Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit · Sermon No. 3190
“And they came to a place which was named Gethsemane.” Mark 14:32.
[Other Sermons by Mr. Spurgeon upon “Christ in Gethsemane,” are #493, Volume 9—GETHSEMANE; #693, Volume 12—THE GARDEN OF THE SOUL; #1199, Volume 20—THE AGONY IN GETHSEMANE and #494, Volume 9—THE BETRAYAL.]
OUR Lord had been sitting at the table of happy fellowship with His disciples, talking to them in a very solemn and impressive manner. He then delivered those choice discourses which are recorded by John and offered that wonderful prayer which deserves to always be called, “The Lord’s Prayer.” Knowing all that was to befall Him, He and His disciples left the upper room and started to go to His usual place of quiet retreat, “a place which was named Gethsemane.” You can easily picture their descent into the street. The moon was at the full on the Paschal night and it was very cold, for we read that the high priest’s servants had kindled a fire and warmed themselves, because it was cold. As Jesus walked along the narrow streets of Jerusalem, He doubtless still spoke to His disciples in calm and helpful tones. And before long they came to the Brook Kidron over which David passed when Absalom stole away the hearts of the people from his father. So now, “great David’s greater Son” must go the same way to the olive garden where He had often been before with His disciples. It was called Gethsemane, “the olive press.” As we think of Christ in Gethsemane, I want you who love Him not only to adore Him, but to learn to imitate Him, so that when you are called to “drink of His cup,” and to be baptized with the baptism wherewith He was baptized, you may behave as His true followers should and come forth from your conflict victorious as He came forth from His!
I do not think that this great conflict arose through our dear Master’s fear of death, nor through His fear of the physical pain and all the ignominy and shame that He was so soon to endure. But, surely, the agony in Gethsemane was part of the great burden that was already resting upon Him as His people’s Substitute—it was this that pressed His spirit down even into the dust of death. He was to bear the full weight of it upon the Cross, but I am persuaded that the passion beganin Gethsemane. You know that Peter writes, “Who His own Self bore our sins in His own body on the tree.” But we are not to gather from that passage that His substitutionary sufferings were limited to the tree, for the original might bear this rendering—that He bore our sins in His own body up to thetree—that He came up to the tree bearing that awful load and still continued to bear it on the tree! You remember that Peter also writes, in the same verse, “by whose stripes you were healed.” These stripes did not fall upon Jesus when He was upon the Cross—it was in Pilate’s Judgment Hall that He was so cruelly scourged! I believe that He was bearing our sins all His life, but that the terrible weight of them began to crush Him with sevenfold force when He came to the olive press, and that the entire mass rested upon Him
with infinite intensity when He was nailed to the Cross—and so forced from Him the agonizing cry, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”
In meditating upon this commencement of our Savior’s unknown agonies, let us think first of THE CHOICE OF THE SPOT where those agonies were to be endured. Let us try to find out why He went to that particular garden on that dread night of His betrayal.
First, the choice of Gethsemane showed His serenity of mind and His courage. He knew that He was to be betrayed, to be dragged before Annas and Caiaphas, Pilate and Herod—to be insulted, scourged and, at last to be led away to be crucified—but (mark the words), “He came out, and went, as He was known to do, to the Mount of Olives.” It was His usual custom to go there to pray, so He would not make any change in His habits although He was approaching the supreme crisis of His earthly life. Let this courageous conduct of our Lord teach a lesson to all who profess to be His disciples. Whenever some trouble is about to come upon you, especially if it is a trouble that comes upon you because you are a Christian, do not be perturbed in spirit. Neglect no duty, but do as you have been known to do. The best way of preparing for whatever may be coming is to go on with the next thing in the order of Providence. If any child of God knew that he had to die tonight, I would recommend him to do just what he would do on any other Sabbath night, only to do it more earnestly and more devoutly than ever he had done it before! Blessed is that servant who, when his Master comes, shall be found discharging his duty as a servant—waiting upon his Master’s household with all due orderliness and care. To go and stand outside the front door and stare up into the sky to see if the Master is coming, as some I know seem to do, is not at all as your Lord would have you act! You know how the angels rebuked the disciples for doing this—“You men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into Heaven?” Go and preach the Gospel in the power of the Holy Spirit and then, whether Christ comes sooner or later, you will be in the right posture to welcome Him! And He will commend you for carrying out, as far as you can, His last great commission to His disciples!