Sidelights on Gethsemane

Driving home: It is not easy when you are speaking of one who is both God and man to observe the exact line of correct speech.

C.H. Spurgeon's words are quoted to emphasize the solemnity and reverence required when contemplating Christ's suffering in Gethsemane, highlighting the difficulty of speaking accurately about his divine and human natures.

When about to embark on an exposition of this very subject, he said to the hearers of the congregation there in London, we have thus come to the gate of sin, to the garden of Gethsemane, let us now enter. But first, let us put off our shoes from our feet, as Moses did, when he saw the bush which burned with fire and was not consumed. Surely we may say with Jacob, How dreadful is this place! I tremble at the task which lies before me, for how shall my feeble speech describe those agonies for which strong cryings and tears were scarcely an adequate expression? The preacher went on to say, I desi...

3:49 - 5:16 Read in full sermon

Driving home: Nothing in the scene is more astonishing than its combination of emotion with self-government.

A quote from an unnamed 'servant of God' is used to summarize the essence of Christ's prayer in Gethsemane: his natural reluctance combined with unwavering loyalty and submission to the Father's will, demonstrating perfect self-government amidst intense emotion.

And yet the central concern of His prayer is that it is impossible that the cup might pass from Him. But then the great qualification of that prayer, nevertheless, not what I will, but what Thou wilt. And as one of God's servants is captured so forcefully the very heart of that prayer, I give you His words as I conclude our review. As our Lord fathoms the depth of the misery that lies before Him in the cup, He allows the voice of nature to utter all the bitter earnestness of its reluctance.

13:03 - 13:45 Read in full sermon

Driving home: He had to be upheld and strengthened until impaled the cross he would take the cup with both hands and would drink and drink and drink until every last drop was done and he could say it is finished

A stanza from a hymn (page 182, stanza 4) is quoted, offering a 'holy conjecture' that the angel might have strengthened Christ through worship in song, illustrating a possible way the angel ministered.

in the new heavens and the new earth. Others suggest that perhaps the angels reminded him of all of the promises made by the Father to him in eternity that if he were willing to be the suffering servant he would be upheld, he would be strengthened there is an interesting stanza in our own hymn book on page 182 stanza number four here the hymn writer had his theory of how the angel may have strengthened him tis midnight from the heavenly plains is born the song that angels know, unheard by mortals are the strains that sweetly soothe the Savior's woe you see this hymn writer felt that the angel ...

25:02 - 26:31 Read in full sermon

Driving home: This angelic visitation was a clear confirmation that Jesus was taking our place in real weakness.

An analogy of six loving children vying to bring water to their sick, weak father is used to illustrate the 'innocent rivalry' among angels to be chosen to strengthen their Creator in Gethsemane, emphasizing their devotion and Christ's self-imposed weakness.

can you let your imagination work oh how ready every angel must have been and yet one and only one was selected it would be something like a strong loving caring father of six children who has come into the throes of a horrible disease that leaves him as weak as a year weak old infant upon his bed his brain raging with a fever his mouth parched and gathered around him are his six children who love him bound to him in the deepest bonds of filial affection and love and respect and he whispers will one of you bring me a glass of water you can imagine the innocent rivalry as each loving child woul...

36:40 - 38:08 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: He discusses the precise nature of the bloody sweat, explaining the Greek 'as it were' and presenting the medical condition 'hematidrosis' as a rare but documented phenomenon that…

Martin shares a personal anecdote of preaching with such intensity that he ruptured capillaries in his throat, causing it to bleed, to illustrate the extreme physical exertion and agony Christ experienced in Gethsemane, which led to bloody sweat.

with his outer garments soaked in his own blood when they came to apprehend him was his face smeared in his own blood I don't know as it were grey drops of blood falling down a present participle continually falling down upon the ground I have preached with such intensity on a few occasions to rupture little capillaries in my throat and I've preached my throat into a bloody state but I've never known any intensity that caused the capillaries to burst and mingle with my sweat our Lord entered a realm none of us has ever entered and that brings us to the third question having seen the answer to ...

49:50 - 51:17 Read in full sermon