The Yale expositor., 1910-11-18
JESUS IN
GETHSEMANE
Sunday School Lesson for Nov. 20, 1910
Specially Arranged for This Paper

1876.
Time-Between midnight and / o'clock.
Friday morning. April Z. The morning OF
The day of the Crucifxion.
Place-The garden of Gethsemane, on
the lower slope ofsthe Mount OF olives,
opposite Jerusalem.
This lesson is full of sweet solem-
nifty When we enter the garden OF
Gethsemane we hear the voice that
came to Moses at the burning bush:
Put OF thy shoes from OF thy feet;
for the place whereon thou standest
is holy ground"
We trace the walk OF Jesus from
the upper room to Gethsemane. the
route OF the officers and soldiers from
Castle Antonio, and the return with
Jesus as captive.
The word "Gethsemane" signifies
IAN oil press" of which there were
certain to be several in locality then
covered, as Mount Olivet was, with
olive trees. John calls IL a garden.
'An eastern garden differs from ours,
in that 1t is chiefly filled with fruit
trees and fragrant shrubs, rather than
with flower beds; and shade, not or
der or bright colors, is what is chiefly
studied in its construction" The gar
den was nearer the Kidron, which ran
between Jerusalem and the Mount OF
Olives.
From the fact. that Jesus ofttimes
resorted thither with his disciples"
John 1922, il is probable that II was
suburban pleasure ground, or be-
longed to some friend of Jesus who
gave him the free use OF II during his
stay.
He took with him Peter and the two
sons OF Zebedee, James and John.
These were the three who had seen
his glory on the Mount of Transfigura-
ton. and were best prepared to sym
pathize with him. These were 10
watch and pray. They were to watch
with him. In sympathy with him, and
against the same temptations.
In this hour Jesus needed human
sympathy, even while he must tread
the winepress alone" Three times he
went TO them during this season OF
prayer. The more loving the heart,
the more helpful is fellowship and
sympathy. Every wise person accepts
OF all the sympathy and help he can
get To throw this away is TO reject
one OF the best aids God has given us.
"Jesus was in the prime of man
hood; life was Just opening before
him; his soul was eager for work, and
conscious OF rare capability to per-
form It; his death was the end Of all
human hope of achievement" His
earthly career, In this DARK hour. may
have seemed to be a failure. II the fu-
ture was yelled from his vision. Only
a few disciples, instead OF a glorious
Kingdom, and these few about to for
sake him! Where were the fruits of
his life? II vas his hour of dark
ness, with the future yelled from his
eyes with its resurrection and ascen-
sion. and himself King OF Kings and
Lord OF Lords. This required the ut
most heroism OF faith
Nevertheless not as / win. Not as
seems desirable now. But as thou
wilt. What in your loving wisdom you
see to be wise and best This is my
prayer and desire. I do not merely
submit to your will. but desire It, pray
for IL. Underneath that awful agony
there lay, millions OF fathoms deep,
unmoved and immovable, the intense
desire that his Father's wish and will
should be done. Morrison. This
prayer, Thy will be DONE" contains
the essence OF faith; faith that ex-
poets an answer.
"Thy will be done, means far more
than merely enduring the suffering
God sends It means doing his will
in our business. In our homes; every
where living according to Gods laws
and principles. II means carrying out
his plans for the redemption of men.
The prayer was answered through
the strength given him to drink the
cup, and change II into cup OF bless
ing. n was answered IN the same way
that God answers our prayers, as God
answered Paul's prayer that the thorn
IN his flesh might be removed.
God answered Jesus prayer by Civ
ing I'm better form than the one In
which the petition was stated, the
soul of his prayer. the things that In
his deepest heart he wanted. II clear
ly before the vision OF Jesus there had
appeared two choices, the one OF es-
cape from the cross. but with that
also the failure OF his mission. the
triumph OF evil, the loss OF unnum-
bered souls. no crown, no glory, no
abiding on the right hand OF God; and
the other choice, that OF the cross and
its agony, but with II also the redemp-
,tion OF the world. the ineffable glory
OF God. the joys OF millions OF the
saved, the crown OF triumph over
evil-who doubts which would have
been his real, innermost prayer? HE
prayer was answered. for the cross
was changed to crown, Gethsemane
into paradise, death into immortal
glory.
10, Judas. one OF the twelve, came
He knew where he would be- likely 10
ind Jesus, becaus> Jesus was accus-
toned to resort 10 this garden with