One of the nicest places in the whole world has to be a well-tended garden. A garden is like a sanctuary for the soul; a pleasant, enclosed space where nature is on its best behaviour and life is orderly, attractive, and good. There’s justsomething “right” about a garden. We live in a messy, harsh, and often painfully chaotic world, but a garden reminds us of the way things ought to be – the way things were meant to be.

There are two famous gardens in the Bible: the Garden of Eden at the very beginning of the Bible, and the Garden of Gethsemane at the very climax of the Bible. And for all of the rightness and goodness of gardens, we see that some terribly tragic things happened in those two gardens.

It was in the Garden of Eden, at the very beginning of the Bible, that we fell from the presence of God, and our relationship with him was broken. And it is in the Garden of Gethsemane, at the climax of the Bible, that we learn just how far fallen we are. But there we also learn just how far a loving God will go to bring us back to himself.

What happened in the Garden of Eden was a tremendous victory of evil over good. It was a cosmic clash in which evil seemed to come out the victor. And the direction of human history was set there in that garden for countless years to come.

But what happened in Gethsemane was a reversal of what happened in Eden. The tide of evil crashed and broke against the rock of God’s goodness. The obedience and submission of a Second Adam undid the rebellion of the First.

Both Gardens tell us how relational God is – he isn’t an impersonal cosmic force way out there beyond the Universe – he is a person who is involved with us; engaged with us; a person who seeks relationship with us.

In the Garden of Eden, we hear God calling to man: “Where are you? Where have you gone? What have you done? Why are we no longer friends? Why have you forsaken me?”

In the Garden of Gethsemane, we see God the Son in relationship with imperfect human beings. All of the imperfection and fallenness of humanity is on display in Gethsemane. Yet Jesus relates to those fallen men with utmost grace.

And in the Garden of Gethsemane, we see something of the mysterious relational struggle that Jesus experienced as he anticipated becoming the sin-bearer for all mankind. We hear God the Son calling to God the Father: “Abba Father… if it is possible, take this cup from me.” A cup which, a few hours later, on the cross, was going to make him cry “My God, My God, Why have you forsaken me?” But in Gethsemane, we hear the Second Adam say: “Nevertheless, not my will but your will be done.” Oh, if only the first Adam had said that in the Garden of Eden!

In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus is the central figure, and we learn much about his character as we see him struggle through those dark hours. But surrounding Jesus are his disciples. They are the “supporting cast” in this drama. And the cosmic clash of good versus evil that unfolds in that quiet place tells us a lot about them. We see them stripped down to the core of their character. We see them as they really are – people who are profoundly flawed on a spiritual and a moral level. And I think that we can see ourselves reflected in them.

There are five images which resonate for me, and I want to share them with you this morning. In those images, we see ourselves:

an unfounded boast
an indifferent sleep
an insincere kiss
an unsheathed sword
an unclothed man

We will be following the story as it is told by Mark (chapter 14), but we’ll supplement his account with details from Matthew, Luke, and John.

The events in the Garden of Gethsemane take place late at night; in the ominous hours just before and after midnight. Jesus and his disciples have eaten the Passover meal in an upper room in Jerusalem. It was a meal that was fraught with spiritual significance for all the Jewish people as they looked back on their history. But in that particular night, in that particular place, it was a meal that gave birth to a whole new significance for all people everywhere, from that moment forward.

It was the Last Supper – the last evening meal that Jesus spent with his disciples prior to the cross. It was a time so rich in teaching and symbolism, that one of the men who was there – the Apostle John – devotes five whole chapters of his 21 chapter book to describing it.

During that meal…

Jesus spoke of his impending death, even as the disciples argued about which of them would be the greatest in the kingdom
Jesus gave them a vivid lesson in humility and servanthood as he washed their feet.
Then he identifies that one of them would betray him
Jesus institutes the sign of a new covenant between God and man - the bread and the wine – to be eaten in remembrance of what Jesus was about to do the next day
John gives us an extended report of Jesus’ teaching in the upper room (ch. 14-17)
- that he would be going to His father and preparing a place for his followers
- that he would be sending the Holy Spirit to be a Comforter and a Counselor
- the importance of abiding in Christ, as the branches abide in the vine
- a warning of impending persecution and opposition from the world
- predicts a time of grief that will turn to joy over his resurrection
- promises answers to prayer
- high priestly prayer for his disciples

When the meal came to a close, Mark says…

Mark 14:26 When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

Specifically to an olive grove on the flanks of the Mount of Olives facing the eastern wall of the city. Luke tells us that they went “as usual” to that place; and John tells us that Jesus often met there with his disciples – that why Judas knew exactly where he could find them.

The name “Gethsemane” comes from an Aramaic expression which means “the oil press”. It would be typical in an olive grove for there to be an oil press – a stone apparatus where the olives could be crushed to extract the olive oil that was used in cooking and lighting.

I have been to this place, and there are olive trees growing there today. The tour guides will tell you that they are the same olive trees under which Jesus prayed. They are most certainly NOT the same trees, but I will admit the possibility that they may have descended several generations from seeds grown on the trees of Jesus’ day.

At any rate, Jesus was in the habit of coming here to this quiet place with his disciples. Away from the hustle and bustle of the city – a place where they could talk and pray, and perhaps spend the night sleeping under the stars. Some have gone so far as to suggest that this olive grove may have been owned by a friend of Jesus, who had given permission for he and his disciples to meet there.

To get to the olive grove from the city, you had to go down a long flight of stairs into a deep valley. Jerusalem was built, like most cities in those days, on a hill for defensive purposes. And on the eastern side of the city, that hill was quite steep. There was a gully, or a gorge, carved by a little brook called the Kidron, across which you would have to go to begin to climb the flanks of the facing hill, which was called the Mount of Olives.

On their way there, the disciples and Jesus were talking.

Mark 14:27 “You will all fall away,” Jesus told them, “for it is written: “‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’

Mark 14:28 But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.”

Mark 14:29 Peter declared, “Even if all fall away, I will not.”

Mark 14:30 “I tell you the truth,” Jesus answered, “today — yes, tonight — before the rooster crows twice you yourself will disown me three times.”

Mark 14:31 But Peter insisted emphatically, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” And all the others said the same.

1. An Unfounded Boast

When you become a follower of Jesus – when you come into proper relationship with the living God – there is a whole aspect of your personhood that is unlocked. To put it more accurately, there is a part of you that was dead that now comes alive. It’s your spirit, and your spirit is now alive to God. And that’s a very powerful thing! Once you were dead to God, distant from God, cut off from him, but now you are alive and connected!

And that powerful sense of connection gives rise to a powerful sense of emotion. It evokes the very deepest feelings of commitment and loyalty, and those feelings find expression in any number of ways – prayer, worship, song, a determination to obey God and follow his call and do his will. And that is all very good.

But if we begin to think that our relationship with God rests on the strength of our allegiance to him in all these ways, we are dead wrong.

Peter, and all the other disciples, felt very strongly about Jesus. They had had their spirits awakened by him. He had given them answers to questions they had been asking all their lives. And they loved him for that. And they wanted to express that. They wanted to assure him of their loyalty and their commitment no matter what. They wanted to say “Lord, no matter how bad it gets, we’re going to be there for you. We’re not going to fall away. We’re your boys – we’re watching your back.”

And Jesus said “Guys, you don’t understand. There are forces afoot tonight that are going to break you down. You have no idea what you’re up against. Your commitment to me is going to melt away like candle wax under a blowtorch.”

When the shepherd is struck, the sheep are scattered. Why? Because they’re sheep, that’s why. The connection of sheep to a shepherd isn’t based on the loyalty of the sheep; it’s based on the love of the shepherd.

Our relationship with God isn’t based on the strength of our devotion to him; it’s based on the strength of his love for us.

1John 4:10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us

And we need to constantly remind ourselves of that. Sometimes I worry about this “worship movement” that’s going on in the church these days. Because I wonder if it’s more about expressing and exalting our love for him than his love for us.

On the walk over to Gethsemane, the disciples were extolling their love for Jesus. And then a few hours later, they all abandoned him. And Peter denied even knowing him. It was an unfounded boast.

2. An Indifferent Sleep

32 ¶ They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.”

33 He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled.

34 “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,” he said to them. “Stay here and keep watch.”

35 ¶ Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him.

36 “Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”

37 ¶ Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Simon,” he said to Peter, “are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour?

38 Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”

39 ¶ Once more he went away and prayed the same thing.

40 When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. They did not know what to say to him.

41 ¶ Returning the third time, he said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough! The hour has come. Look, the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.

42 Rise! Let us go! Here comes my betrayer!”

In the days following the attacks of Sept. 11, the question that everyone was asking was “How could this have happened? How could the people who did this have escaped our notice?” They had slipped in to North America and were setting this thing up with impunity completely under our radar. Our security and intelligence services were virtually unaware of the magnitude and the imminence of the threat.

And in spiritual terms, that was exactly where the disciples were on Thursday at midnight. They were totally unaware of the spiritual forces that were closing in on Jesus. They had no inkling of the spiritual war that was coming to a climax. So they nodded off to sleep.

There is a plaintiveness about Jesus exclamation in v. 37: “Peter! What are you doing asleep at a time like this! Could you not keep watch for even one hour? You said you’d be there for me. You said you’d stand with me. And now here you are sawing logs when I really need you.”

We see the humanity of Jesus as he faces his darkest hour. He wants company. He needs support. He wanted them to share this struggle with him. He’s relational. But his disciples just didn’t have a clue.

I couldn’t help compare this episode with the one where the disciples are in the boat on the sea of Galilee. A storm comes up and they’re terrified, and they’re rowing like crazy. And Jesus is there with them in the boat, and He’s asleep. He’s asleep because he knows there’s nothing to worry about.

Our problem is that we’re usually rowing when we should be resting, and sleeping when we should be praying. We are most often dull and indifferent to the spiritual realities around us.

3. An Insincere Kiss

43 ¶ Just as he was speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, appeared. With him was a crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests, the teachers of the law, and the elders.

44 ¶ Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: “The one I kiss is the man; arrest him and lead him away under guard.”

45 Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, “Rabbi!” and kissed him.

46 The men seized Jesus and arrested him.

Author Walter Wangerin describes the scene…

There comes an orange snake eastward through the night. A snake of fire, a long snake of torches. Perhaps the disciples glance down from the Mount of Olives and see it and do not understand. Jesus understands. It winds the same path they themselves have followed from the city. It winks through the trees in a smooth and silent, serpentine approach. It is a fatal snake. It kills by kissing.

The binding strength of that snake is the armed guard of the Temple and the police of the Sanhedrin. Behold how the servants of God can bite!

But the head of the snake is one of the Twelve, a disciple of Jesus. Behold how a friend may kiss for other reasons than affection and respect.

Judas, one of the Twelve. Judas, entrusted with the money. Judas, the conspirator. Judas, the betrayer. Never underestimate how far we will go in the service of self. Judas, the follower of Jesus, did what he did because he wanted something for himself. Something he thought he needed; something he knew he wanted; something he felt he deserved. His selfishness made him a traitor to God.

How did Jesus treat him? How did Jesus respond? He didn’t argue. He didn’t reprimand Judas. Matthew tells us that he simply said “Friend, do what you came for.” He called him “friend”. I can think of a lot of things to call Judas on such an occasion, and “friend” wouldn’t be one of them. But Jesus’ love for Judas transcended what Judas was doing. Jesus even owns his relationship with Judas in the simple statement: “Here comes my betrayer.”

Judas didn’t point out Jesus to the armed guards. He didn’t say “There is the man! Arrest him.” He kissed him. He kissed him so that in the darkness there could be no mistaking who he meant.

A kiss. A sign of friendship, of love. An intimate act that brings you face to face with another person. I wonder if Judas had the courage to look Jesus in the eye as he kissed him? It was an insincere kiss. A kiss that came, not from Judas regard for Jesus, but from Judas regard for himself. Like the bite of a cobra, it was a kiss that killed.

Have you ever kissed Jesus that way? “Jesus, I love you, but only as long as there is something in it for me.”

4. An Unsheathed Sword

Mark 14:47 Then one of those standing near drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear.

John lets the cat out of the bag and tells us that it was Simon Peter who did this – as though we couldn’t have guessed!

In the face of treachery, in the presence of betrayal and deceit, Peter does what we all would have done – he lashes out. He retaliates. He fights back. But he does so without the blessing of God, and Jesus rebukes him. He says “Peter, do you think that I need you to be doing this? To be dancing around like a Middle Eastern ninja slicing and dicing people’s ears? Don’t you know that I’ve got resources I could call on that would nuke this place in a heartbeat? Put down your sword.”

And then Jesus graciously undoes the damage that Peter did. This was Jesus’ very last miracle: to heal a hurting enemy.

We often fall into thinking that we’re going to do God’s work – we’re going to advance God’s kingdom – our way, with an emphasis on force and strength and confrontation. We rely on the arm of flesh.

And Jesus tells us: “If you draw the sword, you’ll die by the sword.”

5. An Unclothed Man

50 Then everyone deserted him and fled.

51 ¶ A young man, wearing nothing but a linen garment, was following Jesus. When they seized him,

52 he fled naked, leaving his garment behind.

Interesting detail! It only appears here in Mark. It’s not mentioned in any of the other Gospels, which has led some commentators to speculate that this detail may have been autobiographical; this young man may have been John Mark himself.

Whatever. This young man, this Biblical streaker, fleeing naked through a dark olive grove, fleeing in terror for his life, is a pretty good picture of all of us.

Remember the Garden of Eden? Remember when Adam and Eve sinned? The first thing they realized was that they were naked. Their innocence, their transparency before God and before each other was lost. They needed to cover up. There was guilt.

Well, here we have this naked man in the Garden of Gethsemane. What do we make of him? Simply this. Just as the events of that night left that young man exposed physically, so do the events of Good Friday leave us exposed spiritually.

We come to God with our righteous robes on, and God says “I had to die for you. Your sin is more than skin-deep. It goes down to the very root of your being. And I exchanged in your place my very being so that you might live.”

We come to God saying “God, I’m with you. I’m on your side. I’m going to be there for you.” And then we see the truth: we see this poor naked young fellow, hot-footing it for his life out of that garden. And all you could hear as they led Jesus away was the rapid footfalls of his disciples receding in the distance.

Being a Christian doesn’t rest on our love for Jesus; it rests on his love for us.

And so, in spite of the many ways we fail him; in spite of…

the unfounded boast
the indifferent sleep
the insincere kiss
the unsheathed sword
the unclothed man

Jesus’ love for us is constant.