SUBMITTING
WHILE SWEATING BLOOD
LUKE
22:39-44
(See
also Matthew 26:36-45 and
Mark
14:32-41)
Luke
22:39 And he came out, and went, as he was wont, to the mount of Olives; and
his disciples also followed him.
Susan: “As he was
wont” is an archaic phrase. In modern terminology we might say, “as was His
custom” or “as they usually did.” Going to the Garden of Gethsemane on the
mount of Olives was something Jesus and His disciples had done many times
before. The Mount of Olives was Jesus’s quiet place to spend intimate time with
His Father. Here, He could divest Himself of all the noise of the world
pressing in upon Him.
Susie: Even though
Jesus had tried to prepare the disciples that the time had come for Him to be sacrificed,
we must remember that this information was still flying over their heads,
“going in one ear and out the other,” so to speak. They would not have thought
it out of the ordinary to leave the Passover meal singing a hymn and going out
to the garden to pray.
Matthew
26:30 And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives.
Susan: The Mount of
Olives is a significant location due to more than just Jesus’ prayer and
betrayal. An excellent article on this important place may be found at:
Luke
22:40 And when he was at the place, he said unto them, Pray that ye enter not
into temptation.
Mark
14:32-34 And they came to a place which was named Gethsemane: and he saith to
his disciples, Sit ye here, while I shall pray. And he taketh with him Peter
and James and John, and began to be sore amazed, and to be very heavy; And
saith unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death: tarry ye here, and
watch.
Susan: Remember
Jesus’s prophecy that Satan was going to “sift” the disciples. Therefore, Jesus
exhorted them to pray “lest they fall into temptation.” Jesus, in His
admonition to the disciples, did not ask for prayer for Himself. He instructed
them to entreat the Father to strengthen them to withstand the onslaught of the
enemy He knew would follow His arrest.
Susie: Matthew gives
the detail that most of the disciples were left at the entry to the garden
while Peter, James, and John were taken deeper inside.
Susan: Jesus confided only
to these inner three the deep agony of His soul.
Susie: He told these
three not only to pray, but to wait there and watch. Watching implies staying
awake, being alert.
Susan: Jesus wanted
them to pay attention. Peter, James, and John must not have had their coffee
because, as we know, they fell asleep.
Luke
22:41-42 And he was withdrawn from them about a stone's cast, and kneeled down,
and prayed, Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me:
nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.
Susie: Jesus went a
short distance from Peter, James, and John still within their hearing, but the
disciples must not have heard everything since He later found them asleep. He
assumed the humble position of kneeling and prayed to His Father.
Susan: When Mary was
told she would bear God’s Son, it was difficult for her to take in as a young,
unmarried virgin. But she responded to the angel by saying, “Behold the
handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word.” Jesus now prayed,
also, submitting to the Father’s will.
Susie: The prophet
Isaiah had foretold that it would be God’s will to sacrifice the Messiah, His
Son:
Isaiah
53:10 Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise
him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for
sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the
Lord shall prosper in his hand.
Susan: Isaiah
predicted not only the Messiah’s death but also His resurrection to be the
“first fruit from the dead” (1 Corinthians
15:20). The only way He could see His seed or offspring and prolong His days
was to be raised from the dead.
1
Corinthians 15:20 (NASB) But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the
first fruits of those who are asleep.
Luke
22:43 And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him.
Susie: Only
Dr. Luke records the strengthening of the Lord by an angel and the information
that His sweat was like drops of blood.
NKJV
Study Bible
22:43
strengthening Him: God’s answer to Jesus’ prayer did not allow His Son to avoid
suffering. However, God did provide angelic help for Jesus to face what was
coming. Sometimes God answers prayer by eliminating trials; sometimes He
answers by strengthening us in the midst of them.
Luke
22:44 And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it
were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.
Susie: From
what I have read, Jesus exhibited a rare condition called hematidrosis or
hematohidrosis. It boils down to blood mixing with sweat as capillaries near
sweat glands burst and can be a result of extreme exertion, agony, or anxiety.
Susan: In His
humanity, Jesus was experiencing all three of these simultaneously. The angel
had strengthened Him to endure the pain and rejection He was to endure by the
will of the Father.
Susie: Hematidrosis
usually occurs on the face. The following links lead to explanations of this
phenomenon.
Ponder
this and Apply it: What application can
we draw from the agony of Christ in the Garden? Even though He was God incarnate, in His
humanity, Jesus needed times of deep prayer. If our Lord needed to draw aside
from the busyness of the world to spend time with God, how much more should we?
It was God’s will that Jesus die in our
place. His prayer was one of submission to that will. He was not delivered from
the trial, but the Lord sent the angel to strengthen Him for it. Many times,
trials in our own lives are serving God’s purpose for ourselves or others in
our sphere of influence. Deliverance will come either by being lifted out of
the situation or by being given the strength to go through it. The key thing to
learn is that we must submit to the Lord’s will and trust Him during the trying
times.
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