EVENTS OF THURSDAY, NISAN 14, 32 A.D. [LATE NIGHT]

JESUS PRAYS IN GARDEN OF GETHSESEME

JESUS CHRIST’S DISCOURSE TO ELEVEN DISCIPLES BEFORE LEAVING THE UPPER ROOM

After Judas Iscariot had left the upper room, Jesus then proceeded to give a discourse to the remaining eleven of His apostles. 

In John 13:31-35, 

Jesus gives His apostles a ‘new commandment’ to obey: Therefore, when he was gone out, Jesus said,  

"Now is the Son of man glorified, and God is glorified in him. If God be glorified in him, God shall also glorify him in himself, and shall straightway glorify him. Little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall seek me: and as I said unto the Jews, Whither I go, ye cannot come; so now I say to you. A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another."

JESUS FORTELLS THAT APOSTLE PETER WILL DENY HIM THREE TIMES 

 In John 13:36-38, we read: 

Simon Peter said unto him, Lord, whither goest thou? Jesus answered him, “Whither I go, thou canst not follow me now; but thou shalt follow me afterwards.” Peter said unto him, Lord, why cannot I follow thee now? I will lay down my life for thy sake. Jesus answered him, “Wilt thou lay down thy life for my sake? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, The cock shall not crow, till thou hast denied me thrice.” 

JESUS REVEALS THE ONLY WAY TO HEAVEN 

In John 14:5-6, we read: 

Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? Jesus saith unto him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father [Heaven], but by me.”  

JESUS REVEALS THAT HE IS THE FATHER 

In John 14:8-10, we read: 

Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us. 

Jesus saith unto him, "Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father? Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works."  

In Isaiah 9:6, we read: 

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. 

JESUS PROMISES THE APOSTLES A COMFORTER 

In John 14:16-20, Jesus said: 

“And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also. At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.”  

In John 14:26, Jesus said: 

“But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”

JESUS REVEALS THAT HE IS THE ‘TRUE VINE’ 

In John 15:1-5, Jesus said:

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing”. 

JESUS REVEALS THAT APOSTLES WILL BE PERSECUTED

In John 15:18-20, Jesus said: 

“If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also”.  

JESUS REVEALS THAT HE HAS OVERCOME THE WORLD

In John 16:32-33, Jesus said: 

“Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone: and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me. These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” 

JESUS PRAYS IN JOHN 17  

In John 17:1-5, Jesus prays for Himself. In John 17:6-19, Jesus prays for His disciples. In John 17:20-26, Jesus prays for all believers.  

JESUS AND DISCIPLES LEAVE FOR MOUNT OF OLIVES 

Apostle Mark writes in Mark 14:26: 

And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives. 

In John 18:1, we read: 

When Jesus had spoken these words [His prayer in John 17], he went forth with his disciples over the brook Cedron, where was a garden [Garden of Gethsemane], into the which he entered, and his disciples. 

CHRIST PRAYS IN THE GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE  

After Jesus reached the Garden of Gethsemane, we have the following accounts of what happened in the Garden Of Gethsemane:

In Matthew 26:36-46, we read: 

Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, “Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder.” And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee [James and John], and began to be sorrowful and very heavy. Then saith he unto them, “My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.” And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, “O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.” And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, “What, could ye not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, “O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done”. And he came and found them asleep again: for their eyes were heavy. And he left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words. Then cometh he to his disciples, and saith unto them, “Sleep on now, and take your rest: behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going: behold, he is at hand that doth betray me”. 

In Mark 14:32-42, we read:

And they came to a place which was named Gethsemane: and he saith to his disciples, “Sit ye here, while I shall pray.” And he taketh with him Peter and James and John, and began to be sore amazed, and to be very heavy; And saith unto them, ”My soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death: tarry ye here, and watch”. And he went forward a little, and fell on the ground, and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. And he said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt”. And he cometh, and findeth them sleeping, and saith unto Peter, “Simon, sleepest thou? couldest not thou watch one hour? Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak.” And again he went away, and prayed, and spake the same words. And when he returned, he found them asleep again, (for their eyes were heavy,) neither wist [knew] they what to answer him. And he cometh the third time, and saith unto them, ”Sleep on now, and take your rest: it is enough, the hour is come; behold, the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise up, let us go; lo, he that betrayeth me is at hand.” 

In Luke 22:39-46, we read: 

And he came out, and went, as he was wont, to the mount of Olives; and his disciples also followed him. And when he was at the place, he said unto them, ”Pray that ye enter not into temptation.” And he was withdrawn from them about a stone's cast, and kneeled down, and prayed, Saying, “Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.” And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him. And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground. And when he rose up from prayer, and was come to his disciples, he found them sleeping for sorrow, And said unto them, “Why sleep ye? rise and pray, lest ye enter into temptation.”

In the above verses of Scripture, Jesus is in agony over “sin temptations” that He is receiving from Satan! This was Satan’s last chance to make the “Perfect Lamb of God”, into an “Imperfect Lamb”. 

If Jesus had sinned during His time of temptation in the Garden of Gethsemane, all of mankind, including all of us Christians, would still be unpardoned for our sins and we would all be on our way to eternal damnation. Jesus sweat blood fighting against Satan’s temptations to His mind 

In the March 1986 JAMA Medical Journal, the following is said about “sweating blood”: 

Although this is a very rare phenomenon, bloody sweat (hematidrosis, or hemohidrosis) may occur in highly emotional states, or in persons with bleeding disorders As a result of hemorrhage into the sweat glands, the skin becomes fragile and tender in the cold night air, it may have produced chills. ^[1] 

In Hebrews 12:4, the author says to all Christians:

“Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.”

Jesus Christ did! Jesus fought a battle in His mind against the sin temptations of Satan to the point that He actually sweat blood, and it happened in the Garden of Gethsemane with His apostles present, just before He was arrested by the Roman soldiers. 

All this information helps us to understand the agony that Jesus Christ underwent in the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus was in a “highly emotional state” fighting against the sin temptations of Satan the devil. And after sweating blood His skin was now fragile and tender. According to the JAMA Medical Journal, this condition may have also produced cold chills in His body. 

CHRIST IS BETRAYED BY JUDAS ISCARIOT AND ARRESTED

In Matthew 26:47-56, we read: 

And while he yet spake, lo, Judas, one of the twelve, came, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and elders of the people. 

Now he that betrayed him gave them a sign, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he: hold him fast.  And forthwith he came to Jesus, and said, Hail, master; and kissed him. And Jesus said unto him, “Friend, wherefore art thou come?” 

Then came they, and laid hands on Jesus, and took him.  And, behold, one of them which were with Jesus [Peter] stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and struck a servant of the high priest's, and smote off his ear. Then said Jesus unto him, “Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword. Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be?” In that same hour said Jesus to the multitudes, “Are ye come out as against a thief with swords and staves for to take me? I sat daily with you teaching in the temple, and ye laid no hold on me. But all this was done, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled”. Then all the disciples forsook him, and fled.

In Mark 14:43-52, we read:

And immediately, while he yet spake, cometh Judas, one of the twelve, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders. And he that betrayed him had given them a token, saying, Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is he; take him, and lead him away safely. And as soon as he was come, he goeth straightway to him, and saith, Master, master; and kissed him. 

And they laid their hands on him, and took him. And one of them [Peter] that stood by drew a sword, and smote a servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear. And Jesus answered and said unto them, “Are ye come out, as against a thief, with swords and with staves to take me? I was daily with you in the temple teaching, and ye took me not: but the scriptures must be fulfilled.”  And they all forsook him, and fled. And there followed him a certain young man, having a linen cloth cast about his naked body; and the young men laid hold on him: And he left the linen cloth, and fled from them naked.  

In Luke 22:47-53, we read: 

And while he yet spake, behold a multitude, and he that was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them, and drew near unto Jesus to kiss him. 

But Jesus said unto him, “Judas, betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss?”  When they which were about him saw what would follow, they said unto him, Lord, shall we smite with the sword? And one of them [Peter] smote the servant of the high priest, and cut off his right ear. And Jesus answered and said, “Suffer ye thus far”. And he touched his ear, and healed him. [Christ’s Last Miracle]. Then Jesus said unto the chief priests, and captains of the temple, and the elders, which were come to him, ”Be ye come out, as against a thief, with swords and staves? When I was daily with you in the temple, ye stretched forth no hands against me: but this is your hour, and the power of darkness [Satan’s hour].”    

In John 18:1-12, we read: 

When Jesus had spoken these words, he went forth with his disciples over the brook Cedron, where was a garden, into the which he entered, and his disciples. And Judas also, which betrayed him, knew the place: for Jesus ofttimes resorted thither with his disciples. Judas then, having received a band of men and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, cometh thither with lanterns and torches and weapons. 

Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should come upon him, went forth, and said unto them, “Whom seek ye?” They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, “I am he”. And Judas also, which betrayed him, stood with them. As soon then as he had said unto them, I am he, they went backward, and fell to the ground. Then asked he them again, “Whom seek ye”? And they said, “Jesus of Nazareth”. Jesus answered, “I have told you that I am he: if therefore ye seek me, let these go their way: That the saying might be fulfilled, which he spake, Of them which thou gavest me have I lost none.” Then Simon Peter having a sword drew it, and smote the high priest's servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant's name was Malchus. Then said Jesus unto Peter, “Put up thy sword into the sheath: the cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it?” Then the band and the captain and officers of the Jews took Jesus, and bound him . . . .   

Footnotes

[1]  Edwards, William D., MD; Wesley JGabel, MDiv; Floyd EHosmer, MS, AMI: On the Physical Death of Jesus Christ, (Rochester, MN  55805; JAMA, March 21, 1986 – Vol255, No11), pg1457