The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1888-05-17
JESUS In GETHSEMANE.
LESSON vtIi, SECOND QUARTER. IN
TERNATiONAL SERIES, MAY 20.

lehNA tONRI oEntESs MAr ~.
1ext Of the Lesson, Matt. xvi. S6-40.
Golden Text, Heb. " g. Memorise
Verses 36--s9-Comments by Rev. n. 8.
Holman.
condensed from Lesson Helper Quarterly. by
permission of H s. Hoffman. Philadelphia. pub
lisher.1
Notes-v. 49, 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. 81. Very heavy means
pressed down with great anguish, produced
by foresight of his great sufferings v. 3S.
Even unto death, the sense of death was felt;
our sins upon him was the cause of all his
agony. " SO. Fell on his face, the usual
posture in times of great earnestnesx Num-
bers xvi, %; Ii Chron. xx, is; Neh. viii, g
II possible, if the world can otherwise be re-
Matt Xxx, 60 v. 45 Sleep ON now
Most interpreters think this should be
translated as question, rather q COM
mand: "Do you sleep now and take your
restr Is this a time, amid so much
construction is favored by Luke xii, &C.
where the expression, ssWhy sleep yer refers
to the same point of time-the hour is ct
hand-ths time Of betrayal and dcath 4 near.
Sinners, Judas, Roman soldiers and JemR
v. 10 Let US be going, wheresd6ver my cap
tors shall lead 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 may have made him shrink back for
a 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,
Aith his disciples, left Jerusalem, and on
their way to Gethsemane 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, tour Lord Jesus trod
alone the wine press Of the Fathers wrath. !"
s'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 a 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 sanctifed by his
example individual friendships as not con-
hicting 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. 49, He acquaints the disciples with his
condition It gives some comfort to un-
bosom ones hearts sorrow to friend. The
seat of his sorrow was the soul, showing us
that Christ possessed true human soul. His
sufferings were not predominately corporal,
but mental
v. 49, 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 smy father" Whittier
shall the child go, but unto the fatherf
{ He begs of the father that il man can be
redeemed and God glorified, 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 affection and asking
deliverance, but conditioned upon his will
The third petition in the Lords Prayer, ane
! our Lords words here, teach the same, sub
| mission to the will of God 1.-TWO wills il
the universe break up its harmony; ther,
| can be in harmonic universe but one will
and that is od."-Parker. The cup thai
| God puts into our hands, be it ever SO bitter
though nature struggle, grace makes u
submit.
v. 40 AS if deadly yapor from the bot
| tomless pit had stepped their spirits, botl
| groups of disciples were stupefled with sleep
| And yet it was not a want of interest in tb
Saviour's passion that made them sleep
Luke, as physician, tells us that from sor
row they slept.
| Our Lord singled out Peter because he has
been foremost in promising and boasting hov
faithful he would be-
| ". Al Jay says, prayer without watch
ing is hypocrisy, and watching withou
| prayer is presumption" Some watch with
out prayer and pray without watching. Tn
| two must go hand in hand.
| v. a. His prayer is not now that the cu]
may pass from him, but that he might b
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 on
sufferings he win certainly give US create
strength to bear them.
v. 49, The craving for human sympath,
caused him again to go to his disciples. In
potent as all human means are, we still in th
hour of deep sorrow wish the sympatheti
touch and word OF those near us. How dis
appointing to our Lord in this respect wer
the disciples Though they continued dul
and sleepy, he did not further rebuke ther
for it. 1t seems by the expression, sthei
eyes were heavy" that they made some al
tempt to drive away the duh sloth, and henc
Jesus looked upon them with some compas
sion Carnal security when 1t once gets boil
is not easily expelled.
/ v. a. He prayed the third time. Tn
threefold prayer reminds US Of the threefol
victory over Satan, when hetenpted Jesus.
v. 45, "a The time for sympathy and Wig
lance IS past. In the distance issuing froT
the grove were to be seen the lanterns of th
Roman soldiers, led by Judas, coming (
arrest Jesus The hour Of his enemies an
the hour of darkness had now come, furthe
watching was needless. "Rise, let us
going" not to escape, but to confront th
traitor and bis band What sublime heroisn
How victory rings in his voicsl Man wa
defeated in q garden, and the man triumphe