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Agony In The Arena
.
There is
no hope without struggle. The
word agony describes supreme misery and conjures up images of tears,
tension, and sobs. It’s an undignified, powerless state — and one Jesus is
intimately familiar with. Hours before His arrest, He prays fervently, in agony
so severe that droplets of blood are wrung from His skin. Though it appears to
be the picture of defeat, this moment is more triumphant than anyone would
suspect - the agony experienced wrestling with God ultimately strengthens us,
aligning our heart, mind, and body with His will
BY IN TOUCH MAGAZINE STAFF
In the
ancient world, arenas hosted brutal spectacles where gladiators fought to the
death.
But not
every heroic contest played out in stone stadiums.
For
history’s most momentous struggle, the arena was a quiet garden, and the
champion a solitary, defenseless figure.
As the
scene unfolds, we see it’s sometimes victory rather than defeat that brings us
to our knees.
To get
the most out of this study, read Matthew 26:36-46, Mark 14:32-52,
and Luke 22:39-46. But
first, ask the Holy Spirit to guide you into the truth available in these
passages. Give yourself permission to ask questions that may not have answers. Wonder
aloud, imagine the scene, and take note of anything that surprises, confuses,
or even offends you. Above all, trust the Lord. He’s the best teacher.
Key
Passage: Luke 22:39-46
BACKGROUND
By this
point in the gospel narrative, Judas Iscariot has conspired with the chief
priests and agreed to help them for 30 pieces of silver (Matthew 26:14-16).
During
the Passover celebration in the upper room, Jesus identifies His betrayer.
Judas then leaves to set in motion the events that will eventually lead to
Calvary.
REFLECT
After
partaking of His last meal with the disciples, Jesus departs the relative comfort
and security of the upper room for a familiar retreat — the Garden of
Gethsemane.
·
Reread Matthew 26:36-39, and
note how Jesus progressively separates Himself from the disciples.
Why do
you think He ultimately made sure He was alone when addressing the Father? What
does this scene suggest about the interplay between corporate support and
personal burden?
·
Pay close attention to verse 39, which says Jesus “fell on
His face” before starting to pray. In what way does that image change how
you perceive the extent of the Lord’s physical distress?
·
Now look at the words Jesus used in addressing the sleeping
disciples in Matthew 26:41: “The
spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.”
Consider
how the statement could also apply to Jesus, who was Himself fully human — what
does this illuminate for you about the Savior’s struggle?
CONTINUING THE STORY
No one
would doubt that Jesus’ Gethsemane experience is painful, but His suffering is
even deeper than we might imagine.
·
Mark 14:33 says
that upon arrival, Jesus begins to feel “very distressed and troubled.”
According
to Strong’s Concordance, the Greek for “distressed” is ekthambeō,
which means “to alarm thoroughly, to terrify, to throw into terror or
amazement.”
Can you
think of a moment in your life when you were terror-struck? Try to recall the
physical sensations and emotions that accompanied that reaction.
Now
imagine Jesus experiencing the same thing. How does knowing that He personally
relates to your human experience of overwhelming fear impact your relationship
with Him?
·
One further word study on this verse fills out the picture even
more: The Greek term for “troubled” is adēmoneō,
which can also mean “depressed.”
Strong’s
Concordance specifically notes that of the words in the New Testament
for depression, adēmoneō is the strongest.
Is it
strange for you to think of Jesus experiencing depression, however brief? Why
or why not?
REFLECT
The
prophet Isaiah, in describing God’s anointed one as a suffering servant, chose
language that helps us better comprehend the intensity of Christ’s struggle in
the Garden.
·
Isaiah 53:4, which
is commonly recognized as a messianic prophecy speaking of Jesus, says that the
suffering servant was “crushed for our iniquities” (emphasis
added).
With
this in mind, consider that Gethsemane means “oil press.”
We
typically think of Christ’s crushing as a physical event taking place solely on
the cross.
But
what if the “punishment that brought us peace” (Isaiah 53:5) began
the night before in the Garden? How does that change your perspective on
sorrow?
·
Consider that Isaiah 61, another messianic passage, notes that
one of the duties of God’s Anointed is ministering to the grief-stricken by “giving
them [...] the oil of gladness instead of mourning” (Isaiah 61:3).
What
connection do you see between Jesus being crushed at the Oil Press (Gethsemane)
and His assignment to anoint the mourning with oil? How does His suffering
translate into our gladness?
·
Being fully divine did not save Jesus from the deeply human
experience of grief.
That’s
because suffering isn’t a divergence from God’s path — it is the
path to triumph, healing, and beauty.
And
it’s a journey on which we must also embark, embracing Christ’s suffering so
that we may also share in His joy (1 Peter 4:13).
REVISIT
Over
the next several weeks, use this section to review the study and consider how
its message applies to your life.
The
word agony describes supreme misery and conjures up images of
tears, tension, and sobs. It’s an undignified, powerless state — and one Jesus
is intimately familiar with.
Hours
before His arrest, He prays fervently, in agony so severe that droplets of
blood are wrung from His skin.
Though
it appears to be the picture of defeat, this moment is more triumphant than
anyone would suspect.
·
Reread Luke 22:39-44,
noting an angel strengthens Jesus (verse 43).
What
does that imply about the draining effects of this moment on Him?
How
does this scene illuminate the verse “My grace is sufficient for you: for My
strength is made perfect in weakness’” (2 Corinthians 12:9 NKJV,
emphasis added)?
·
The other gospels tell us Jesus asked God three times to excuse
Him from the torture of the cross.
If the
answer didn’t change, why do you think Jesus made the request repeatedly?
If it
were any other parent-child pair, how would you characterize such an exchange?
Have you ever engaged in a similar tug-of-war with God?
·
Strong’s Concordance says
that agōnia, the Greek word translated as “agony,” means “a
struggle for victory” and originally referred to gymnastic exercises like
wrestling.
Thinking
of your own life, how do you feel about struggling with God — do you see it as
a sign of immaturity or, worse, an act of disobedience?
Realizing
Jesus was not disobeying or acting immaturely, how does knowing He struggled
with His Father impact the way you view wrestling with God?
·
Human nature tries to avoid struggle — painful and exhausting,
it seldom seems worth the effort.
But
unlike ancient Greek gymnastic exercises, the agony experienced wrestling with
God ultimately strengthens us, aligning our heart, mind, and body with His
will.
Charles
F. Stanley
is the founder of In Touch Ministries, and a New York
Times best-selling author. He demonstrates a keen awareness of people's
needs and provides Christ-centered biblically based principles for everyday
life.
Dr.
Stanley’s motivation is best represented by the truth found in Acts 20:24,
“Life is worth nothing unless I use it for doing the work assigned me by the
Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about God's mighty kindness
and love.” This is because, as he says, “It is the Word of God and the work of
God that changes people’s lives.”
https://www.intouch.org/read/magazine/margin-notes/agony-in-the-arena
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