The Way Of Suffering: Jesus In The Garden
Tim was part of Gas Street's original 'planting' team. He is now ‘living by faith’ in London, waiting for the next step to be revealed.
Matthew 26:36-39 (NIV)
Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, ‘Sit here while I go over there and pray.’ He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, ‘My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.’ Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, ‘My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.’
Have you ever found yourself on a journey towards a stress-inducing destination? Perhaps towards a doctor's appointment for uncertain results or an exam room when you’ve hardly studied. As you approach, the levels of anxiety start to rise.
The Via Dolorosa (Latin for ‘The Way of Suffering’) is a pilgrimage path that retraces Jesus’ final steps through Jerusalem towards the Cross on Calvary. It was a harrowing journey marked by deep emotional and terrible physical pain. This week, as we approach Good Friday and the Easter weekend, we will look at some of the key moments in Jesus’ journey of suffering towards the Cross.
I treasure moments in scripture where we get a glimpse into the humanity of Jesus because they give us permission to feel certain things ourselves. The scene in Matthew 26 is Gethsemane, a Hebrew word meaning ‘oil press,’ where olives were crushed and pressed until oil poured out. In modern terms, we might say that Jesus is experiencing the deepest depression and anxiety. His calling to the Cross is weighing so heavily that he is crushed, pressed like an olive until sorrow pours out. Jesus, in his humanity, implores his father: ‘Please! Is there another way?’
Do you feel permission to be real with your painful thoughts and feelings? Jesus doesn't hide away; he has this emotional breakdown in front of his friends. He asks them to partner with him in prayer. He’s honest before God, pleading for an alternative.
If you are struggling, please reach out to friends. Don’t feel embarrassed by your overwhelming emotions; Jesus didn’t. Be real before God and invite him into your pain because he promised to take the slow journey with us through sorrow. The journey towards the cross was awful, so why did Jesus do it? Two reasons. One: he knew it was the only way to set us free from the power of sin. Two: Because he loves you like crazy.
Prayer - Jesus, I thank you for loving me like crazy. Help me, when things are hard, to admit that I need help from you and others.