Matthew 26:36-6 NASB
When I grew up I spent a lot of time in my dad’s woodshop. He was a cabinet maker and I consider him today to be a master carpenter. I saw him bend wood into the shape of a rounded bench. I’ve seen him turn a block of wood into a rose. He was a gifted craftsman.
Well, Jesus was a gifted craftsman. In the Bible, we see Jesus as the agent of God in creation, but we also see Jesus as a carpenter.
Well, there are certain tools in the wood shop that we can relate to our text: a clamp and a wedge. While a clamp is used to hold wood together, a wedge is used to drive the wood apart.
In Matthew 26:36-46, Jesus used his suffering and hardship like a clamp to bring him closer to God, instead of allowing his hardship to be a wedge to push him away.
36 Then Jesus *came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and *told His disciples, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” 37 And He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee with Him, and began to be grieved and distressed. 38 Then He *said to them, “My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death; remain here and keep watch with Me.” 39 And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.” 40 And He *came to the disciples and *found them sleeping, and He *said to Peter, “So, you men could not keep watch with Me for one hour? 41 Keep watching and praying, so that you do not come into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 42 He went away again a second time and prayed, saying, “My Father, if this cup cannot pass away unless I drink from it, Your will be done.” 43 Again He came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. 44 And He left them again, and went away and prayed a third time, saying the same thing once more. 45 Then He came to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Behold, the hour is at hand and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46 Get up, let’s go; behold, the one who is betraying Me is near!”
Reflect on the suffering of Christ in the garden.
Why did Jesus have to suffer? In the Garden, Jesus begins to bear a burden that was physically, emotionally and spiritually heavy. This was no ordinary struggle. This wasn’t just a bout of anxiety or depression. What He is starting to absorb was a burden only He could bear. He was heavy with sorrow from the sins of the world. All the sin that the world ever produced was laid on his human shoulders. Jesus began to absorb the wrath of God.
His physical agony was so great, He began to sweat blood. The same people who celebrated Him were getting ready to crucify Him. Jesus would be mocked, stripped naked, beaten, and whipped and experience the excruciating pain of the crucifixion.
All of this was occurring in the Garden of Gethsemane. In the first garden scene of the Bible, Adam failed to protect his family from sin. Though Adam failed, Jesus was the greater Adam who succeeded in the salvation of the world. The word, Gethsemane means olive press. When olives were crushed, they were used for many purposes. Olive oil could be used to light a lamp at that time and it was known for its healing and medicinal properties. Olive oil was also the oil used to anoint new royalty. Like the olives, Jesus was crushed so we could receive the benefits. As we reflect on Jesus’ suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane, we should express our gratitude by giving our hearts totally to Him.
Follow the example of Jesus by drawing near to God and leaning on others when suffering.
Why do we often isolate ourselves from God in times of trouble? When Adam and Eve fell down in their sin, they tried to hide from God in their suffering when they needed to be in God’s presence to shed light on the situation. Jesus collapsed in His suffering not only out of anguish, but He fell down in prayer. When you go through a hard time, you may feel embarrassed or prideful, but isolation can be the worst decision you can make. The best decision is what Jesus does in the Garden – He turned to God.
Turn to God when you’re suffering. God is the only One who has the strength to get you through. Jesus lived this lifestyle of prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane and throughout His whole life. When things weren’t going right, Jesus would go away to pray so He could come back strong.
Matthew 7:7 tells us to ask and continue to ask until God gives us the answer. Pray until God changes the situation or pray until God changes your heart in the situation.
The most powerful part of prayer is when you are committed to getting your will to align with God’s will. God’s will and His glory can be shown in your life, your business, your family, and your health when you align your heart with what God wants for you. Instead of choosing isolation, we can choose to turn to God.
Jesus also knew that He needed help. He brought all of His disciples with Him to the Garden of Gethsemane. He brought His support friends with Him as well as His core group. Your core group is made up of friends who will go with you in darkness. These are the friends you allow to see you fall flat on your face. They don’t have to say anything or do anything, but they just offer the ministry of presence to support you in hard times.
Your support friends, church community and family can also offer the ministry of prayer when you need it the most. Life can be like Gethsemane, like an olive press, sometimes you feel like it’s crushing you. God used the pressure in Jesus’ life to make a way for our salvation and because He endured, we can be saved.