Wrestling in the Garden

Wrestling is one of the few sports mentioned in the Bible.  In Genesis 32:24, Jacob wrestled with a Man all night after he sent his wives and the rest of his entourage over the brook.  The heading for this section of the chapter is "Wrestling With God" in the NKJV.  In Ephesians 6:12, Paul states that we wrestle against principalities, powers, the rulers of the darkness of the age, and against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.  This is spiritual wrestling and not physical wrestling. 

Those of you who are modern wrestling fans know that every wrestling card has the main event, which usually takes place at the end of the event. In the main event, the reigning champion is challenged for the title. The matches that lead up to the main event are called the undercard. 

The main event in Christianity, of course, is the crucifixion and the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  The last match on the undercard, however, was a wrestling match in the Garden of Gethsemane.

Let me introduce you to the wrestlers. The first wrestler was Jesus the Son of Man, fully human. His human side showed compassion, yet He also showed anger when he cleared the temple of the money changers. 

The second wrestler was God the Father, Creator of the universe. He knew the future before the beginning of time.  He made man in His image and breathed life into him. 

The Son of Man came to the Garden of Gethsemane to wrestle in prayer with God the Father.   His disciples came with Him to the Garden, but He made most of them wait elsewhere, except for Peter, James, and John (Matthew 26:36).  His human emotions came to the surface as He told the three that He was sorrowful unto death and told them to keep watch with Him.  Like most of us humans, we want the comfort of other humans when we are sad.  

The Son of Man wrestled in prayer with God the Father three times (or three rounds, in boxing terms.  Sorry about the mixed sports metaphors.).  During the first time He prayed, His human emotion came out in the first part of the prayer. "O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me." The cup referenced here was Jesus' death on the cross as the ultimate sacrifice for sin.  The Son of Man, like most humans, didn't want to suffer pain and die. But in the second part of the prayer, the Son of God, who knew His Father's will, showed up and said, "nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will." 

The Son of Man then checked up on the disciples and found them sleeping.  Maybe they ate too much at the Passover seder.  He chastised Peter for falling asleep. He then spoke one of the most famous verses in Scripture - "Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation.  The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak." That has an application for us as well. 

In the second round of prayer, the Son of Man began to be resigned to His fate.  He said, "O My Father, if this cup cannot pass from me unless I drink it, Your will be done." Luke records in his Gospel that after this round of prayer, an angel came to strengthen the Son of Man.  He went back to check on His disciples and they had fallen asleep again.  

There was a third round of prayer in which the Son of Man prayed the same as He did in the second round.  Luke records in his Gospel that Jesus prayed in such agony that His sweat was like great drops of blood falling to the ground.  He came back to check on His disciples and they were still sleeping.  This time, the Son of God woke the disciples up and told them to rise and pray, lest they fall into temptation.  

We Christians wrestle with God in prayer as well.  We don't sweat like great drops of blood or have an angel strengthen us, however, like Jesus did. We must remember, though, that when we wrestle with God in prayer that it is not our will but God's will that must be done.  

Thanks as always for reading!  I hope it won't be as long until I write again.

Diane