In The Garden

When I was a little girl one of my most favorite hymns was "In The Garden". Today as I celebrated in remembrance of the price Jesus paid for my sins, this song kept playing in my mind and heart. As I think upon the words of this song, I am always drawn back to that night before Jesus hung on the cross. Picture it as in Matthew 26, Mark 14 & Luke 22...

Jesus had just sent John and Peter into Jerusalem with specific instructions to find a man who is carrying a pitcher of water... follow him, and when he gets to his final destination, ask the owner of the house if we can eat our Passover Meal. Jesus said "He will take you upstairs to a large room that is already set up. That is where you should prepare our meal." (As a tangent note... when God lead us to discount our pattern groupings, We choose the name "Upper Room" with this in mind because of the final fellowship that Jesus had with all of his disciples) After the meal and after Jesus taught us about a new covenant between God & His people. He then predicted Peter's denial.

He then lead his disciples to a garden called Gethsemane. He asked Peter, James, & John to go with him away from the others. Jesus expressed such deep emotions that we all feel sometime in our lives... sadness, trouble, uncertainty and distress. He told them "My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me." But as the recounting of his final days reveals, none of his closest friends could even stay awake long enough to pray with him. He must have felt all alone and knowing what lay ahead of him in the day to come, it must have been one of his hardest days on Earth. I don't know about you, but I find comfort in knowing that Jesus knows how it feels when you or I are sensing a great loss or when we have those same kinds of feelings he was experiencing that night. Just to know that MY Savior did experience the same things that make me so sad shows me His unconditional love... he loves me & YOU so much, he had to experience what we go through in order to make a way for us to the Father and to be able to stand in our place. As Jesus prayed and agonized over what was about to happen, the Bible says he knelt down and prayed, "Father, if You are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from Me. Yet I want Your will to be done, not Mine" Then an angel from heaven appeared and strengthened Him He prayed more fervently, and He was in such agony of spirit that His sweat fell to the ground like great drops of blood."

So, on this Thursday... the garden is so meaning for me. I've included the song in my play list if you'd like to take a listen.


God bless you as you remember Jesus' last night on Earth