War In The Garden: Spiritual Warfare
The word “agony” in the original Greek, used to describe Jesus’ struggle in Gethsemane, can also mean struggle or conflict. It’s from a root word, which was used to describe the place where the Greeks assembled to celebrate their Olympic Games. It can refer to “a place of contest, conquest + physical struggle for the purpose of overcoming all opposition in the attainment of a goal.”
Satan had avoided any direct confrontation with Jesus since the smackdown Jesus gave him in the wilderness. But now, in Gethsemane, Satan made one last, all-out frontal assault in an attempt to keep Jesus from going to the cross. (Matthew 16:23; 1 Corinthians 2:8)
Some Bible scholars believe that Satan was actually attempting to kill Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane.[1]
Mel Gibson hints at this in his film, The Passion of the Christ. As Jesus prays in the Garden, Satan appears, whispering to Jesus, tempting Him to abandon His path to the cross. The battle is fierce, but Jesus is resolved. He eventually stands to His feet, looks Satan in the eyes + crushes the serpent Satan has placed in His path. This is a picture of what Paul would later write in Romans 16:20, “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.” It’s a fulfillment of Genesis 3:15, when God said, “the serpent will strike His heel, but He will crush the serpent’s head.”
It’s interesting that the failure that plunged this world into terror + placed us under the curse began in a garden (Genesis 3). Jesus would also face one of the greatest battles in history in a garden. A few hours later, He would be betrayed by a kiss in that same garden (Luke 22:47-48). But the good news is that He would eventually be resurrected in another garden, redeeming the story of the garden.
This was the prayer Jesus prayed over + over again in the garden:
He went on a little farther + bowed with his face to the ground, praying, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” —Matthew 26:39 NLT
The Passion Translation paraphrases this:
“My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet what I want is not important, for I only desire to fulfill Your plan for me.” —Matthew 26:39 TPT
The symbol of a “cup” is used several times in the Bible. Sometimes it’s used in Scripture for a “cup of blessing.”
For example:
- Psalm 16:5, “Lord, You alone are my inheritance, my cup of blessing.”
- Psalm 23:5, “You anoint my head with oil, my cup overflows with blessings.”
- Psalm 116:11, “I will lift up his cup of salvation + praise him extravagantly for all that he’s done for me.”
But the symbol of a “cup” is also used in the Bible for the “cup of divine wrath + judgement.” For instance, Psalm 75:8:
“For the LORD holds a cup in his hand that is full of foaming wine mixed with spices. He pours out the wine in judgment + all the wicked must drink it . . .” —Psalm 75:8 NLT (Also see, Isaiah 51:17; Jeremiah 49:12-16)
Amazingly, in the garden, Jesus switched cups with us! Because of His sinless perfection, He could drink from the cup of God’s blessing. Because of our sin, we were destined to drink from the cup of God’s judgement + wrath.
Amazingly, at some point in eternity past, Jesus decided to switch cups! In the garden + on the cross, Jesus took our judgment so we could receive His blessing! He took our sin so we could receive His righteousness (See 2 Corinthians 5:21).[2]
It’s important to point out that the events we’ve covered thus far + the events we’ll cover soon, were not the tragic upending of God’s plan; they were the fulfillment of God’s plan.
The hour of Jesus’ most intense agony was the hour for which He had come into the world.
Scripture indicates that Jesus anticipated the time + manner of His death (Matthew 20:17-19). He taught His followers that His death would be the climax of His earthly mission + ministry. He said it like this in Mark 10:45:
“ . . . the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve + to give his life as a ransom for many.” —Mark 10:45
I love the way John Stott describes this. Stott writes:
“The essence of sin is we human beings substituting ourselves for God, while the essence of salvation is God substituting Himself for us. We . . . put ourselves where only God deserves to be; [but] God . . . puts Himself where we deserve to be.”[3]
It’s on the heels of three hours in prayer that a group of more than 200 people—including Judas, members of the Sanhedrin, the temple guard + a detachment of soldiers (which represented a group of at least 200 + as many as 600)—entered the garden to arrest Jesus.
Today’s Verse: “The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.” —Romans 16:20a NLT
Today’s Prompt: Do you believe God has the power to crush anything + everything that is attacking you?
Today’s Gratitude: I am grateful that Jesus took my cup of judgment + wrath, so I could have His cup of blessing.
Today’s Prayer: Father, I need Your peace when I feel like I am in agony + being crushed. Help me cling to You in those moments + trust that Your plan for my life will not be upended, but will be fulfilled. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
[1] See J. Vernon McGhee, Thru The Bible Vol 51, Hebrews 1-7, commentary on Hebrews 5:7; Also see John MacArthur, The MacArthur NT Commentary Set of 33 Volumes, commentary on Matthew 16:23
[2] Jesus: A Theography, Leonard Sweet + Frank Viola, page 220 of 418. The idea of Jesus switching cups is covered in this book by Sweet + Viola.
[3] John Stott, quoted by Tim Keller in The Reason for God, page 195.