He Gets Us: Redemption and the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36-46)

I’m not much of a garden-type person.  

  • I don’t like Olive Garden. I mean the breadsticks are great, but that’s about it.

  • I’ve not been to Madison Square Garden. I like basketball, but not enough to travel to the other side of the country.

  • I’ve been to the Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden at CSULB, but only because I officiated a wedding there one summer.

Like, I said, not much of a garden-type person.  But there are 3 gardens which have all my attention:  
1) The Garden of Eden, 2) The Garden of Gethsemane, and 3) The Garden-City of New Jerusalem.  

We spent some time in the Garden of Eden last week, where we witnessed God’s glorious Creation (and we thought to ourselves, “what a wonderful world”) and also humanity’s terrible Fall.  That was Genesis chapters 1-3.  

Next week, we’ll land in the Garden-City of New Jerusalem where God’s New Creation (Revelation 21-22) shows us what the original creation ought to have been like forever, that is, before we got involved. 

This week, in the Garden of Gethsemane, we’ll see Jesus wrestling with the will of God as he does what is necessary to get us all from Garden #1 to Garden #3.  

Read ahead (Matthew 26:36-46) for your own instruction and appreciation of Jesus.

There are 3 departure times for our Garden Tour – 8:00, 9:30, and 11:00 AM.  No reservations are necessary.  Hope to see you soon. 

Blessings, 
Pastor Tim 

Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go over there and pray.” And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.” And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, “So, could you not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done.” And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. So, leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words again. Then he came to the disciples and said to them, “Sleep and take your rest later on. See, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.”

- Matthew 26:36-46

A Tale of Three GardensAmanda BudaTim Culling