Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-11-19
Jesus in Gethsemane.
Matthew. 26: 1866.

HE supper was ended. The last
words. memorable. inspiring.
undying, had been spoken.
With slow and solemn steps
they descend the stair and
turn their faces toward Gethsemane.
1t was night. The garden was desert
ed. The place was suited to the hour;
for now it was to be made memorable
for all time. think that for most Chris
tians Gethsemane is the name for great
and an inscrutable mystery. Had Christ
been a mere man those hours of darkness
might have seemed natural and fitting.
But even then when we think of the
calmness of Socrates, and of others In
view of death. the comparison would
seem to be anything but favorable to
Christ. But this fact, of itself, is enough
to compel us to reject. most Of the theo-
ries that have been offered in explana-
ton of the agony of the garden.
1t could not have been the fear Of
death. None who have ever lived knew
SO well the meaning OF death as did he.
To Him the future was clear, inevitable,
glorious. He had come down from
heaven by death He would return to
it. 1t could not have been the tear of
DEATH When we remember that faith in
this Christ has lifted multitudes of Chris
lions above the tear of death. 1t becomes
impossible to believe that the agony of
Gethsemane was in any way connected
with the fear of death.
Nor can we believe that it was a
shrinking back from PHYSICAL suffering.
The unshrinking heroism of the Indian
and of the Christian when subjected to
sufferings more intense and FAR more
prolonged than were those Of Christ COM
pei Its to abandon this thought. Then
what was it?
Let us remember that long centuries
before His coming, Isaiah prOphesied OF
Him that He was to be "A man of sor-
row. and acquainted with grief In other
words, this prophecy means that sorrow
would encircle Him as an atmosphere;
it would be as constant as His breath.
But if this be so, the agony did not be-
gin with His visit to the garden. Up to
this time there were His travels, His
teachings, His works of healing. and of
sympathy to occupy His thought, but
His sorrows was unlocked; the flood
overwhelmed Him. He cried out, MY
soul is exceedingly sorrowful even unto
DEATH
to notice other theories that have been
advanced to explain this mystery. Nearly.
If not all. have become outworn. There
is. however. one that claims our atten-
ton. Let us remember that Jesus was
a man. AS such, there were things con-
cealed from Him. 1t was a part of the
emptying of Himself that was the result
of the incarnation. AS a man He took
our full nature. sin excepted. AS a man
He feared. The author of the epistle
to the Hebrews says that He was heard
in that He feared
Fear, then was the chief ingredient of
that agony. Not fear for Himself, but
fear for the result OF the awful tragedy
that was now to be enacted. This cruel
fixon was the rejection of the Fathers
offering for the sin of the world. What
if the Father should turn away and
leave the world to it's doom If the mad
ness of these rulers should end In the
withdrawal of the Fathers love. For
awhile He was left alone to battle with
His human doubts.
And this was the unbearable agony
1t was an agony that He was compelled
to bear alone. The eleven disciples en-
tered the garden with Him: but eight
Of them We're SO out of sympathy with
the Saviors thought that they must be
left behind. The three most like their
Lord were taken further but they. too,
were lacking. 1t was the hour and power
of darkness. He must bear il alone
The thought was at once too deep and
too high for any other brain or heart.
He had asked of the three sympathy:
He had besought them To watch and to
pray with Him. But they were weary