himself (Romans 15:3).
C. Jesus didn’t insist that God change His will - He asked for
strength to bear His will.
D. The child of God believes that God can and does take bad things and
bring about good through those bad things (Romans 8:28).
Conclusion:
We can all expect some "Gethsemanes" in our
life. But Jesus has left us an example of how to deal with such
occasions. If you follow his advice and example, you will be victorious
over your personal "Gethsemane."
