Gethsemane Prayer (1)
[Luke 22:39-46]
Luke 22:39-46 is the content of what Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane and is found in all four Gospels (Matthew/Mark/Luke/John). We have already meditated the prophesy of Jesus, “From that time Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up on the third day” (Mt. 16:21) three times. The words of Jesus' prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane in Luke 22:39-46 are in the process of fulfilling the words of prophecy of Jesus who went up to Jerusalem, suffered, prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, and was crucified the next day.
If we look at Luke 22:39, Jesus “came out and proceeded as was His custom to the Mount of Olives ….” Matthew 26:36 says, “Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, ….” Here, the conjunction “Then” is a link that connects the preceding word, which is the content of Jesus’ prayer to God as the high priest in John 17. In other words, Jesus prayed to God as the high priest (Jn. 17) and then went out (Lk. 22:39). In Matthew 26:36, Jesus went out with His disciples and went to the Garden of Gethsemane. Here, “His disciples” refers to the 11 disciples, excluding Judas Iscariot, who went out to sell Jesus. Luke 22:39 says that Jesus went to the Mount of Olives according to custom, which means that whenever Jesus came to Jerusalem, He went to that place many times and became a habit. So even though it was night, Jesus was able to visit the Garden of Gethsemane with His disciples. If we look at John 18:2, it says, “Now Judas also, who was betraying Him, knew the place, for Jesus had often met there with His disciples.” That's why Judas Iscariot took the cohort and the officers he had obtained from the chief priests and Pharisees and went there with lanterns, torches, and weapons (v. 3). We, too, must make our prayers a habit by imitating the habitual prayers of Jesus. Luke 22:39 and Mark 14:26 say that Jesus went to “the Mount of Olives,” but Matthew 26:36 and Mark 14:32 say “Gethsemane.” This is because the Garden of Gethsemane is located within the Mount of Olives.
Matthew 26:36-37a says: “Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to His disciples, ‘Sit here while I go over there and pray.’ And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, ….” Jesus arrived at the place called Gethsemane inside “the Mount of Olives” (Lk. 22:39), and at the entrance said to the eight disciples, “Sit here while I go over there and pray” and took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee (Mt. 26:37), James and John (Mk. 14:33), and went into the Garden of Gethsemane (Mt. 26:36-37) and said, “My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death; remain here and keep watch with Me” (v. 38). And Jesus left the three disciples and went as far as a stone's throw, knelt down, and prayed (Lk. 22:41). If it is enough to throw a stone here, I think that perhaps Peter, John, and James could have heard Jesus' prayer. Luke's Gospel says, 'He knelt down and prayed' (v. 41), and Matthew 26:39 says 'He fell on his face and prayed'. In Jesus' prayer, Jesus asked Heavenly Father, "Abba, Father, all things are possible for you; remove this cup from me. But not as I will, but as you will" (Mk. 14:36). In today's text, Luke 22:42 says, "Father," but Mark 14:36 says, "Abba! Father!" In this way, when Jesus prayed for the first time in the Garden of Gethsemane, an angel appeared to Jesus from heaven and strengthened Him (Luke 22:43). So, Jesus prayed more earnestly, and His sweat became like drops of blood falling to the ground (v. 44).
Luke 22:45-46 says, “When He rose from prayer, He came to the disciples and found them sleeping from sorrow, and said to them, "Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you may not enter into temptation.” When Jesus prayed the first prayer earnestly and went to His disciples, Peter, James, and John, the three disciples were asleep. Seeing this, Jesus said to them, “Rise up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation” (vv. 45-46) (The Gospel of Luke has only been recorded so far. In other words, the Gospel of Luke records only the first of Jesus' three prayers in the Garden of Gethsemane). When Jesus said “You will all forsake me, for it is written: I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered. But after I am raised up, I will go ahead of you to Galilee” to His eleven disciples, Peter replied, “Even if all fall away, I will not” (Mk. 14:27-29). Then Jesus said, “Truly I say to you, that this very night, before a rooster crows twice, you yourself will deny Me three times” (v. 30) and Peter said, “Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!” and all other disciples said the same thing also (v. 31). However, Peter, John, and James did not stay awake with Jesus even for an hour (Mt. 26:40). So, Jesus said to them, “Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak” (v. 41) (Matthew's Gospel records Jesus' prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane the most, and up to verse 41 is the record of Jesus' first prayer). “He went away again a second time and prayed, saying, ‘My Father, if this cannot pass away unless I drink it, Your will be done’” (Mt. 26:42), Jesus prayed to Heavenly Father (Mark 14:39 says, “Again He went away and prayed, saying the same words”). This is the second prayer of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane recorded by Matthew. When Jesus came to Peter, James, and John again after praying this second time, He found them sleeping, because their eyes were tired (v. 43). At that time, Peter, James, and John did not know how to answer Jesus (Mk. 26:40). This is Matthew 26:44-46: “And He left them again, and went away and prayed a third time, saying the same thing once more. 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’” [(Mk. 14:41-42) “And He came the third time, and said to them, ‘Are you still sleeping and resting? It is enough; the hour has come; behold, the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. Get up, let us be going; behold, the one who betrays Me is at hand!’”]. These are the words Jesus spoke to His disciples after praying the third time in the Garden of Gethsemane. As He spoke, Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, came, and a large crowd, sent from the chief priests and the elders of the people, came with him with swords and clubs (Mt. 26:47; cf. Mk. 14:43).
After Jesus prayed the high priest's prayer in John 17, He went with His eleven disciples to the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus often met with them, so even Judas, who was trying to sell Him out, knew about it (John 18:1 -2). Jesus knew that Judas Iscariot was coming with a large crowd sent by the chief priests and elders of the people to betray him, but He followed His custom and went to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray. Daniel 6:10 says, “Now when Daniel knew that the document was signed, he entered his house (now in his roof chamber he had windows open toward Jerusalem); and he continued kneeling on his knees three times a day, praying and giving thanks before his God, as he had been doing previously.” Jesus, knowing all that was about to happen to Him, came forward and asked the large crowd, “Who do you seek?” and they answered Him, “Jesus the Nazarene” and Jesus said to them, “I am He” (Jn.18:4-5). At that time, Judas, who was betray Jesus, stood with them (v. 5). When Jesus said to them, "I am He," they drew back and fell to the ground (v. 6). Jesus received answers to prayers and the authority of Jesus appeared. Even in the midst of this, Jesus said to the large crowd, ‘If you seek me, let these go their way’ (v. 8). Jesus made sure that even when He was captured, He make His disciples to escape from them. The reason was “to fulfill the word which He spoke, ‘Of those whom You have given Me I lost not one’” (v. 9). At that time, the Apostle Peter drew his sword and struck Malchus, the servant of the high priest, and cut off his right ear (v. 10). At that time, Jesus said to Peter, “Put the sword into the sheath; the cup which the Father has given Me, shall I not drink it?” (v. 11). Jesus had to be caught to drink the cup. We must be certain that Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane.