What Happened in the 

Garden of Gethsemane 

12/27/20 

 

Many believe that Jesus asked his Father to prevent his going to the cross. Luke 22:42  They quote a verse in Hebrews that says Jesus cried and shouted for GOD to save him.  Hebrews 5:7    All of verse 7 is talking about Melchizedek not Jesus.  Notice how verse 6 blends into verse 7 as Melchizedek is the continued thought , the word “who” refers back to Melchizedek who was the last thought in verse 6, then verse 8 begins to speak of Jesus again.  Verse 7 is speaking about the war that took place between Chedorlaomer and the Kings of Sodom and Gomorrah which Abraham took part in and defeated Chedorlaomer. Genesis 14:1-24 Salem was also one of the cities that was saved by Abraham.  Melchizedek is the one who cried out to GOD and GOD sent Abraham. There is no record elsewhere in scripture that describes Jesus having "vehement cries and tears" except this verse that has been misunderstood. It plainly says in verse 7 ,  “and he was heard in that he feared” giving indication that God saved him from death, which we know God did not do for Jesus.

 What Jesus was asking his FATHER about was the sudden sickness he was feeling and how he felt he could die. Matthew 26:38 , Mark 14:34  Sorrow and grief was being amplified by forces of darkness to such a degree that Jesus thought he could die. It was this Satanic attack that Jesus prayed to his Father about, to remove it, which God did by sending an angel. Luke 22:43 similar to Matthew 4:11 .  

This was a surprise attack by Satan on Jesus to kill Jesus before he could go to the cross.  On every other occasion prior to this event Jesus was totally committed to his death and on more than one occasion rebuked those who said anything to the contrary.  Satan offered Jesus the world in exchange for worshiping him and Jesus refused.  When Satan realized he could not tempt Jesus to avoid the cross with his offer the only other recourse would be to kill him before Jesus could go to the cross.  The "cup" Jesus was speaking about was Satans attack and Jesus was surprised by this and had never in his life experienced what he was now experiencing and asked his FATHER to remove it but Jesus did not know if this was his FATHERS will or not but said; "not my will but your will be done."   The account in Luke mentions GOD sent an angel to strengthen Jesus and soon the attack was over and Jesus continued on to the cross.  

I ask the reader to remember all the things Jesus taught and how he lived his life totally committed to his FATHERS will at all times.  Jesus told us we needed to have faith and predicted his death several times. Jesus even ruled out his asking his Father to save him. John 12:27  Now we are expected to believe that at the last moment Jesus chickened out.  This would make Jesus a hypocrite .  It would also make him a sinner because in his mind he wanted to go against the will of his FATHER, a will he previously claimed to be totally in agreement with.  Jesus would have sinned according to his own definition of what sin is.  Matthew 15:11,1

Jesus was a man who was born of GOD and one with GOD requiring no mediator and was totally filled with the spirit of GOD.  Jesus had total and complete knowledge of what his mission was and had no issues with it.  Jesus walked on water, cast out demons, healed the sick and raised the dead and are we to think that at the last minute Jesus chickened out like a coward??  Other men, both converted and unconverted, have died a more noble death than that but some would have us believe that the son of GOD was a coward when faced with his.   Paul said that for the joy that was set before Jesus he edured the cross despising the shame. Hebrews 12:2 ,  Philippians 2:8 , Matthew 16:21, Isaiah 53:10-12

Recall the words of Jesus in Matthew 26:53-54 ,  God would have instantly sent more than 12 legions of angels; so then if Jesus was appealing to God to be spared the cross then he would have been spared, instantly, therefore escaping the cross was not what Jesus was praying about.

Jesus was well aware of the awesome reward his FATHER was going to give him for his willingness to be sacrificed on the cross.

Jesus was not a coward.