Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-03-06
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
March II, 1923-Luke p
BY DIR. MARION MICH. HULL

three VINO were Closest 10 JESUS
could have given Him the comfort
of watching with Him in His sore
need; but although there is a note
of disappointment in His words as
He came and found them sleeping,
He is tender with it all and gracious
ly excuses them by crying THE
spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh
is weak" If He did not blame them
too severely, do not let us do so; for
it is a strange but true fact that
great sorrow acts like a narcotic and
exhausts one into sleep. They were
so distressed by seeing Jesus dis
treSS and hearing that. agOniZing
prayer that it stupefied them.
Then Jesus went back and prayed
the same words; and being in agony
He prayed more earnestly. His whole
body was behind these words. He
prayed so hard that He perspired
like He was working physically, and
His perSpiration was as it was great
clots of blood falling down to the
ground. After n while He returned
and found the disciples sleeping
again, and they were so ashamed
and amazed that they did not know
what to answer Him. The whole
story of their conduct impresses one
with the fact that this experience
was most unusual; they were acting
just as though they had been doped.
Saviour!
Again He left them, and prayed
the third time, saying the same
words. Again He returned and
found them sleeping. But it was
early morning now, about one or
two o'clock. Even though it was
full moon, He saw the glare of
torches coming across the brook
Gidron, the brook that was running
red even now with the blood of the
sacrificial victims. He heard the
tramp of the feet. the measured
tramp Of SOLDIERS mingled with the
uneven tramp of a mob. In irony
He said to the sleeping disciples:
''Sleep on now and rest! Arise, the
hour is at hand, and the Son of Man
is betrayed"
OF the other events in the garden
of the olive-press, we shall take
note next week. Let us discover
now, if we can, what it was that
produced such a change in the spirit
of Jesus, that made Him feel like
He was dying, that prompted such
a prayer, and that produced such an
agony as was revealed in that
bloody sweat.
The Cup
It surely was not the lear OF
death. Jesus was not afrald TO Que
He had foreseen that all along; He
had steadfastly set His face toward
Jerusalem knowing that 1t Would
mean His death; He had talked
about His death earlier in the eve
ming and was exultant over it. ON
the Mount of TRANSPORTATION lie
had talked about it with Moses ana
Elijah, and He knew that death
meant His return to His Father. Be
sides many a man has faced death
coollv and calmly; and Jesus was
the manifest of men. 1t must nave
been something else, therefore, thaI |
threw Him into such an agony oil"
prompted such a prayer 49,.
Tn Heb. 5:7 the apostle tells US IidI
in the DAYS of His flesh He prayed
with strong crying and tears 10 f1lll1
that could save Him from death anu
was heard because OF HIS Sou1y
foar IT would seem, therefore, tLaO
His agitation was caused not by Cn9
fear If death. but by the fear thaI
Eo would die before He had reacheu
~ cross His agony became 50
Great that He did not see now EI9
6odv could stand it until lie collu
acc0rnnlish on the Cross that oedCn
~. which He had come into tue
would that death which would pe
than that, however. The cup ina
All there was something deeper
thanthat, however. The cup ma
He was shrinking from was not Ing
cun of death, but all that oeaCn
stands for. Death is the curse oL
Gin death is the penalty OF Dfoheli
law death is the manifestation OIL
fine mower of the devil, ana oeatn -
the expression Of the wrath OF ~ ~
Jesus was real man ne ~
tired and hungry; He grew ne We
came indignant; He loved ana Wep'
and reioiced. He was real nlall,
lust as you and / are real nulil IIa
beings. But He was also 600: nc
had never known sin IN his ne ~
had never broken Gods laW-i1e a.
wavs did the things that pleaseo
Him: He had never been unueF INC
nower of the devil; He had always
dwelt in the light of Goa IaVot'
He had come into the world 10 ule
for our sins, the just Tor the uI-
inst. that He might bring US TO
card en- of the olive-press did tie APP
oreciate that the cross meant this
that he was to Sc made a curse Tor
sin: that He was to pay the penal
tv of broken law; that He was TO pc
brought under the power OF the
devil: that He was to be the OBJECT
of the wrath of God. This is what
2 gitated Him so, distressed HIM so
that He thought that He would dle
before He could pray about 1t. Inc
devil had never let UP one moment
tempting Him since He had come
into the world, and particularly
since He had entered upon His pub
lie ministry. 1t was the devil now
that dragged Him forcibly from his
disciples with such force that He
fell to the ground. 1t was the devil
that made Him express DOUBT as
To whether it was Gods will that
He should go on to the cross.
But give the devil enough rope
and he will always hang himself;
and he did here. In the garden OF
the olive.press he put the pressure
on Jesus-He saw an ANTICIPATION
of all that was ahead of Him-the
curse of sin, He who knew no SIN
made sin for us! paying the penalty
of the broken law, when He had
never broken law; being under the
power Of the devil as death is that
manifestation; being forsaken OIL
God and left alone without God be
cause the holiness of God cannot
look upon small the pillows of the
deep rolled over Him; but His love
was stronger than death, and the
mot as will, but as Thou wilt TIL
umphed.
It was the anticipation Of what
would be the next day that made
the agony of Gethsemane. Without
Calvary, Gethsemane would nave
availed nothing. But in Gethsemane
Jesus won the final victory over
Satan. While Satan seemed TO