Betrayal in the Garden

Betrayal in the Garden

Luke 22:39-53

Rich Trotter

When Jesus was here on earth, He was fully God. Yet at the same time He was also fully man.

Before His arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus experienced the human anguish of knowing the suffering He would soon face. But this deep concern was not over the pain and death as such that would shortly overcome Him. Instead, His agony was over the knowledge that in a few hours, He would be the One to bear our sins--past, present, and future. Jesus knew that on the cross, God the Father would turn His back on Him, and He (Jesus) would experience the full penalty for all our sins.

While in His sorrow in the garden, Jesus asked His closest companions to be praying with Him during this difficult time. Yet all they could do was sleep. Unable to provide even minimal support, eventually they would flee, leaving Him to face the weight of the crucifixion alone.

After Jesus prayed in the garden, the crowd came for Him with torches, swords, and clubs. Peter reacted by taking his sword and cutting off the ear of the high priest's servant. But Jesus told him to stop, and chose not to respond to the mob with violence. Being in complete control, Jesus willingly submitted. Then in the midst of all the chaos and turmoil, Jesus calmly performed a miracle and restored the servant's ear.

When I read the passages that are described, I have to ask myself:  am I serious about the prayers I am praying to the God of the universe? Or am I just quickly going through a "checklist" of prayers in a surface way? Also, am I sincere in my support of others in their prayer concerns? And finally, in times of unrest and confusion, am I mindful that Jesus is quietly and steadily working as the One who is in control of all things?