The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1895-04-25
SUNDAY MEDITATION.
A Study of the International Sunday
School Lesson Appointed for May
JO0k tat
Subject: Christ's Agony in the Garden oil
Gethsemane. st. Mark, Ii: 32-42.

lone reading these notes should first carefully
study the paragraph from tho Holy Scriptures a.
indicated abovc.l
We are to study very sad event It 10 in
great contrast to the scene celebrated on Palm
| Sunday. Christ was very near to the Cross. In
| few hours after the Gethsemane arrest he
was tried condemned and crucifed. Gethse.
name suggested prayer. want Of watchfnlness,
| betrayal The associations of the place make one
| feel dismal, sad whenever he hears the name
mentioned. But visit to the garden may help
| us.
/. CHRrsr's ENTRY TO THE GARDEN GETH-
sEMANE.
/. Data.
All four Gospels refer to the entrance OF
Christ with his Disciples into the Garden. See
st. Mt. &c: SO; st. NIX, Ia: 80; st. L., 90: 40;
and st. John, 1871. lover the brook Cedron,
| where was garden, into tho which he entered
and his Disciples"
9. Where.
Passing from Mt. Zion. ont from house in
which was the upper room," the company
Jesus and his eleven Apostss-passed through
various streets in Jerusalem aud oil out of the
city through the gate OF st. Stephen. They
then crossed the brook Cedron (Kidron. Ked-
rOn). 1t was small stream rising north of
Jerusalem, winding around the northeast cor
ner of the city and passing all along its eastern
side through the Vale of Jehoshaphat. finally
emptying into the Dead Sea. Kedron is quite
dry generally in the vicinity of Jerusalem
Only ST. John mentions the crossing of CedroD.
Over the brook they began to ascend toward
Gethsemane.
Between Jerusalem and Bethany Mt. Olives
rises. The Garden was on the decivity of that
mount, king across the Jewish Capital. The
Garden is still pointed out, being now only an
inclosure. few olive trees stand there. cast
ing shadow over the spot so dark in history.
The trees are very old, so many years old, some
hold they are the very trees through which the
moonlight shone on Jesus 1t is quite difficult
TO grant this when we consider how severe was
the Roman siege of Jerusalem, and how fearful
the desolaton it caused. Possibly the present
trees sprang from the old roots Olives grew
plentifully on this slope and likely gave namo
to the mountain.
The Countess d. Auvergne has passed the
title OF Gethsemane to the French Government.
She has erected Convent within the Enclosure.
g. Time.
A. d. March II, Thursday evening, say 1890
o'clock, time of entering the Garden.
4. Note.
Christ foresaw the terrible ordeal through
which ho was to pass. He knew his Disciples
were involved more or less in his fate He be-
came concerned for them. He babe them en-
gage in serious meditation and prayer. As It
moralizsd when the time OF trial arrived.
They had had confidence in Christ. When
they should him arrested they would be
tempted TO distrys: bis power, and possibly to
forsake him.
5. Suggestions.
/. Meet duty courageousy-bear suffering
with iortitude. Shrink from no cross if the
hearing of it may aid f,um@,ity Death itself
is noble if il be in the interest of mankind and
be the only method by which the work can be
effected. JJi
2. Learn to pray. It is our greatest resource
in emergencies. 1t helps in temptations See
st. Lnke's account. I1'.E
3. Practice private devotions. Leave other
folk at times and" 90 and pray yonder." See
st. Matthew's account. There is call for Mrs
Browns favorite hymn:
! love to steal awhile away
a. From every cumbring care
Ard spend the hours or setting. day
Ia humble, grn,cfu prayer.
Solitude and prayer are means preparative
for any severe struggle. Before every Calvary
have a Gethsemaue. ouIfnes .O1pr. to quiet
places, and by meditation and communion with |
Heaven get into readiness for any oncoming !
difficulty or trial foreseen.
a. Exhort others to pray. See ST. Matthews |
account. In special warn persons who are to
encounter troubles to give themselves to prayer.
See st. Luke's account.
III. JESUS IN THE GARDEN OF GETHsEMANE. |
l. Data.
st. Mt, 90: 37-48; st. Nix, IA: 80 AZ; st. L.,
o2:41-I6; Add 1880.
Ii would be well to compare the Revised |
Edition with the Received Version. Often |
one thus gets hint in explanation. st. John |
does not refer to the Gethsemane experience. |
and that though he was one OF the chosen |
three to be nearest to our Savior in that agony.
or bn oF IL
really dictated by st. Peter, then we have |
a report by one who was within stones throw |
(St Luke, %: Al of the suffering Jesus. 1t is |
noticeable that the account given by st. Mark |
is very full. But st. Matthew was near at |
hand, probably just within the entrance to the |
Garden. st. Matt, 26: SO. We remember the |
Garden was not 200 feet square, and hence st. |
Matthew must have been quite Christ in |
his distress. ST. Matthew's paragraph is full of
particulars. st. Lukcs report is com paratively |
brief Sts Matthew and Mark wrote probably |
at Rome; ST. Luke at Achais; all three not far |
from A. ID. 60.
2. Time.
The time when Savior experienced his |
agony in the Garden of Getbscmane was Thurs |
day night aborft L o'clock March II, \. ID. %.
which was 500 years ago. Christ was in his
34th year of life aud the fourth of his ministry.
1t was the full of the moon, rom the fact it |
was coincident with the Passover feast. Being |
vet in Spring, 10 was cold. ST. John. IS: Is. |
This was Christs last night before his cruci- |
fxion.
Christ and company went from Mt. Zion, |
whore he had completed the Passover ordi- |
nance and had instituted the Holy Communion. |
The Garden WIS frequent resort for medita-
ton, prayer. rest. consultation on the parts of |
Christ and his Disciples. st. John, IS: ], 2.
The word, Gethsemane. means place of oil
presses. 1t is likely olives grew in the neigh
borhood, and the oil was manufactured for
market use.
Scbaff wrote: "The older Protestant COM
mentators n prophetical adaptation in the
names of localities in general. and of Gethse-
name in particular. n.thisOil-press, in which
the olives were crushed aud bruised, Christ
was bruised for our sins, that oil might flow
from his wounds TO heal our souls"
There may have been a dweling-hOuse near
by at that tme-quite certainly there was q
garden-tower. The Garden was on the west
side of Mt Olives. not far up. about stones
cast from the Redron stream. 1t twas probably
some think pleasure-garden of a certain man
possibly friend of Jesgs-who permitted
Christ frequently to visit it.
LANCE wrote: I" 1t scarcely deserves now the
name of a garden, the place is covered, with
stones, and there are only eight old olive trees
remaining. These olives are not of the time |
al our Lord, for Titus during the siege of Jeru-