The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1888-05-18
JESUS In GETHSEMANE.
LESSON VII, SECOND QUARTER, IN
TERNATloNAL SERIES, MAY 20.

Text Of the Lesson. Matt. xvi. s0-40s
Golden Text, Heb. Y. g. Memorize
Verses 3s-39-Comments by Rev. II. s.
Holman.
condensed from Lesson Helper Quarterly, by
permission Of H. s. Hoffman. Philadelphia, pub
lsher,l
Notes,-V. 36 Then cometh, that is, after
the institution Of the supper. Gethsemane,
which signifies "olive press" place across
the brook Kedron, on the lower slope of the
Mount of Olives. v. 80. Very heavy means
pressed down with great anguish, produced
by foresight of his great sufferings V. 8s.
Even unto DEATH the sense Of death was felt;
our sins upon him was the cause Of all his
agony. v. 80. Fell on his face, the usual
posture In times of great earnestness. Num-
bers xvi, 90; II Chron. Xxx, ls; Neh. viii, g
II possible, II the world can otherwise be re-
deemed. Cup often denotes suffering.
Matt xx, %. v. 45 Sleep on now.
Most Interpreters think this should be
translated as a question, rather COM
mand.. "Do you sleep now and take your
restr' Is this time, amid so much
danger and so many enemies, to sleepi This
construction is favored by Luke xii, 90,
whore the expression, "Why sleep YET" refers
to the same point of time-the hour Is at
hand--the time of betrayal and death is near.
Sinners, Judas, Roman soldiers and Jews
V. 40. Let us be going, wheresoever my cap
tors shall lend me. There was no time now
for escape none for repose.
In the last lesson we saw the signs OF
coming sorrow for our Lord; In this lesson
we behold him in agony the most intense
The clouds that had long been gathering now
burst IN fury upon him. He knew from the
first what he would have to meet He did
not bow to the inevitable. He was no Pro-
metheus fettered by necessity. His human
nature mny have made him shrink back for
q time from his passion but the higher mo-
tive of Gods glory and mans salvation made
him welcome the agony of Gethsemane.
V. SO. After the institution Of the Lords
Supper, perhaps near midnight, our Lord,
with his disciples, left Jerusalem, and on
their way to Gethsenane crossed the per-
turbed waters of the Black brook, tinged and
darkened by the blood of the temple sacri-
fees, fit symbol of how his own sacrifcial
blood should soon flow, making forever after
needless the offering of bloody sacrifices for
sin. The name Gethsemane, meaning olive
press, seems to be significant as emblematic
of his own agony and distress. "There,"
says Matthew Henry, "our Lord Jesus trod
alone the wine press Of the Fathers wrath"
"In this oil press, like the olives were crushed
and bruised, Christ was bruised for our sins,
that oil might flow from his wounds to heal
our souls DIR. Wordsworth.
v. 81. Peter, James and John seemed to
constitute holy triumvirate. On other
occasions these three disciples had been
favored by our Lord to see his power and
glory as was not accorded the others They
alone beheld the brightness of his glory on
the Mount, and now the depth Of his agony
In Gethsemane. They alone were permitted
to see the first manifestations Of his resurrec-
tion power. And yet, Of these three favor
ties, to John our Saviour was most attached.
Jesus has sanctioned and sanctified by his
example individual friendships as not con-
flicting with the exercises of universal love.
We also learn that they who live nearest to
him and imbibe most of his spirit are re-
warded by views Of his power and glory such
as other men never receive.
v. 3S. He acquaints the disciples with his
condition. 1t gives some comfort to un-
bosom ones hearts sorrow to a friend. The
seat of his sorrow was the SOUL showing US
that Christ possessed true human soul. His
sufferings were not predominately corporeal,
but mental
V. 80. The center of heavens glory and the
object of the angels worship is now pros
trated upon the earth in earnest prayer.
Thick as the cloud was, he could still see
God as his father. In deep sorrow we should
each claim God as "my father" Whittier
shall the child go, but unto the fatheri
4 He begs of the father that if man can be
redeemed and God glorifed, IL the divine
plans can be carried out, that he be spared
the further drinking of the cup of suffering.
His aversion to pain shows that he was truly
man. But though this human nature made
him shrink back an instant from the anguish
yet beneath there lay, millions of fathoms
deep, unmoved and immovable the intense
desire that his Fathers wish and will should
be done.
This prayer Of Christ sanctions our going
to God when in great aflliction and asking
deliverance, but conditioned upon his will
The third petition in the Lords Prayer, and
our Lords words here, teach the same, sub
mission to the will of God 1.-TWO wills in
the universe break up its harmony; there
can be in harmonic universe but one will,
and that is God. Parker. The cup that
God puts into our hands, be it ever so bitter,
though nature struggle, grace makes US
submit. .-.-.-.---.-
v. 40. As If deadly vapor from the bot
tomless pit had stepped their spirits, both
groups of disciples were stupefed with sleep.
And yet it was not a want of interest in the
Saviour's passion that made them sleep.
Luke, as a physician, tells us that from sor-
row, they slept. o. .7
Our Lord singled out Peter because he had
been foremost in promising and boasting how
faithful he would be- .l'.-. q -.' ''l
v. Al. Jay says, Prayer without watch
ing is hypocrisy, and watching without
prayer is presumption" Some watch with
out prayer and pray without watching. The
two must go hand in hand
v. AZ. His prayer Is not now that the cup
may pass from him, but that he might be
enabled to fulfill the divine will in sacrificing
himself. The continuance Of the trial he re-
CARDS as Gods answer to his first prayer.
When God does not deliver US from our
sufferings he will certainly give US greater
strength to bear them.
v. 43. The craving for human sympathy
caused him again to go to his disciples I'm
potent as all human means are, we still In the
hour Of deep sorrow wish the sympathetic
touch and word Of those near us. How dis
appointing to our Lord In this respect were
the disciples. Though they continued dull
and sleepy, he did not further rebuke them
for it. 1t seems by the expression, ''their
eyes were heavy" that they made some at
tempt to drive away the duh sloth, and hence
Jesus looked upon them with some compass.
sion. Carnal security when 1t once gets hold
| is not easily expelled.
v. A. He prayed the third time. The
threefold prayer reminds US Of the threefold
/ victory over Satan, when he tempted Jesus.
| V. Is, 49, The time for sympathy and Wig
| ilance is past. In the distance issuing from
the grove were to be seen the lanterns of thu
Roman soldiers, led by Judas, coming +,
arrest Jesus. The hour Of his enemies and
the hour of darkness had now come further
watching was needless "Rise, let US b,
going" not to escape, but to confront tn,
traitor and his band. What sublime heroism
- l., a. No.