Garden of Gethsemane, a teaching tool for all ?

The story of Jesus on the night prior to his crucifixion has been written in the synoptic gospels in Mark 14:32-41, Matthew 26:36-45, Luke 22:39-54 and in John 18:1-12

This narrative is historically poignant as this is the first time in the life of man-Jesus when it was recorded that he prayed so fervently that he “sweated blood”, as in:

“And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground” (Luke 22:44)

Notice that it was not exactly blood that Jesus was sweating; instead it was “like great drops of blood”. Otherwise, if it was real blood, he would have had hemorrhagic shock, no pun intended.

One can deduce from this description that the context must have meant “to sweat profusely”, like “bleeding out” sweat “falling down to the ground”. Such degree of diaphoresis suggests the intensity and severity of Jesus’ dilemma. For him, that night was a turning point with cosmic proportion, but why?

Jesus’ life of risks

What is so different at this time? His life has been in danger before, as in:

John 7:1 “After these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for: he would not walk in Jewry, because, the Jews sought to kill him.”

John 8:59 “Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.”

John 10:31 “The Jews took up stones again to stone Him.”

In all these instances, he slipped away and was not injured. They were like “no brainer” to split from these. These risks were predictably escapable and no harm would come to him. It was not yet his time to be sacrificed.

Also, the first time he was tempted to hurt himself or commit suicide was directly from Satan himself when the latter was trying to check him out whether he in fact was the Messiah. This narrative was recorded in Matt 4:6; Mark 1:12-13 and Luke 4:9-12. He did not succumb to Satan and instead overcame him with wisdom with help of the “Helper”(John 14:26;Holy Spirit). Satan knew people before Jesus, who claimed to be the Christ, yet died and gone they went. Nonetheless, Jesus did not divulge his identity to Satan who needed proof that he was the “chosen one”(Isaiah 42:1).

Notice that in all of these risks in his life, he knew fully well that his “time was not yet”, as in John 7:6:

Jesus replied, “Now is not the right time for me to go, but you can go anytime.”

Notice that while his life was in real jeopardy in many instances, he knew that he would not be killed. It was not his time yet.

In contrast, that night in Gethsemane was very different. It was only on that night that it finally dawned on him the anguish of definite death that would come to him by crucifixion towards the end of that day. His life was on the line.

It was the night of Nisan 14 when before the day was over, that he was destined to be killed as a Passover. That night was a very agonizing moment for him that he sweated profusely. And, rightly so as he was in the crossroad of an earth-shaking dilemma, i.e.,to follow his “own will”, praying for the Father to spare his life or succumb to the Father’s will to die for mankind. A wrong choice on his part would spell eternal disaster to everything and everyone that was created, “visible or invisible” (Col. 1:16). His decision carried repercussions of infinite proportion. He understood from the experience of others and from what he saw about death by crucifixion, how this torture leads to excruciating pain, exhaustion and asphyxiation. Being human, (Psalms 22:14-18; Luke 24:25-26; Luke 24:46; Isaiah 53:3-12; Matthew 16:21)he understood this agonizing death.

Jesus reached the crossroad

So, what decision would he make?

Considering that he is the “only way, the truth and life”(John 14:6) and that “no other name given …by which we must be saved”(Acts 4:12), took on an even compelling pressure on him to make the right and only decision. The wisdom that comes from Luke 17:33 (“he who loses his life will preserve it“) reverberated in his ears. Jesus knew that while he was imbued with the Holy Spirit at river Jordan (Luke 3:22) the Father will “not spare his own Son” (Rom. 8:32; Matt. 4:17).

This was the night that he genuinely recognized his “spirit is willing but the (his) flesh is weak”(Matt 26:41). Although if he chooses, he could be empowered by the Holy Spirit to overcome the “pull of his flesh” but at the expense of his life. Indeed, he had to die to “condemn sin in his flesh” as in:

“For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:” (Romans 8:3)

He had to “condemn sin in his flesh”, not by surviving and living through this dilemma, but by death through crucifixion. This is the only path as planned by the Father for his “flesh” to die before being resurrected with an immortal body. His choice did not come easily nor in a snap. And, him being composed of flesh, he realized that on his own, he was “weak” and needed to summon the strength that comes from the power of the Holy Spirit given to him at river Jordan. He had to “Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh(Galatians 5:16).

Teaching moment for Jesus and for us?

On that night, his trust in the Father’s plan that there was no other way but to die, was shaken by the urgency of the reality that he had to finally decide to be a “Passover”(I Cor. 5:7)). He would not be forced into submission and he had to take it voluntarily and with conviction.

What then convinced him of the only correct choice? Reading Mark 14:41, Matthew 26:44 and in Luke 22:39-54, it took him the 3rd time seeing his disciples sleeping, reminded him that like him, the disciples’ “spirit is willing but flesh is weak”. This optic of similar weakness of his fellow-flesh, finally made Jesus to realize that “human flesh is weak” and he had to die for mankind, i.e., “take the cup”. By his own personal experience, and even with the Holy Spirit imbued in him, he in fact was initially preferring to stay alive instead of dying a horrifying death,i.e., “let this cup pass from me“. His spirit was willing to die, but his flesh was telling him otherwise. The spirit and the flesh were at odds, at war with another, as expressed by Paul (Romans 7:15-25).

After the 3rd time coming back praying in Gethsemane, Jesus said,

“Truly the flesh is weak” (Matt 26:41-45; Mark.14:38-42).

John 12:27: “Now My soul has become troubled; and what shall I say, ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour“.

Finally, on that night in the garden of Gethsemane he decided,

“Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”(Luke 22:42, NIV)

For emphasis, man-Jesus’ personal will (being drawn to the flesh) was not to die as a Passover for mankind. His weak flesh was battling against his spirit. But, without “taking the cup” he would not have been resurrected by the Father, nor subsequently gifted with the power of the Holy Spirit to us-ward. The Holy Spirit baptized into him at river Jordan was specifically for him. He had to get that same power, but this time after his resurrection, for him to give to us. The fact is, that he subjugated the personal pull of his flesh, to the will of his Father by the power of the Holy Spirit that guided him with wisdom. And that decision was no simple feat but rather a major one with eternal ramifications. He chose voluntarily to follow the will of the Father and said, “…not my will, but yours be done.” They are indeed, “one” with each other.

He restored his trust in the promise of his Father to be resurrected after his death. Again the emphasis in this story in the garden of Gethsemane is trust and the reality of the warring components of our body, i.e., flesh and spirit-of-man (1).

Subsequently, history shows that 3 days and 3 nights in the tomb, he was “manifested/declared as Son of God by resurrection from the dead”(Romans 1:4). Indeed, he was declared or called or named as “Son of God” after resurrection, went to heaven and received the Holy Spirit directly from the Father to be given to us (John 16:7; 20:22. And, on the day of Pentecost it was gifted with openness and grandeur to the apostles and others(Read Acts Chapter 2) with the purpose of creating “many sons and daughters of God” as in:

Heb. 2:10 “In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffering.

Heb 4:15

“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are–yet he did not sin.” (NIV)

Summary

Death by crucifixion was the preferred torture and common during the Roman Empire. That night of Nisan 14 in the garden at Gethsemane was a seminal event that led to a major decision of Jesus. It was the turning point of colossal proportion in the road to salvation for all of us. A horrifying night to the “captain of our salvation“ who faced, not an escapable risk, but with his actual death through the horrifying anguish of crucifixion. Sweating profusely “like great blood” flowing down the ground, he emoted the gravity and intensity of his prayer and supplication to the Father to “spare the life” of his Son. But, there is only “one way” and “truth” towards eternal life and that the Father will not “spare the life” even of his only son. Jesus has to be the “Passover Lamb”, chosen specifically by the Father, for a “sweet offering” (Eph. 5:2) to reconcile man to the Father, to die rather than live (Luke 17:33). And this destiny, Jesus had to accept willingly and voluntarily, not mandated nor forced down his throat. And Jesus did accept the Father’s will, meekly and reverently!

This teaching moment was for all of us, including man-Jesus, the “pioneer” (trailblazer, author) of our salvation (Heb. 12:2). We all have to “live by faith” , follow the Holy Spirit that guides us to correct decisions and not succumb to the “pull of the flesh”. While we may have the Holy Spirit residing in us, we will still be tempted, like Jesus was, and undergo sufferings because of the “weak flesh” that man was composed of (1). Also, like what Jesus did, we have to follow (especially at the “last days “) the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Pray always that we will not be subjected to crucifixion which was replaced historically by “waterboarding” or any “enhanced interrogation techniques”(2,3). But, even when we do, just remember to “walk in the spirit” so as not to follow the “pull of the flesh”. And apostle Paul followed the example of Jesus, too.

To Paul, whose life seemed to be round-the-clock risk, the scriptures state:

“Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea” (2nd Cor 11:25) and very often “in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure” (2nd Cor 11:27)

Finally, the strength to overcome the risk and pain of losing one’s life in this world or pull of the flesh is trust, anchored on faith that is evidence-based, and hope in the promise (4) that “he who loses his life in this world will save it for the age to come”. The optic of Jesus crucified on the cross is the epitome of trust in the Father that all of us must learn.

May God bless us all.🙏😇

References:

1. Kingdom of God in Human Anatomy, Retrieved 7/26/18 from

http://fact-s.net/2016/12/21/kingdom-of-god-in-human-anatomy/

2. Eric Weiner. Waterboarding: a Tortured History. Retrieved 7/28/18 from https://www.npr.org/2007/11/03/15886834/waterboarding-a-tortured-history

3. Waterboarding. Retrieved 7/28/18 from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/waterboarding

4. Faith vs hope, wishful thinking, trust. Retrieved 7/28/18 from http://fact-s.net/2015/10/27/faith-vs-hope-or-wishful-thinking/

Original post: July 28, 2018

What do the “tree of life” and tree with fruits of “knowledge of good and evil” mean to us? This narrative in the garden of Eden as to what message is being sent has been a mystery, until now.

The narrative in the garden of Eden about the tree of life and the tree of good and evil summarizes the basic foundation of the plan of God, from the beginning, and revealed what actually is the “gospel of the kingdom of God”.

Who to believe?

Notice that Adam & Eve had a choice, viz., to eat all in the garden including the fruit of the tree of life that will make them immortal but not to eat the fruit of that one specific tree of good and evil, also in the midst of the garden, that will make them “like us“. Only one tree, the fruit of which was forbidden. That forbidden fruit of that tree, and when eaten, they “will surely die“(Gen 2:9,16;3:3-5).

In contrast to the “immortal fruit” that will make them spirit-beings like God, eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil” would give them wisdom “like Elohim”; so they wrongly thought and prioritized. They believed this lie from Satan that, even by violating that command “not to eat” the forbidden fruit, they would not die and continue to live in the garden of Eden so they can afterwards eat the ” fruit of the tree of life” and have eternal life. Hence, prioritizing “wisdom“, the “knowledge of good and evil” over “tree of life” eternal.

Elohim, being the omnipotent, omniscient and Creator/Word of all, their “desire” to be like him was understandable and logical. But, eating the forbidden fruit has consequence of death. They believed Satan instead of God. Aside from disbelieving the Almighty God, the action they took to be “like Elohim” was misplaced and misguided. God practically was saying, ” this is not the way to be like me“. The 1st Adam was not the human that was planned to undergo the process “to be like him“, hence forbidden. He was not the man chosen to suffer for mankind and be the “captain of our salvation“(Hebrews 2:10). The Serpent hoodwinked them into believing a lie that appealed to their “desire“. It was a temptation they could not resist and to their peril. Adam & Eve sinned because of:

1. Disbelief in the Almighty-God(El Shaddai/YHVH), the one who stood for the Father at that time in Genesis. Belief is the core and hub that set the trajectory towards the future of humans. Without belief in him, no one can please God ( Heb. 11:6-8). Trust on what God said is the fundamental basis being set here.

2. The mechanism to be “like him” was not for the first Adam to reach that goal and to do it on his own,i.e., not his “own works”. That person would have to be the “last or second Adam” (Incarnated YAHWEH/man-Jesus) that was prophesied to reach that goal not on his own but by the power of the Holy Spirit given to him as a gift (Matt. 3:16). Adam & Eve did not know this at that time but their sin was so monumental such that it can not be mitigated by lack of this knowledge.

Creation Goal

Notice the plan of God in the creation narrative:

1. He created the non-living, like the planets (universe), (he may have created first the angelic spirit-beings) then,

2. He created the living, like the plants and animals and different species within their “own kind”. The principle/law of Genetics was established; the plant kingdom and animal kingdom will stay within that kingdom although they may have different species within their kind. Simply stated, a plant cannot be an animal or vice-versa; no evolution from each other.

Much like darkness (non-living), the Word/Creator then said, “let there be light“. Darkness then light, non-living then life.

3. After creating living plants and animals, the Word/Creator said, let us make man in “our image”, i.e. in the image of the Creator Elohim/YHVH, “like us“, not in the image of angels nor “plant or animal kingdom”.

Notice that YHVH was not creating spirit-beings, like angels. They were already created way before any other living creation. Nor was he creating a “human kingdom” or another animal kingdom. Nor was he evolving animals into humans. He was creating something unique from all creation,i.e., “likeness/image of YAHWEH ELOHIM(Lord God)”.

The Creator God was not creating a “human kingdom”, either. History shows that all “human kingdoms” failed from 1st Adam, Tower of Babel, Babylonian and its succession of kingdoms, Israel under Saul, etc. even Babylonian empire towards the “ten toes” ( Daniel 2:19-45). His plan was for man to be like him (Elohim), new creation, a “kingdom of God”, not a human kingdom, much different and above angelic beings or “angelic species”. This is the “gospel of the kingdom of God”.

Strategic Plan for this New Creation

Much like any goal, there has to be strategic plan to reach it. Following through Biblical history one sees the following timetable:

1. Incarnation of the Creator God, the El SHADDAI, the YHVH, as in Exodus 6:3

“I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob as El-Shaddai–‘God Almighty’–but I did not reveal my name, Yahweh, to them”(New Living Translation) into JEHUSHUAH/man-Jesus/the WORD as in,

John 1:1 “ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God”

John 1:14 “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

2. For Jesus, the carpenter-builder to be baptized with the power of the Holy Spirit. This occurred in river Jordan. He is the pioneer, trailblazer, captain, precursor ,Author..to start this process. See Heb. 2:10-11;12:2; 6:19-20). This power he used to overcome Satan and to do miracles, without which he would be “weak” like any human (Matt. 26:41; Mark 14:41). This power also sanctified him and guided him with wisdom. But more importantly, this Holy Spirit of power helped him to choose the Father’s will, not his own(Luke 22:42). To be completely convinced that “man is weak” without the Holy Spirit, he has to go back 3 times to see his disciples sleep instead of wait. Finally, he said “truly man is weak” and needed the Holy Spirit to be empowered. Without the power of the Holy Spirit in us, we will not be saved. Subsequently, he said “not my will but your will (Father) be done”. Jesus is indeed “one” with the Father(John 10:30; 17:21).

3. After Jesus’ death as the Passover Lamb, he was resurrected after 3 days and 3 nights, and as a living Son of God, to receive personally and directly from the Father the gift, as promised, the Holy Spirit to then be given to those called in their time to empower them as well. A live person has to receive it, not a dead one.

4. Those who believed (Eph. 1:13-14) and trusted God that what he promised, he will deliver, will receive the Holy Spirit of power, also for their sanctification, guidance and wisdom to choose right from wrong. As humans, even with the Holy Spirit, they(like man-Jesus) will undergo trials, tribulations, challenges ...”to make them perfect through suffering “(Heb. 2:10).

5. Those who bear fruits of the Holy Spirit, endure, persevere through the end, will then receive “immortality/eternal life”

(Galatians 5:22-23; Matt. 7:19; Luke 13:9; Rom. 2:7;James 1:12;2 Tim. 2:12; Heb 12:1-2;Rev.2:26-28).

Summary

The 1st Adam was not the chosen man to “eat the fruit of knowledge of good and evil”. Instead, it was man-Jesus, planned from the foundation of the world. He was the first and only human to receive the in-dwelling of the Holy Spirit, so that all his “works and miracles” were results and “fruits of the Holy Spirit , so no human (even man-Christ Jesus) can boast. The timetable for humans to be “like him” required a process, viz., the incarnation of YHVH to the man-Jesus who came “from above“, a “temple not made by hands”. This was not “of works” of Adam or any man; it is a gift of God by grace, an expression of love. Adam was indeed forbidden to do this on his own as he was a man “from the ground“(Gen. 2:7), not “from above” as Jesus was(John 8:23). This man-Jesus was initially created below angelic beings (Heb 2:1-10; Ps 8:3-9😉 but subsequently became higher than them when “declared to be Son of God by the resurrection from the dead” (Rom. 1:4), and so shall others be. The strategy is for Jesus to die for the sin of mankind, as Passover substitute for mankind to reconcile us to God, be resurrected to life, as in “we shall be saved by his life“( Rom. 5:10), so that the Spirit could be sent to dwell in us for our development into His body(the church), to be “one” as in, “we shall be like him”(I John 3:2; Gen. 3:5), our Elder Brother (Heb. 2:11)in this family of God. After Jesus fulfilled and declared as”Son of God” by the resurrection from the dead, he will then ” bring many sons to glory” ( Heb 2:10).

The plan of God to have a “new creation” ( 2 Cor 5:7) , the “kingdom of God“, is the substance of the narrative in the garden of Eden. The kingdom of God is more than a government of God, more than a place. It is in fact higher than a plant kingdom, a animal kingdom, and angelic species. Great destiny and gift for mankind to be in the class of “Elohim” with Jesus and the Father.

Let us therefore thank our Elder Brother Jesus.

🙏😇

Original Post: 7/1/18

Revised and Reposted: 7/20/18

Two goats of the Day of atonement?

Controversy continues as to what these 2 goats of the day of atonement represent.

What is undeniable is that these 2 goats are for the atonement of sins. But, whose sins? From the narrative in Leviticus 16, the goat casted for YHVH (Lord) was killed and the scapegoat(Azazel, for departure) was presented alive to YHVH (Lord). The 1st goat was for the atonement of sins of mankind. But, what about the 2nd goat? Could the 2nd goat be for atonement of sins of the “fallen angels“?

Notice that in v-15, the killed goat was a sin offering for the sins of Israel and by extension includes that of Gentiles. On the other hand, in v-10, the “scapegoat” was presented alive and was sent into the “wilderness” (v-22, land not inhabited by humans). But why should Aaron after atonement of sins of Israel through the death of the first goat in v-16, again, in v-21,

“lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins..”?

Looking back at creation, angels and humans were all created by YHVH, the Word-Creator. Adam, representing humans, sinned and death came to all mankind. Similarly, Lucifer sinned and in fact took away with him a third of angelic beings. To be a substitute for humans, the second Adam (Jesus) has to be human as well.

YYHVH has to incarnate as man-Jesus to die for mankind. The parallel here, is shared by many, that the 1st goat that was killed represented the atoning sacrificial death of man-Jesus to reconcile mankind to God. But, how about the sins of angelic beings? Notice in V-10

“But the goat, on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat, shall be presented alive before the LORD, to make an atonement with him, and to let him go for a scapegoat into the wilderness.”.

Notice that the purpose of the live-goat was also for atoning of sins. But this time for whom? As the killed goat represented the Passover Lamb/Jesus for mankind, this time the atonement of the “live/resurrected” goat is for those in the “uninhabited land“, to reconcile them to God. There is no other created beings outside of humans who needed atonement but the “fallen angels”. And, they are indeed in the land not inhabited by humans. They are in “tartaros“(hell); not in “hades” where dead humans are.

As a goat that was killed, so was the man-Jesus killed. But as a resurrected Jesus, “he went and preached unto the spirits(fallen angels) in prison” (I Peter 3:19). These fallen angels are in “… chains of darkness,..”(2 Pet 2:4), “… everlasting chains...”(Jude 1:6). The sins of angels did not result in their death; they were still alive. So, a live Christ has to let live angels.

The live-goat (resurrected Jesus) with sins of mankind “upon the head of the goat” as proof, was showing these “fallen angels” about what he already did. That, as he did his atoning sacrifice for man, Jews and extended to Gentiles alike, so was he extending this atonement towards the “fallen angels” and they have to repent. As Jesus reconciled mankind to God with his death, having been resurrected and alive he can also atone and reconcile the “fallen angels” as he will be sitting in “the right hand of God”.

As YHVH, and the Word-Creator being the incarnate Jesus, these 2 goats foreshadow what Jesus would do in the future. He has provided a mechanism for atonement of all sins to reconcile all to God.

All created beings, humans and angels, will have a chance for atonement and salvation.

God bless 🙏😇

Original post: July 16, 2018

Hyperlink version posted 3/12/19