Not since the first Adam do we have so dramatic a garden scene. I do not come by this comparison from any commentators of whom I am aware. Only as I was thinking of this text during the week was I struck with the thought that just as human sin was conceived in a garden, so was it overcome in another. So that is why I entitle this meditation as "The Other Garden Story". Of course, were we overly fascinated with constructing a new and imaginative take on this scene, we could examine the presence of the nascent bride of the second Adam and compare those disciples with Eve. But we have to be careful, so let me complete that image only with the thought that what treachery was performed by one of the twelve, was only reflected in the spiritual and physical weaknesses of the group watching and supposedly praying while the Lord of all the earth struggled as the first Adam had not.

Do we dare suppose what the first Adam should have done when his bride failed her devilish testing, even as he would as well? No! No we can't, speculation has no place in the exposition of Scripture, so we do not dwell on this pretension. I mention all of this introductory material to highlight the drama of the scene and the enormous stake that the elect have in the obedience shown by the second Adam, so that the "work" of the first Adam is negated in the priestly offering of the very Lamb of God that would come of this night of all nights in the history of the world. This night, and the three days to follow are the most important days in all the history of God's creation. I can say that because, by what happens here and on the cross - the human failures in the first garden at the dawn of creation are over come in and through the revealed grace and mercy demonstrated in these Sovereign momentous days.

And so, Mark reports that the Lord of all the earth took his disciples with Him into the garden of Gethsemane. The larger portion were left to watch and pray while Jesus and the three went further into seclusion for prayer. Now it is good that we have the other reports to flesh out Mark's report of what Peter remembered here. It may also be as some suppose that the young man in the last two verses was a young Mark who knows some of the details of the evening from his own memory. Dr Keener tells us that it was fairly common for the celebrants of the passover to speak late into the evening and speak of God's redemption. And so, they probably arrived in the garden an hour or two before midnight.

"My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch." The disciples report these words from the Lord of all the earth. What should we make of this? We well know how this scene and the morrow will play out, Jesus will be obeient unto death so as to accomplish the providential will of our Father. By another report we know that Jesus even sweat blood as He contemplated the morrow and the three days in the place of the dead. As we meditate on this righteous and holy fear - we must consider the burden that He must take with Him. The collected sins of all the elect from creation to the end of time. He goes not as the Lord of creation, but as the Lamb that was slain with all of the sins imparted to Himself. Let me be careful and responsible how I phrase this thought.

Jesus is not afraid of death in and of itself, even mere humans can come to terms with that, however - in going to the place of the dead weighed down with sin, He who was without sin felt the righteous judgemental wrath of the Father who must abhor sin and every creature tainted with it. Going to the place of death with a full load of sin must and should always be a fearful circumstance. Would that our generation had a greater fear in this regard. And yet, we who know the Lord must be glad that He was willing to go on with this fearful task to spare us the pain and suffering He was about to undergo! Do you catch the drift of my description here? The Lord of all the earth sorrowed at arriving in the place of the dead carrying your sins and mine! "Selah", the psalmist would encourage us, think about that for a moment. The Lord of all the earth sorrowed at arriving in the place of the dead carrying your sins and mine! What a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the righteous and holy God encumbered with sin!

The next phrase should highten our sense of impending gloom: "Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will." Not for one moment should the redeemed consider that the cross could have been set aside. No, the whole Covenant plan of redemption hung in the balance. Sinful Adam and all his kin well deserve the heat of Hades and the fires of Hell for every unholy thought, action and desire. Jesus immediately puts Himself at the complete disposal of the Father. "what You will", He submits, in perfect obedience. This too is within the plan of the Father. Voluntary obedience unto death. It would not suffice to draft the One into this situtation. Voluntarily He must lead the way to salvation.

In verse thirty-seven, Jesus found the disciples sleeping. "Simon, are you sleeping? Could you not watch one hour?" Judas certainly wasn't sleeping, he was off somewhere leading the Temple police to this very garden. Why is it that the wicked are almost always so much more energetic than the saints of the church? Late hours and darkness are not wasted by those who serve the dark lord: Satan!

"Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation," the Lord enjoins the small band of disciples. Of course we well know that the work ahead is the Lord's alone, yet how often do we put ourselves out to pray that His will be worked out in us and on our behalf? Let us be careful in wondering what temptations Peter may befall. This night is not going to be one for him or any of the other disciples to brag about. At least they were honest enough to show us their own very human frailties by making these Gospel reports and not glossing over their desperate need for redemption. Thrice, Mark tells us, Jesus found the disciples sound asleep. No worthy military guards could be found in the little group. Even as Jesus woke them the third time, the traiterous Judas and his band of Temple thugs were even upon them.

And so we come to the second portion of our text.: "And immediately, while He was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve, with a great multitude with swords and clubs, came from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders." My commentators tell us that, while the such weapons should not be carried on holy days, neverthe less here they are, willing to profane their God's own Passover to destroy His only son! Clubs are mentioned perhaps because the priestly class should not shed blood by their weapons. Swords were military weapons. To this day, the police carry both a club and a more leathal gun, and usually - safely locked up in the patrol car a shotgun or even an automatic weapon. We see in the arming of this posse the assumption that the disciples and their leader are to be treated as a common gang of cut throat revolutionaries. We may also understand that neither the Gestapo thugs of Nazi Germany or the agents of our own INS did not invent the midnight raid to catch their intended targets off guard and sleepy!

Even worse than the ordinary means of catching criminals, is the base insult of Judas. Dr Keener tells us that "a kiss was a sign of special affection among family members and close friends, or of a disciple's honor and affection for his teacher. Thus Judas's kiss is a special act of hypocrisy." Just as the disciples unwittingly and perhaps unwillingly sinned in not doing what they should have been expected to do - stay awake, so too does Judas demonstrate the most brazen sin of all - boldly and pointedly betraying Jesus to the armed mob sent out by the Jewish leaders. There is more than enough sin to go around this night, but Jesus must carry the burden of His own men to the cross at least on their behalf. Speaking in military terms, the penalty for falling asleep on guard duty in time of war in a combat zone, this crime may still merit the death penalty even as our laws provide for the execution of those who commit treason.

So - the armed posse immediately grabs Jesus. One of the disciples is armed and uses his sword to cut off an ear of a temple servant. Blood is drawn in defense of the Lord's anointed, but the blow is ineffective and inexpertly given! Had the swordsman known his business, the temple steward would not have lived a moment. There are much better targets for a blade, which the Army taught me thirty-five years ago. This defense is symbolic only, another Gospel reports that Jesus immediatly heals the man and as verse fifty reports the Lord's company takes to their heels, one of them even running out of his clothes in the mad dash to get away!

I am reminded of the unequal encounter on the village green at Lexington when the shot heard round the world was fired. Who fired that shot we will never know, but ten percent of the Lexington company were slain by the professional volley that followed. Little immediate damage was done the lobster backs, as the King's soldiers were known, but a high prace was taken when they marched home again. I mention this only to caution us against inprovidentially using violence.

Calvin well goes into a whole page or more describing the foolishness of protesting the arrest of our Lord by force of private arms. But, I digress from the whole point of our passage today. Calvin's summary of this whole text is so much better than my ability, so let us here a conclusion from him: Jesus "declares that, after having prayed, he was furnished with new arms. He had formerly, indeed, been sufficiently voluntary as to dying; but, when he came to the point, he had a hard struggle with the weakness of the flesh, so that he would willingly have withdrawn from dying, provided that he had been permitted to do so with the good-will of his Father. He, therefore, obtained by prayers and tears new strength from heaven; not that he ever hesitated through want of strength, but because under the weakness of the flesh, which he had voluntarily undertaken, he wished to labor anxiously, and with painful and difficult exertion, to gain a victory for us in his own person. But now, when the trembling is allayed, and the fear is subdued, that he may again present a voluntary sacrifice to the Father, he not only does not retire or conceal himself, but cheerfully advances to death".

Not even the self-declared loyalty of His disciples can stand in the way. Had not the Father God been in control of events, the whole leadership of Christ's own Church could have been bludgened or stabbed into the next life. That could not do, Jesus came to die for us and not on this night was it required to die for Him! Had he not already agreed to fulfill the will of the Father, He could have - as an old song goes "He could have called ten thousand angels" but instead, "He died alone for you and for me." And so this other garden's crop of priestly affection was so much more prosperous for ourselves and our condition than the first garden in Eden. So let us remember this garden with more affection than the first. After all, the actions determined and demonstrated in this garden will indeed go on to erase the imperfections attained for all of mankind in the first. May we continue to praise our Lord and give Christ the glory for what He determined to do that night, long ago in Gethsemane. Amen.