The Story

It was night, and the Passover moon was full, as the disciples went with the Lord from the large upper room through the narrow street, out by the city gate and across the Kidron bridge to Gethsemane. It was a garden on the lower slopes of the Mount of Olives, where the Lord often went with the disciples. As they walked they listened to tender words of warning; for the Lord was telling them that the last sad prophecies were about to be fulfilled, and that Peter soon would deny Him.

When they came to the place, where no doubt there were olive trees, and perhaps presses cut in the rock, where the olives were crushed for the oil by a rolling stone, the Lord passed beyond the disciples and prayed that if it were possible the trial might pass from Him; "Nevertheless, not My will, but Thine, be done." An angel strengthened Him. Again He prayed so earnestly that His sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground. He was overcoming every selfish thought and feeling that He might be able to help us to overcome. How little our troubles are compared with this trial of the Lord's! And when we are in trouble we have friends and the Lord Himself to help and comfort us, but the Lord was all alone.

The disciples were awake, and saw a band of men coming with swords and staves and torches. It was Judas with soldiers and others from the temple, for he had agreed with the priests, to betray the Lord to them. He came to the Lord and kissed Him, as if to show his love, but it was the sign which he had given to show them the one to take. One of the disciples (it was Peter) drew a sword and struck a servant of the high priest, and cut off his right ear; but the Lord told him to put up his sword, and He touched the servant's ear and healed him. The Lord's kingdom could not be established by force. It must be done by love and gentleness, greater love than any man or angel could understand.

They led the Lord to the high priest's palace. Peter followed afar off. We seem to see them entering from the street by an arched gateway in a high wall. They were in a court, the doors and windows of the palace opening upon it. Soldiers and servants were in the court, and Peter sat with some of them warming himself at a fire of glowing charcoal. There the Lord's warning to Peter came true; three times he declared that he did not know Him. Then the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter, and it all came back to him, how he had loved the Lord, how he had been sure that he would always be faithful, and how the Lord had said that he would deny Him: and he went out and wept bitterly.

The Lord had been led before the priests in a hall above the court. They hated Him, and were resolved to find some excuse to accuse Him to the governor. For a time He was left standing with the guards, who mocked Him and struck Him. In the early morning the priests gathered their council to take action against Him. They had proved nothing by witnesses, but when in answer to their question He told the simple truth that He was "the Son of God," they said, "What need we any further witness?" They would make it appear to Pilate that the Lord claimed to be a King and disputed Caesar's rule.

1. Where was Gethsemane? What was it? What does the name mean? Had the disciples been there before?

2. Who came with Judas to Gethsemane? Why did they come? What did Peter do?

3. To what house did they take the Lord? Who were there? What did the priests wish to do? Why?

4. Which disciples followed to the palace? What did Peter do that made him weep bitterly?

Spiritual Study

The Lord had before sent the disciples out without scrip or money, representing constant dependence upon Him. Now they were to take purse and scrip and to procure a sword. The time was at hand when they would seem to lose His presence, and they must find strength in His words which they had laid up in memory. The sword is the truth they would need to meet and combat falsity and evil. (E. 840) Presently Peter was rebuked for smiting the high priest's servant with a sword. Truth must not be harshly used. Men are not gained by accusing and condemning. Their attention and obedience are not gained so. Remember that the ear (especially the right ear) represents willingness to listen and obey. (A. 2799)

An angel strengthened the Lord in His trial. It was beyond the power of any man or angel to strengthen the Lord in the extremity of His trial. In the fullest sense the angel means the Divine from within which strengthened the weak humanity. It was at that time that the Lord said, "The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak." (A. 2821, 10528)

It was night when the Lord was taken and condemned; what deeper thought does this contain? It was cold, even Peter was cold; what does that suggest? (A. 6000; E. 820) Peter denied the Lord three times. (The Lord also prayed three times.) The number suggests completeness, what is done in all degrees, in feeling, thought, and act. Have we never denied the Lord so? And when the wrong was done, was it not as if the Lord turned and looked upon us and made us feel how unfaithful we had been? (T. 211; S. 29)

The cruel treatment of the Lord by the guards who blindfolded Him and struck Him, was all representative of the deepest cruelty with which the Jews were treating Him and His Word. The whole sad picture comes to us as a warning of cruelty of which we may ourselves be guilty. (E. 412)

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