CONTEMPLATING THE SUFFERINGS OF THE LORD JESUS
Colin A Seeley
Luke 22: 39-46
We read this section on Lord’s day but we did not speak about it; there was a helpful enquiry raised in the reading as to what place the Lord’s sufferings would have at the Supper. I think what we arrived at in the reading was that the contemplation of the sufferings of the Lord would give tone to the responses to the Lord, our responses to divine Persons. I think the contemplation of the Lord’s sufferings would add a certain richness to our responses, and to all who have part in the service of God.
This incident in the Lord’s life is remarkable and never ceases to yield impressions for believers. One thing we do know is that not all the incidents of the Lord’s life are recorded in each gospel, but this one is, and the gospel writers each have their own impression as to it. We know that in Matthew and in Mark, the place is not referred to as the mount of Olives, but it is described as Gethsemane. We have been taught that the gospels of Matthew and Mark are known as pressure gospels and it is in those two gospels that we have the Lord’s exclamation on the cross, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”, Matt 27: 46; Mark 15: 34. That is very affecting to think about, that Matthew and Mark present this particular section from the point of view of pressure. Gethsemane means the ‘wine press’; it is a place of excessive pressure.
But Luke does not speak of Gethsemane; it says “he went according to his custom to the mount of Olives”, and we noticed when we were reading the end of Luke 21 that that was His custom, “he was teaching in the temple, and by night, going out, he remained abroad on the mountain called the mount of Olives” (v 37); so His own would be used to going there as well with Him. As they were at the mount of Olives it says, “the disciples also followed him”. John does mention the place too, in chapter 18; immediately after that remarkable prayer of the Lord’s in John 17 it says, “Jesus, having said these things, went out with his disciples beyond the torrent Cedron, where was a garden”, chap 18: 1. We have Gethsemane, we have the mount of Olives, and we have a garden. I did notice in the ministry that one brother said that the places in John’s gospel were of little consequence, because in that gospel the glory of the Person is before us.
Here the Lord Jesus is at the mount of Olives “and the disciples also followed him”. We have also been helped recently to see that in certain points in the Lord’s life He takes Peter, James and John with Him, those three servants, three disciples. These three apostles might be spoken of as the nobility; think of all that they meant to the Lord. In Matthew and Mark at Gethsemane He takes those three with Him. The view that we have in Matthew and Mark is that there are two companies, some disciples are left a little further back, and Peter, and the sons of Zebedee, James and John, are taken with Him. But that is not what we find in Luke’s account; he says here, ”the disciples also followed him”; I wonder if that would help us in relation to assembly response. Luke clearly writes with Paul’s ministry in mind, and he has one company in mind; so “the disciples also followed him”. The Lord here says, “Pray that ye enter not into temptation. And he was withdrawn from them about a stone’s throw”.
The Lord’s sufferings are unique, and we cannot enter into them. But at about a stone’s throw this company who loved the Lord, and the company that He loved, was able to take account of these sufferings that the Lord Jesus was enduring here; “about a stone’s throw”. There has been contrast with the ark as we have been going over reading in Joshua. The distance that the children of Israel had to remain behind the ark was two thousand cubits, chap 3: 4. That matter of the Lord going into death was uniquely His; persons could not follow there! But here they are just a stone’s throw. What do they see? They contemplate a praying Man!
That is another feature of Luke’s gospel, where the Lord Jesus is presented as we have had helpfully illustrated in these readings, He is a praying Man, even on the mount of transfiguration. Matthew and Mark do not mention that, but in Luke it says, “And as he prayed”, chap 9: 29. Here He is praying; “and having knelt down”. These are helpful distinctions between the gospel writers. In Matthew it says, “he fell upon his face” (chap 26: 39), and in Mark, “he fell upon the earth”, chap 14: 35. But what a dignified picture this is of the Lord Jesus. It says, “and having knelt down he prayed”. He is a most wonderful example for us; “Father, if thou wilt remove this cup from me: - but then, not my will, but thine be done”. As He is praying, divine support comes in for Him, “And an angel appeared to him from heaven strengthening him”. He is a perfect dependent Man. I love to think of heaven being intensely interested; the angel appears to Him from heaven strengthening Him. What a picture that is for our contemplation! It has been helpfully pointed out that in Matthew’s gospel it is a finalised thing after the matter as to Gethsemane, and He says “Arise, let us go”, chap 26: 46. As He is arrested, He says He could have called on ten legions of angels, v 53. That was not required then because the Lord was going that way, but here the angel appears to Him from heaven “strengthening him”. There is no mention of an angel in John’s gospel; that would not fit in with John! Angelic support would not fit in with John’s gospel because John presents Him as a glorious divine Person. But here we have, “And being in conflict he prayed more intently. And his sweat became as great drops of blood, falling down upon the earth”. What a remarkable matter that is! I suppose it would indicate to us the reality of His manhood and what He was suffering here; “being in conflict”.
Let us remember what that conflict was! This was the enemy returning to seek if he could, by bringing the horror of all that was ahead of the Lord Jesus, to divert Him from the pathway. What a blessed Man! He rose up from prayer, came to His disciples, and found them sleeping from grief. What can we say about that! How different would I have been? These dear men did not have the Spirit, but it is wonderful if we can be alert and have our spiritual sensibilities exercised in relation to these sufferings. “Why sleep ye? rise up and pray that ye enter not into temptation”. I think that is a prayer that we can all pray right now, that we do not enter into temptation and that we are kept, our souls are kept. So that as we contemplate these sufferings of the Lord, these anticipative sufferings in relation to all that was to follow, may our responses in the service of God have an increased note of richness. The sufferings of the Lord Jesus are intended to affect our hearts and to keep us soft. The Lord spoke about His sufferings when He was recovering those two that went away on the road to Emmaüs; “Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into his glory?”, chap 24: 26. And then at the beginning of the Acts; “he presented himself living, after he had suffered”, chap 1: 3. I do not think we can ever move far away from the sufferings of the Lord Jesus. I had in mind these distinctions in the way that the gospel writers present them for our help, as under the power and indited by the Holy Spirit. This is the word of God, and nothing can affect the hearts of believers like the contemplation of these matters and the precious perfect way that each gospel writer presents them.
I trust that this may be for our encouragement and that as we have said that there may be a richer note of praise for His Name’s sake.
Word in Meeting for Ministry in Glasgow
11th June 2024