AT GESTHSAMANE

It is indeed a privilege for us to remember the death of our Lord Jesus on the cross. More than 2000 years ago, He died a shameful death that we all might be saved. Today, those who have accepted the work of the cross into there lives are “living a brand new kind of life that is continually learning more and more of what is right and trying constantly to be more and more like Christ who created this new life within [them] Col 3 v. 10 LTB. In learning and trying constantly to be more like Christ, let us take a look at His activity at the place called Gesthsamane. Matthew 26 v. 36-45, Luke 22 v. 39-45.

Let us assume we all travelled through time to (more than 2000 years ago, when He died on the cross), and agree that two days ago was the exact day of crucifixtion; then, we can also say that the day before, the night he spent before going to the cross was when He went to Gesthsamane to pray. The word Gesthsamane means “crushed olives”. At Gesthsamane, “His soul was overwhelmed to the point of death” Matthew 26 v.38 (NIV). Fears of that day (His arrest) and the worries about the following day (His suffering and crucifixtion) over burden his heart. He felt the weight of God’s will to the extent that “His sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground” Luke 22 v.44 (NIV)

But at that same place, His will was crushed, buried, and lost in God’s will and His heart was prepared for the great task ahead. The work of the cross was completed in His heart at  Gesthsamane. It was there that he proposed in his heart that nothing would stop him from going to the cross for our sake. It was right there that He said to His Father “My heart is ready”. The readiness of His heart made him endure to the end that neither the pain of the scourge nor the nails could make him change His mind.

As we learn to become more like Him, the place called Gethsamane can not be over emphasised on our pligrim journey. Gesthsamane is the place of readiness of heart to do the will of God. It is not when we are faced with the reality of His will that we should begin to make up our minds whether to follow and do as He has instructed us or not. Christ didn’t wait until when He was arrested, tortured and eventually led to the cross before He went to the place of preparation. After the encounter at Gesthsamane, He carried out God’s will joyfully and without complaining even when it meant dying on the cross.

Many men of old did thesame thing. For instance, Daniel proposed in his heart not to defile himself with the king’s meat, [even before he was served] Daniel 1 v. 8. Ditto for us... If Christ went to Gesthsamane, let us also go there so that our heart can receive strenght and be ready for the race ahead of us. Let us keep our eyes on Jesus, our leader and instuctor…a slave is not greater than his master.