Monday Meditation
From the desk of Dr. A.J. Higgins
www.heaven4sure.com
Submission in the Garden
“He went a little farther and fell on His face …”
Matthew 26:39-44
The Son of God on His face in the Garden! God once was walking in a garden (Genesis 3); He, in the person of His Son woke in a Garden (John 20:15). Here He is weeping in a Garden. You cannot help but wonder if His mind went back to that first Garden and the events that had eventually brought Him to this Garden.
The Spirit of God tells us in Hebrews that He offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears. The thrice repeated prayer was answered in resurrection. The Lord had taught His disciples to pray, “Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). Now He takes the same words upon His lips: “Thy will be done.”
Were there ever words which rose to heaven which brought greater delight to the heart of God? What joy must have filled the heart of God as His eyes rested upon a Man Who would do His will whatever the cost. There was no struggle to do the Father’s will. There was no struggle to submit to what God wanted. There was total, unreserved submission to His God.
Questions to Consider:
1. If Gethsemane was not a struggle within the heart of the Lord Jesus to submit to God, and if His will and actions were always in harmony with the Father’s (John 5:19, 30), what does that reveal about the agony in the Garden? What was the Father feeling at that time?
2. The Lord Jesus did not ask the three disciples to pray for Him, but for themselves. Did the Lord Jesus ever request prayer for Himself? What would the answer to that question suggest?
3. Can you think of other “cups” in Scripture and how they shed light on this cup?
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This weekly meditation is prepared by Dr. Sandy Higgins. Its purpose is to give believers truth to think about and develop in their own minds and hearts throughout the week. Ultimately, as the week progresses, daily worship will result in hearts full of adoration for the Lord Jesus on the Lord’s Day (Sunday) as believers gather to remember Him.
Print this off. Keep it nearby for the week. Jot down your thoughts and responses to each question. What other questions come to your mind as you meditate on this verse?
